Home and Away: What you never knew about Pippa
FOR eight years in the 90s, Pippa Ross was Australia’s mum.
She was lovingly played by Debra Lawrance, one of this country’s finest actors who was actually the third person to be cast as the character when she joined the show in 1990.
News.com.au caught up with Lawrance (who currently stars in Please Like Me) to chat about taking over the role of Pippa, why she left Summer Bay and if she would ever consider a return:
How did you land the gig as Pippa?
I actually auditioned for the original one but didn’t get it. They gave it to Carol Willesee and then she discovered that they weren’t going to let her off at 3 o’clock every afternoon to pick up her kids. Then Vanessa [Downing] was given the role [from 1988 to 1990] but her contract ended after three years so she went and they recast.
You beat out another well known soap star for the role, is that right?
Jackie Woodburne [who plays Susan Kennedy on Neighbours], who is one of my best friends in the whole world, she and I were short-listed. We literally did have a coffee and say to each other that we don’t mind whichever one gets it. We’re quite generous souls.
Pippa had a lot of foster kids. Which one was your favourite?
If we’re talking about me having a favourite actor to work with, hands down it’s Kate Ritchie. She is an extraordinary human being. To have grown up in front of 60 million people around the world, she just developed a really good work ethic, she’s very clever and she’s a really good little actress. Working with Kate was just a dream.
Pippa lost two lovers during your time on the show. Tom died from a heart attack and Michael [played by Lawrance’s real-life husband Dennis Coard] drowned during a flood. What was the reaction like from the general public after those deaths?
Occasionally you would get people who have lost husbands coming up to you in the supermarket and they thank you, which is a huge compliment as an actor, because they say ‘that’s exactly how I felt’.
The lines do become a bit blurred for people. I don’t know if it was aided and abetted by the fact that Dennis and I were by that stage married in real life with our daughter Grace, so often when we were out together Dennis was right there beside me. I think that helped because they could see he was not really dead. Dennis still jokes that he left Home and Away to take swimming lessons.
What was the general reaction from people who recognised you during your time on the show?
Two women came up to me separately and told me I was making them look bad at home. And I’d occasionally have teenagers who would say to me, ‘I wish you were my mum’.
Why did you leave the show in 1998?
The real estate was paid off (laughs). Also, my mum was living in Melbourne and she in her 80s and she was becoming more frail. And I just wanted to spend some more time with her.
Also, we’d miscarried a few babies and we were trying for a second baby and I just wanted to be living out in the bush really and having a bit of a relaxing time and spend some time with my mum.
We did both. We got lovely William and he was born when we came back to Melbourne and we had just over three years with my mum before she passed away and they were really good years. It was absolutely well worth doing.
Would you be willing to return to Home and Away in the future?
I never say never. I look completely different now though. I’ve got blonde hair and I don’t think they could see Pippa being a blonde and I’m not dying it red again for anybody!
The short answer is, there are other people living in my house so how can I go back? I’m not staying in a caravan!
Also, it’s moved beyond the Summer Bay it was when I was there. It’s a different town now. There are a few more guns and loads more alcohol. Everyone drinks!
Hypothetically if you said no to returning, would you be happy for another actor play the role of Pippa?
Look if they needed Pippa that desperately to try and attempt to replace her again then I would probably go back. If they were that desperate and paid me enough money, of course I’d do it.
Debra Lawrance can currently be seen in the fourth season of the award winning ABC show, Please Like Me. Episode one can be viewed on ABC iView and episode two will air on the ABC on November 16 at 9.30pm.
Please Like Me - Season 4 Trailer0:30
Please Like Me Season 4 airs Wednesdays 9.30pm on ABC and iview.
Originally published as What you never knew about H&A’s Pippa