Former Neighbours star Kerry Armstrong has revealed that she rejected advice from directors to tone down her performance as nanny Alice during her time on the Australian soap.
The actor first stepped foot on Ramsay Street as Heather Schilling, who famously disguised herself as Alice Wells, back in October 2018.
After orchestrating a 'chance' encounter with Sonya and Toadie Rebecchi, Alice – who turned out to be the mother of Andrea Somers, the woman who had previously conned the couple – convinced them to hire her as a live-in nanny. Ultimately, the storyline led to her manipulating the pair and eventually poisoning Sonya.
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Appearing as a recent guest on Tak Talks, the YouTube interview series hosted by David Tanaka actor Takaya Honda, Kerry explained that bosses were keen for her to play the villainous role more straight. But despite their concerns, she decided to adopt a more theatrical vibe as her character terrorised the entire Rebecchi family.
"Tony, one of the directors, said, 'Do you think you should pull it back a bit?" she laughed, recalling the first scene she ever filmed.
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"'I'm not sure I've even begun. I'm just on volume one,'" she said in response at the time. "I said, 'Can I ask you something? If this were The Shining, and I was Jack Nicholson, would you be saying pull it back?' And he said, 'No, why?' I said, 'Ah OK, great – can you just from now on pretend that we're doing The Shining?'
"Then the following week, another director, Declan, he came down and went, 'Hello Kerry, it's lovely to meet you and I believe I'm to call you Jack,'" she laughed. "You have to back yourself."
Later on in the chat, Kerry opened up about what it was like being mean to Sonya actor Eve Morey on set.
"She and I had never met but we became, and we still are, almost instant besties and so every time nanny Alice was torturing her, we were hysterical between takes," she said. "I don't know, she was encouraging me to be even worse. She was so generous."
Neighbours currently airs Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5 (UK) and weekdays at 6.30pm on 10 Peach (Australia). Later this month, it will resume its usual Monday to Friday slots.
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