Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger tells Soaplife about his trip to London, the origins of his name and if he'll be heading for Hollywood...
It’s almost too much to bear! Not only is Orpheus Pledger, aka Summer Bay’s medical student Morgan Mason, one of the hottest guys we’ve ever seen, he’s just so nice with it.
What's the story?
Soaplife was lucky enough to spend some time with Orpheus during his recent whistle-stop trip to London to promote the Aussie soap's 30th anniversary. He joined the cast as Mason in 2016 and his character recently lucked-out on romance with new hospital nurse Jasmine Delaney, who only has eyes for policeman Colby Thorne.
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Orpheus Pledger's interview with Soaplife...
Soaplife: What's it been like starring in Home and Away for the past two and a half years?
Orpheus Pledger: "It really has changed my life. I think back over the last two years and I realise I’ve grown and changed so much – and it’s all thanks to Home and Away. It’s a fantastic training ground for an actor. I don’t think there can be a better one out there. It’s like a mentorship and I’m learning from the other actors all the time. I feel I've had a huge amount of development and growth over the past two years. The show is a proper institution for anyone to develop their personal skills and their acting skills. It’s part of Australian culture and it’s given me so much."
S: What have you been up to in London, Orpheus?
OP: "I’ve just been drinking it all in, really. This is my first time in London and the UK. I’ve wanted to come here my whole life. I grew up watching The Bill with my dad, so to be here is very special and kind of nostalgic. It’s even better than I ever thought it would be. There’s an amazing energy about the place, yet it feels really calm, too."
S: Has anything in particular caught your eye?
OP: "I can’t get over how beautiful it is, how green and just how much space there is. The people are really lovely and the buildings – all the history and culture – is just mind-blowing. I’ve had a ball just wandering around the streets. I’ve also been to the theatre. I guess you could say I’ve fallen in love with the place."
S: Do you have any family ties to the UK?
OP: "One side of my family come from Wales originally, but that was generations back. We’re Australian through and through, but my grandad is a massive Arsenal fan, so it’s the Gunners all the way for me. I’m really into footy."
S: With a name like Orpheus, we thought you might have Greek ancestry…
OP: "No. There are a couple of reasons why I was named Orpheus. The ancient myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is a wonderful, romantic tale of eternal love, which my parents adored. There’s also a 1960 black and white French film by Jean Cocteau called La Testament d’Orphee, which is one of my dad’s favourite movies. That’s why I’m called Orpheus. It’s unusual and I really like it."
S: When you joined Home and Away, you had a mop of unruly curls. Might you grow your hair again?
OP: "I doubt it. My hair was always like it is now before I grew it. I only did it for kind of superstitious reasons. I was like, ‘Right, I’m going to grow my hair and get an acting gig!’ I got the job on Home and Away, then I got a haircut. My prophecy worked!"
S: How do you get on with your Morgan siblings off-screen?
OP: "We have a really close bond because we all came into the show together as a family so we’ve experienced exactly the same things at the same time. The dynamic between us is so unique, because we're so different and at different stages in our lives yet we connect on the same things. Prior to Olivia Deeble being there as half-sister Raffy, I was the youngest Morgan and I was able to learn from the others. They've all come from different areas in the profession, so I just absorbed quite naturally everything they’ve taught me."
S: Will you follow in the footsteps of former Home and Away stars such as Chris Hemsworth, Isla Fisher and Naomi Watts and go to LA at some point?
OP: "So many people who’ve been on Home and Away have gone on to do amazing things. I do want to be in film ultimately and have a movie career – I have since I was seven years old - but I’m not making predictions about my future right now. Fantastic films are being made all over the world. Who knows what may happen?"
S: What do you like doing when you’re not working?
OP: "I’m Melbourne born-and-bred but I relocated to Sydney for Home and Away, and I love living there. It’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I like hanging out with friends, swimming, surfing, skate-boarding… I want to go climbing mountains and stuff like that in any downtime I have. I don’t really have that much, though. My work schedule is very demanding and acting comes first. To me, everything else is an add-on to life."
Home and Away continues weekdays at 1:15pm and 6:00pm on Channel 5
