EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH PETER VROOM
I had the honour of interviewing Peter Vroom, who played bumbling dropkick Lance Smart, on a variety of subjects, and i found out that he is a hell of a lot more articulate, intelligent and funny then his alter-ego. Then again that just proves how good an actor he is, if he can convince everyone that he is dumb as a doorknob.
Interview by Nathan Jolly
Q1. Do you find
that people treat you like a larrikin or like an idiot, because
of Lance?
Interesting question. I think that many people have the
impression that is what I am like. I don't blame them, that is
all they have to go with so it is to be expected that they would.
However, I usually find that people are pretty open minded and
take me for what I am pretty quickly. Hehe, I can hear you asking
"what am I"? Well, I am not the larrikin that Channel 7
presents, but I am a bit of a larrikin. I tend to joke around a
lot, and only be serious when it is required. But then.... well I
am often serious too, especially in the mornings coz I hate
getting up early (ie before 11:00). But of course, one can't
define oneself in a few lines, it takes an age of knowing someone
to really know what they are like.
Q2.Were you friends with
Craig Thompson, while you were both on the show? Do you still
keep in contact with him? Have you heard his band Romp?
We were friends whilst on the show. We would hang out a bit, and
we had a bit of a band going also. However, we were not the
umbilically attached twins that you see on the show. Rather, we
enjoyed each others company during the time we worked together.
Alas, we have both moved in different directions since, which is
what happens in that industry. When we do meet up however, we
have a great time (serious fun). He is a funny guy. So to answer
your second question, we don't particularly keep in contact but
we do see each other from time to time. I have heard a demo of
his band, I like it. I have not seen him play unfortunately.
Which reminds me, I should find ou when he is playing and have a
listen. Craig is a very good musician. I have a lot of respect
for the effort he puts into that side of things, and also his
talent in that area. He is a very good singer.
Q3.Who in the cast were you
closest to, and do you still see any of the original cast?
I don't see any of the original cast, although I have maintained
friendships with the odd behind the scenes person. It is hard to
say who I was closest to. At the end of the day it was a job, and
we all had professional relationships. I guess, by virtue of the
fact that Craig and I always worked together we would have
therefore had the closest relationship.
Q4.Did you like your return
to the bay for Sally's wedding? Was it easy to slip back in to
Lance?
I loved it. Let me repeat that, I really loved it - I love acting,
I can't tell you how much. And I do love working on the show.
Many people have the attitude that it is a "soap" and
that you can't get quality acting out of it. But there are many
other sides to working on the show. All the people are really
nice, and you are continually getting the opportunity to practice
the art (of acting). Slipping back into Lance was not easy. I was
really quite worried about it. However, 10 years had transpired
since his last appearance on the show, so it is not as if I had
to particularly "replay" Lance. In fact he had grown up,
so there was a lot of opportunity for me to put more maturity
into him, and give him more depth. At the end of the day though
it was I that was Lance, so I would never be that different.
Q5.Do you feel proud that
you were one of the originals in a show that has lastest 14 years?
I am no more proud of being an original than just being on the
show. That is, I would be just as proud being on the show for 2
years at any time, not just the beginning. Q6.How often are you
still recognised by old fans? Hmmmm I really don't know. I tend
to be pretty oblivious to recognition. I am surprised at how much
I am recognised though. I guess that is because of the re-runs.
Here at uni after about a month after I started, all of a sudden
someone recognised me, then it went through the whole faculty.
After that, the "knowledge" passed down from year to
year, much the same as old assignments do
Q6.Who are your favourite
bands?
Toooooo difficult to answer. I like all sorts of music. Bomfunk
MC rock, but a lot of others do too. "Smashing Pumpkins"
are good. God, there are too many to list, and I don't have a
favourite. I love heavy hard core dance music. In fact most of my
favourite music is very intense. "Mamas and the Pappas"
were good. "Sound of Silence" is my favourite song of
all time by Simon and Garfunkle.
Q7. How did you get your
start in Home and Away?
I did not have an agent. I was at acting school at the Australian
Theatre For Young People and I overheard someone talking about it.
I called up channel 7 and asked if I could audition. They said
yes and I rocked up. Ignorance is bliss :) Anyways, they didn't
have a script and they asked me to pretend I was a dopey guy
trying to chat up a beautiful chick (Carly). The male director
played Carly. I think the best part of my audition was I didn't
say anything. As they say in Sweden, "to talk is silver, but
silence is golden". All I did was um and ahh. I picked up an
agency sometime after that, but I was not happy with them. I
tended to get more of my own work yet they still took their fees.
I haven't got an agency now, but I will get one when I get
properly back into it.
Thankyou for sparing the the
time to answer these questions for the web-site
No, thank you for putting together such a complementary web site.
It is nice to have such things created about oneself rather than
the usual British tabloid lies and crap that so often is
published. I think you asked me last time to give a bit of an
outline of what I am up to now. Regardless of whether you did, I
am going to lay it on you Finished the show in March 90, did the
panto thing in England plus toured with some plays. Bought a
little 4 seater aircraft in the States and flew it back, just in
time for the recession we had to have. Sold it and worked my ass
off to put myself through uni. I finished my Bachelor Building
and Construction Management degree with hons I in 99. A lot of
pain and suffering, and a lot of joy. Certainly what doesn't kill
you makes you stronger. Hitched around Africa for a while (what
doesn't kill you still makes you stronger) bummed around Quebec
for a while. Have done a few other things I should probably
mention, but can't remember. I am now working at the Uni NSW in
Sydney doing IT support and computer programming trying to work
out when and how I will get back into acting. Love basketball and
:) > present fad is a game called Everquest.
Well there you go, Peter Vroom, uni degree, pilot, in the IT business,computer programmer, and not at all like Lance Smart.