Rebecca Gibney laughs when asked if she might be taking her role of a
feisty mum too seriously in the new Australian family drama Packed To The Rafters.
Gibney,
who play Julie, the mother of three grown-up children who have left
home, admits she is attached to the young cast _ Hugh Sheridan (who
plays middle son Ben, the last to leave), Angus McLaren (youngest child
Nathan) and Jessica Marais (troubled daughter Rachel).
"I ring my `kids' when they're sick,'' she says, sounding a little embarrassed.
"None of their mums are in Sydney (where the series is being shot) with them, so I've become the mother hen.
"We all went 10-pin bowling when we first started and anyone watching would have thought we were a real family.''
Gibney says the closeness of the cast, which also includes Erik Thomson
(as husband Dave) and Michael Caton (as grandfather Ted), is the key to
the series.
”Having people like Erik and Michael is fantastic,'' she says. "There's a real bond with everyone.''
The
series begins with 40-something couple Julie and Dave bidding farewell
to the last of their brood and looking forward to a life as
empty-nesters.
But, as the title gives away, things do not go as planned.
Dave
is faced with unemployment, their married son and his wife want to move
back home to save money and Julie's bereaved grandfather
is hospitalised ... and the prospect of a full house again looms.
Gibney says there are plenty of laughs in the series _ the first
episode is highlighted by Dave's reaction to an overdose of Viaga _
but the humour comes from believable situations.
"It has a
very natural feel and I think most couples will be able to relate to
Julie and Dave's problems,'' she says. "It's a brave move from Seven.
There's no sex or violence or hospitals ...''
She stops, then corrects herself. "Oops, yes all those things are in there, but it's not done in a contrived way.''
Gibney
is probably best known for the stylish crime series Halifax fp, but
says she has no problems playing less glamorous roles these days.
"Julie's
my age (43), although she had her kids much earlier (Gibney has a
four-year-old son, Zachary),'' she says. "I'm not afraid to show a few
lines or my pot belly. Having said that, I want to look OK _ I’ll take
the backlight and the odd filter if it's offered _ but I'm not trying
to play 25. It's great for me.
"I thought my career would be
over when I hit my mid-30s but I haven't been out of work since I was
17. You'll see me playing a grandma soon.''
Gibney says she has based her character on her three sisters, who all have grown up families.
"Julie
feels so real to me,'' she says. "I've played older characters before
(she was almost unrecognisable as the blousy Lydia in 2006's Tripping
Over), but there's a lot of Julie in me, although it feels like I'm
getting a glimpse into the future, seeing what I've got to look forward
to with Zach.
"I think, having kids so late, I'm a bit
over-protective. I can see myself tying Zach to the couch and keeping
him at home until he's 45.''
Zach and husband, production
designer and painter Richard Bell, have moved from the family's farm in
Tasmania to join Rebecca in Sydney until the 22-episode series in
completed by September.
"After that, there will be plenty of time to go back home and be a full-time mum,'' she says.
