Farewell Rhys.

Rhys Wakefield is stepping out in to the world beyond Summer Bay, and is looking forward to growing his hair and turning Rastafarian on a deserted beach for a while before heading off to new heights.

How long have you been working with Home and Away?

I've been here since 2005, so two years.

You have recently been involved in a feature film, what was that?

Yeah I did do a film which was shot in January last year called the Black Balloon. It's scheduled to be released in the first quarter of this year, which is cool, I can't wait.

There were some big Australian names in that? Who did you work with?

Tony Collette played my mother, which was awesome, it was incredible to work with her. She was so encouraging and lovely. Also Gemma Ward played my girlfriend, the supermodel, so it was pretty wicked. I was like, 'yeah whatever, I'm making out with a supermodel'.

So you got to kiss a supermodel then?

Yep, I sure did!

So what's the film all about?

I play a boy called Thomas. It's about him and his autistic brother and how he deals with that, and coming to terms with his sexually overt parents who are Tony Collette and Erik Thomson. They are very overt in front of Thomas and he's really challenged by it. There were so many obstacles with the character. It was amazing to do. It was so intense and it called upon so much as an actor, there was a lot of pressure.

How did you find working in film?

It was great, very different to TV. We were filming about three minutes of footage a day. That was the coolest concept. In TV we film about half an hour a day, if not more, it was pretty bizarre. The shoot was for six weeks, it was really condensed, like 13 hour days, there was no time to stuff around.

What was it like learning about your character Thomas?

It was the Director's story, Elissa Down. I was playing her in a different circumstance. It was set in the early 1980s. So I just spoke to her a lot and I met her brother, who the other character was based on, who is heavily autistic. The rehearsal process was quite strenuous and amazing.

Only at the movies - March 6, 2008

So what's next?

Hopefully film, that's the avenue I want to take. Film and maybe a bit of theatre here and there - I love Shakespeare so hopefully I'll get to do some of that.

Any traveling on the agenda?

Maybe, maybe. I was thinking about it. I have two months off now where I'm going to enjoy good weather, good company and good food. I also had this crazy idea of going to a Fijian Island for a bit and turning in to this feral and growing my hair long. You know turning in to someone out of "The Beach" (without the weed farmers). I just want to not care about appearances. Go where no one knows me and hide away for a little while and just relax. But that's just a theory.

Have you got any work lined up?

Basically I'll know soon as my whole career is in the hands of the gods. I was going to go to L.A as soon as I finished up here for a month. But then I have an agent in the U.S and he said it's probably good to wait until everything's calmed down with the writer's strike and all going on. It won't make a good impression if I go over there and just hang around without work.

Are you interested in working in Hollywood?

My ideal is to be making good films that people enjoy, Hollywood or not! Here and there, both would be nice.

Any plans for England?

Not at this point, I just went to London and the lifestyle is cool, it's this bizarre, glamorous place. I don't think America has that, or Australia. At some stage I would love to live in England and do some plays in the West End.

You've got so much ahead of you. Is that why you are moving on, to get a few more things under your belt?

Yeah, finishing up here is like graduating from high school for me. It just felt like it was about time I got out there and started to think independently and really nut out what my future is going to be. I just felt I was in too much of a routine. Not to say I'm not grateful for this place because it's taught me a hell of a lot. But I don't know, I guess you kind of just reach this plateau and feel like living life out in the real world.

How do you feel about leaving?

I'm feeling great but its sad to say goodbye to everyone, I've made some great friendships here. It's a bitter, sweet feeling.

Who will you miss?

Umm, that's a hard question. I think the people I'll miss especially, I'll see them in my spare time. But if I'm in the States that will be a bit of an issue. I'll miss Indie, Jess, Toby (D.O.P) and Bobby.

How are you taking it all in today?

It just feels really surreal. I feel half in, half out. It probably won't feel real until I haven't got a schedule to abide by and I'm sitting in Fiji looking out at the horizon.

You have a lot of fans on the website, have you got any messages for them?

Check out the Black Balloon. And Thanks so much for the support.

Written by:

Megan McAuliffe