When Emily Weir describes the precise moment she met her Home & Away co-star Shane Withington, it’s impossible to miss the mile-wide grin that spreads across her face.
At Sydney’s Church Point’s Waterfront General Store and Cafe, the two have invited New Idea to join them for lunch. In between nibbles, Emily explains:
I was a huge fan of the programme before I joined, so when I met Shane, I was really fangirling.
Shane and Emily don’t seem to have much in common at first glance. The actor, 64, has a long history in Australian television. He was well-known for his appearances in A Country Practice, Rain Shadow, Wildside, The Flying Doctors, and Willing and Abel before he was chosen to play John Palmer in Home & Away in 2009.
While Emily, 32, acknowledges that when she first walked onto the Summer Bay set in 2019 to begin playing Mackenzie Booth, she was “incredibly green.”
Despite their evident differences, a close relationship quickly developed between the two, and they now see each other as “besties.”
Emily adds, “I just love him to bits,” as Shane remarks, “She’s gorgeous, witty, talented, fun to be around and has a maturity far beyond her years.”
However, the friendship between the two goes beyond merely their shared enjoyment of laughter and having fun on set. Being kind is a fundamental shared value between them.
Emily recalls how warmly and hospitably Shane treated her on her first day.
She continues, “But I soon observed that he treated everyone the same, whether they were the celebrity, the CEO, the caterer, or the janitor. I hoped to be that.
Shane makes fun of the fact that he’s “been around the block once or twice” in his professional life, therefore it’s crucial for the seasoned actor to lead by example for the young talent he collaborates with.
I know that in this profession, you may be at the top one day and lose everything the next,” he admits.
“It’s important to know who you are and what your values are, and to have a really strong sense of character.”
Our chat about romance shifts as we finish our lunch. You may assume that Emily, who is single, would turn to Shane for dating assistance given that he has been married to his ex-ACP on-screen spouse Anne Tenney for more than 30 years.
Emily says, “That’s the one thing I haven’t asked him about,” then laughs, “Though now I think I should!”
Emily claims that Shane is who she goes to for “life, health, and career advice.”
Shane keeps feeling “young” because he learns something new from Emily every day.
It’s fantastic to hear things from Emily’s perspective because “I’ll never know what it was like to grow up in her era,” he says.
The two hope that their on-screen friendship will begin to influence the plots.
Shane says, “I’m nagging the writers for more scenes with John and Mackenzie.” “We recently filmed a significant, emotionally charged moment, and it was so lovely and organic. The magic only occurs when two people are completely comfortable being vulnerable with one another.
