Interviews

Taken from English magazine "Soap Life" (its rather good dont you know! "

……Neighbours Sarah B wants love of her life Karl Kennedy to stop her wedding . But does her have the heart to do it ?……….. She's the girl who seems to have it all - beauty (!) brains (!!), a sense of humour (don't make me laugh!) and a career . And now, the icing on the cake - a wedding cake in this case - is a marriage to a divine doctor (heavily debatable) .

You'd think Sarah Beaumont would be the happiest girl in Ramsay Street (yes , way ahead of such stiff competition -Gruff voice, Hannah , Dungerwoman, Fringe , Anne … ) But the truth is , as her big day in September draws near , she's probably never been so miserable . The reason ?(take a wild guess) She's marrying the wrong doc (well knock me down with a humu-ongous great big forklift truck) Husband-to-be Peter Hannay may be perfect in every way but Sarah's still carrying a mighty big torch for ex-boss and old love, the very married Karl Kennedy .

"Karl is the love of Sarah's life and always will be" (umm how over the top - I love it!) says Nicola Charle, the 28-year-old actress who plays her . "Their relationship may have ended some time ago but Sarah never stopped wanting Karl . He was everything to her - friend , father figure and lover all in one (indeed - but surely 'lover' indicates things of a Carnal sense …… which didn't happen)

"While Sarah adores Peter and knows a great guy like him only comes along once in a lifetime, she's not in love with him . Peter's definitely a Karl substitute and has been all along."(no shit sherlock!)

Hardly the best start to marriage. No wonder Sarah has had second , third and fourth thoughts , and did decide , at one stage , to call off the whole thing. Toadfish persuaded her to think again , but the truth is that even as Sarah is making her vows she'll be wishing she was marrying Karl. The fact that Karl and his wife Susan are guests at the wedding can hardly help matters.

"Not necessarily so," says Nicola (I'll bet!) "They were invited accidentally but every part of Sarah wants Karl to see her in her wedding dress so he can see how she would have looked if she'd been his wife . But it's also her last stand . I Karl lets her go through with it , then it truly is all over between them."

Karl remains quiet throughout the ceremony but it's soon clear that his cool exterior is hiding feelings that run deep. (oh melodrama at its best!)

After the wedding Sarah is beside herself (though technically she's next to Peter too - mwaa haa haa) knowing she has lost Karl forever." Nicola continues. "All the guests think she's crying because she's so happy, but she's actually mourning the loss of Karl (SOMEBODY PLEASE CALL THE MELODRAMA POLICE!)

"Sarah goes into the church vestry for some air when Karl suddenly appears . He too , is beside himself. They get caught up in a rush of passion and start kissing like their lives depend on it," reveals Nicola. "They don't even stop when they hear Peter outside the door. In a perverse way this makes it even more exciting for Sarah and Karl .

"I understand how they feel (phew don't we all!) but , to be honest , I find the disregard for Peter really bad (amusing would be the word I'd choose but ne'er mind!) Sarah has been lying to him all along (Well she had ME fooled…… not)

Taken from Oz Mag TV Week Entitled "A Season Finale With A Splash "

It's a life-or-death situation in Neighbours' 1998 season finale when Joel (Daniel MacPherson) is trapped under a car bogged in a river. Erinsborough medico Dr Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher) must work quickly to save the teenager whose latest good deed ends in tragedy. Fans will have to wait until next year to find out who survives the ordeal.

The drama unfolds when unlicensed Anne (Brooke Satchwell) "borrows" a car and speeds away after a major misunderstanding with Billy (Jesse Spencer). But the tear-stricken teen loses control of the vehicle and it swerves towards a river. A muddy river bank stops it from plunging into the water, but relief is short-lived.

Dr Karl and Joel Samuels are first on the scene and try to push the car free, but it slides down an embankment and traps Joel underneath. With Joel wedged between the car and the bottom of the river, Karl must work quickly to free him. But his efforts are hampered when a stormwater drain opens, dumping more water into an already swollen river.

"Poor old Joel gets himself into a bit of strife. I was a little bit worried about it, too," says Daniel about shooting the scenes in the rising river waters. "Joel's face is covered and he has to breathe through a bottle and then a hose. He starts to lose consciousness - it's quite terrifying. He is just such a nice guy, always stopping to help people, and I guess this time his niceness got him into a bit of trouble. Whether he is going to survive is going to be the most-asked question of the summer."

Alan Fletcher says the accident is a frightening scenario that could happen to anyone. "It was a question of sheer terror and panic," he says. "It's not an outlandish cliffhanger. It's just an everyday event that could go wrong, the sort of stuff you read about in newspapers all the time. The frightening simplicity heightens the drama."

The arduous shoot required Alan and Daniel to stay afloat in freezing water, with tonnes of "rain" being dumped on them. "Half the time I had to just sit under the water and hold my breath and wonder if they were still shooting,"

Daniel says. "With the rain pelting down, I wasn't getting much air at all."

Daniel MacPherson's training as a triathlete helped him cope with the arduous water scenes in the season finale. The Cronulla-raised beach boy spends up to 15 hours a week running, swimming and riding to stay in peak condition. "Trying to be fit keeps you going when you are filming for three days in tough circumstances. It is physically demanding, especially when your body is being pushed to the extreme." Daniel says. "Luckily I didn't have too many lines to learn, but mentally I had to work out what I was going to do and tell myself I was going to be cold and uncomfortable. But, basically, this is what you have to do in this line of work."

Daniel, Alan and Brooke Satchwell had to spend many hours spread over three days filming in freezing temperatures in a river. "I never saw a girl as wet and shivering as Brooke was during shooting." Alan says.

And when underwater shots were needed for the episode, Daniel and Alan had to return to the freezing September water the following week. "But we were kept in good condition." Alan says. "The crew gave us hot soup and blankets and moved hell and high water - pardon the pun - to make us as comfortable as possible." There was even a hot tub on the set, and Alan says: "It was a godsend and held us together."

Taken From Inside Soap , Entitled "A Broken Man"

The months of deception finally caught up with Dr Karl Kennedy when his affair with Sarah Beaumont was dicovered by the residents of Ramsay Street. This fortnight , Karl realises the error of his ways and shuns Sarah in order to win back Susan .

But after the shock and humiliation , Susan doesnt want to know and throws him out . With Libby and Bill (still cant get used to that-f) also avoiding him , Karl deeply regrets ever jeopradising cosy family life .

This story it seems , will run and run . "We thought it would never last but people haev become so involved in it ," says Alan Fletcher who plays Karl . They are so excited and relish each turn it takes ."

Karl knew his secret wouldn't be safe forever ad viewers recently saw Susan lose control in some of the most dramatic scenes Neighbours has ever seen . According to Alan , it looked so real because Jackie Woodburne , who plays Susan , didn't hold back .

We were showing a 24-year marriage being torn apart and Jackie's work was so powerful it affected both cast and crew . By the end of the scene , everyone lined up to have a go at me as well !"

With Sarah still around , it remains to be seen if the Kennedy's can rebuild their marriage . Whatever the outcome , the story has led to huge ratings in Australia - a fact which was proved when Alan attended a football match .

"There were 70 , 000 people and everyone had an opinion ," he laughs . "Some said i was a rat for cheating on Susan , but other encouraged me to stay with Sarah . I can't win !"

Extract taken from "What's on TV" . Entitled " Lucky Lad or Rat" (crap title huh?!)

 Playing a cheating husband tends to provoke a mixed reaction from the public , as Alan Fletcher has found to his cost .

As Neighbour's Dr Karl Kennedy , his character's relationship with beautiful young receptionist Sarah Beaumont (Nicola Lipgloss) has been causing quite a stir .

"Each week I go to the football and just about every guy I've come across up to the age of 25 has told me what a lucky so-and-so Karl is " says 41 year old Alan (oh so hes 41 NOW!)

"But the women ! that's a different story . I've been getting terrible looks , especially from the older ones . Quite a few have told me they think Karl's behaviour is disgusting "

He is not even safe in his own home . " I hooked up to the internet the other day and came across a Karl Kennedy Appreciation Society , which was great"(fizza-OH MY GOD!) , he reveals .

Then i found another site , Karl Kennedy Die Die Die ! It just shows how strongly people feel about these things . " (well to be honest the latter of those two was made years ago , sorry! --- that was me fizza not mr interview person!)

This week , Dr Karl's critics will once again be baying for his blood when he has a clandestine meeting with Sarah in a motel room . Will they or won't they sleep together ?

" Karl doesnt know what to do anything to break up his marriage , but he's in that common dilemma of the middle aged guy," explains Alan

"Every man goes through a phase of wondering if they are still attractive and Sarah's attentions have been flattering " (fizza- more like flattening!)

In real life Alan lives in Melbourne with his wife of eight years , newsreader Jennifer Hansen (fizza- who incidentally was on Neighbours in the Uk last week as a newsreader suprisingly!) and their two young children .

"Jen finds the storyline amusing"(fizza-dont we all?) admits Alan , " She gets on well with Nicola and jokes about how I'm off to see my mistress . We have a blissful life , nothing like the Kennedy's . The only thing Karl and I share is our sense of humour . " (what you dont like blueberry muffins!)

However , he admits that playing a doctor for four years has rubbed off . "Friends and family are always calling me up for advice as if I'm qualified to give it ." laughs Alan .

"Jen showed me a rash on our baby's chest and i found myself saying authoratively that it was nothing . I should be careful , I don't want to get done for impersonating a doctor " (fizza- erm isnt that what you do for a living ?? gafaw gafaw!)

Extract taken from the Review in an Oz Newspaper!

Okay , so Nicola Charles and Alan Fletcher are attratcive actors , but at first sight , it's hard to fathom why their alduterous kiss should excite people in Swaziland and the Slovak Republic , as well as Seymour and Sydney .

According to John Schwarz , a lecturer in media studies at Swinburne , the idea underpinning Neighbours is "the reassuring one that we should all be there for one another ; you never keep anything to yourself ; you share everything and you work through everything ."

Into this idealised suburban neighbourhood walks Nicola Charles , the glamorous part-Brazilian , part-German model from London . For a year she did two episodes in the role of Sarah , the London model , and off-set she would burst into tears in the loo because she felt her career was going nowhere .

Then she wrote a story that had Sarah falling in love with Karl Kennedy , the dependable and married local doctor . She showed it to the script editor . "I love it" , he said , "but I don't think they'll do it . It's too risque for Neighbours"

There has always been a strong over lay of middle-class morality about Neighbours , with its G classification , and producer Peter Dodds is proud that it is the kind of show you can happily leave a 6 year old to watch . But the Neighbours hierarchy , perhaps mindful of ratings that had slipped from the highs of the late 80's , decided to spice up life as it is prepared in Ramsay Street .

One day Charles , Fletcher (who plays Karl Kennedy) and Jackie Woodburne (who plays Karl's wife Susan) were invited out to lunch by the producers . Charles wondered if she was about to be sacked but was told instead that she was about to have an affair .

The much celebrated kiss between Karl and Sarah in January set off one of the longest running teases in soap history , with the extent of Karl's adultery stll un-known . Did they or didn't they ?

The Kiss has been succeded by The Angst , The Suspicion , The Night at The Motel and The Estrangement .

It has been good for ratings , which have climbed to the 20's for recent episodes . The 28 year old Charles denies the increase is due to the (something that my school computer will NOT allow i.e SEX why mr Lofthouse why? why?) think it's the love angle . Deception is always very interesting ."

She is reguarly approached by young women who support her situation but the occasional older , married woman will stop her and say : "How could you do that?"

"I hope I'm not seen as a marriage breaker " , says Charles . "I think Karl's going through a mid-life crisis and Sarah's very lonely"

The 41 year old Fletcher has had an equally strong response to his TV predicamnet . He has recieved mail from young men urging him to ditch his wife for Sarah , while the married , female teller in his local bank still gives him a filthy look each time he comes in .

Fletcher , married to Channel Ten newsreader Jennifer Hansen , says he used he used his actor's imagination for the role : "It reflects the dilemma many people have when they are deeply attracted , but they also remain deeply in love with their wife . Men beyond a certain age wonder whether they are attractive anymore and when someone says "I love you" they don't want to run (and again i must apologise for this school's total lack of realism , it says sex so we must all KILL OURSELVES!)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx betrayal , and I think that's what made it interesting to viewers . The show reflects people's desires and needs ."

"An interview from Oz mag TV WEEK!

 When Neighbours' Dr Karl Kennedy invites Sarah away on a corporate golf weekend , his thoughts are nothing but pure Despite the fact they fell into each others arms and shared a passionate kiss just weeks ago , Karl remains firm in his belief that they are just close friends .

Once the weekend arrives , Sarah begins to realise Karl may have the right idea . After all , he is a married man and almost twice her age , so despite her feelings she decides that she must let him go .

"Sarah has decided she must put an end to the way she has been feeling about Karl , " says Nicola Charles . "He is married and she thinks she has been making the wrong move , but it's hard , she really cares for him . "

But the decision fills her with sadnes and she decides to spend some time alone . She heads out to the cliffs for a long walk to clear her head - but ends up experiencing something very different !

"She's feeling very sad and lonely so she perches herself on a wooden rail and stares out to sea , " Nicola says . But what Sarah doesnt realise is the rail is rotten and unable to hold her weight . Just moments after she sits down , the rail collapses , sending her tumbling down the cliff .

The cliff face is 70 metres high , and if she lands on the rocks below she will be killed . Luckily , she manages to grab onto a rock ledge on her way down . Sarah's a strong and healthy girl , but she won't be able to hold on forever .

Fortuanately for her , Karl is furious she's dissapeared . Although he has no idea what's going on , he heads out to the cliffs to see if he can find her .

When he sees her bag on the ground and the broken rail , he is puzzled . But when he hears her , by now , weak cries he realizes what has happened and the enormous danger Sarah is in .

"Karl hears Sarah and reacts immediately , " says Alan Fletcher . "He is thinking the worst and all he wants to do is help her . Everything else that has happened is just a blur to him . Saving her is all he cares about . Even if it means risking his own life . "

Karl is physically fit and well trained in first aid , but will it be enough to save Sarah ? Could it take her death for him to realise she was more than just a friend after all ?

Neither Alan or Nicola are saying what happens next (but ofcourse you all know he saves her!--fizza***) but Nicola reveals she is going to miss working with Alan . She says working with him has taught her a lot about the craft of acting . She particuarly enjoyed filming this episode with him .

"Obviously we had stunt people , but we did do quite a bit ourselves and although it was terrifying , it was very exhilirating as well , " Nicola says . "My heart was racing , but I really wanted to do it "

Both Nicola and Alan were fitted with harnesses , which were concealed under their clothes . A fine safety line was then attached to prevent them from really taking a tumble and making the scene just that bit too realistic !

While neither star was seriously hurt during filming , Nicola admits to several bruises , cuts and scratches . "I didn't lose any of my false nails though " she says . (hmm yeah whatever --fizza) "The director thought I was amazing . "

AN INTERVIEW TAKEN FROM INSIDE SOAP (GO AND BUY IT COS ITS TOP)

An interview from Aussie Soap Stars Called Q&A (1997)

1.Q: Where were you brought up? A:I was brought up in Perth in Western Australia.I moved to Sydney after I'd been an actor for three years and then ended up in Melbourne in 1982.(year i was born--Fizza***)I've been here ever since.

2.Q:Are you from a large family? A:I've got three brothers,and we get on even better now than we did a kids.One of my brothers has moved to Melbourne,so we see each other a lot.

3.Q:What's your idea of absolute paradise? A:Having more time--a 26-hour day would be bliss.

4.Q:Who's the person you turn to in times of trouble? A:Definitely my wife.She's my best friend-if there's trouble I go straight to her

5.Q:What do you like to watch on TV? A:Quality British and Australian dramas are my favourites.I also like enviromental documentaries.I was just watching one narrated by David Attenborough.

6.Q:What's your all time favourite meal? A:My favourite meal is Malaysian Curry Soup.I love Malaysian food,and I have this soup all the time.

7.Q:What's your favourite place in the world? A:Of the places I've been to so far,my favourite must be Venice.I was very influenced by the old Julie Christie movie "Dont Look Now",which is set in Venice.Everywhere I walked all I could think about was this movie.I was intoxicated by Venice.

8.Q:Which celebrity would you most like to meet? A:Unfortuanately,the person I would like to meet is now dead.He was an Indian Guru called Sia Baba.However,if we're talking showbiz,then it would have to be Sean Connery-I think he's an amazing actor.

9.Q:Who are you closest to in the cast?? A:Jackie Woodburne,who plays my wife,Susan.We're old friends,and we have a similar way of working.Also one of my oldest friends in the world has just joined the cast,Ailsa Piper,who plays Ruth.But in terms of actual working,Jackie would be the one.We often talk about how difficult it would be to do our job with someone else,because we relate to each other as actors so well

10.Q:What annoys you most? A:People who don't consider the welfare of others.

11.Q:Who would you like to play you in a movie of your life? A:What a great question!I think it would have to be Mel Gibson.These days,I should be saying Geoffrey Rush,as he's just won a Golden Globe for his part in "Shine".However,I'd like to fantasise that I was as good looking as Mel.

12.Q:If you were to write a book,what would it be about? A:It would be about the power of the mind over the body.That's something I've always been interested in,as my mum was involved with spiritual healing.Ithink it's a fascinating concept that we can rule our lives by our minds and attitudes.

13.Q:Who were your pin ups when you were a child? A:Mostly football players.But I also have a lot of interest in showbiz people like Sean Connery.

14.Q:What was the last book you read? A:It was a book called "Anna's Story",and it was a non-fiction book about a girl who died of taking an Ecstasy tablet.I wanted to read it,as I was interested to know what would make normal young girl get herself into that situation.

Q:What was the last CD you bought? A:Well I've just bought two CD's.One is a Christina Olsen album,a Canadian folk singer-I listen to a lot of folk music.However the other CD i bought was a Van Morrison one.

 

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