Lynne McGranger from Summer Bay is having a fantastic year. She recently turned 70 and is also commemorating 30 years as Home And Away’s Irene Roberts, owner of a diner.
If you hadn’t been on Home And Away for the previous three decades, what would you have been doing?
I suppose I would be doing what the majority of performers do, which is to simply apply for jobs and try to find a job. When my boyfriend Paul quit his job when I joined the show, he could be a Mr. Mum for our kid, and he has been, so we’ve been extremely fortunate. Our lives would also be quite different if he hadn’t done that.
What was the show’s opening phrase for you?
I have no idea, but I do recall the situation. Irene found out that Finn had almost drowned with Blake at the Gold Coast, and I went to the hospital. Get out of my way, or something along those lines. She was a little bit rough around the edges back then, so I want to see my daughter, Finn.
Why did you choose acting over teaching?
because I was a terrible teacher and had no interest in doing it. My enthusiasm for acting increased while my enthusiasm for teaching decreased. I ultimately decided that I had to do the task. There is no assurance that I will find employment. If I have to, I’ll work as a waitress or in a sandwich shop, and I’ve done both. I was just unable to continue being a teacher. Making a decision was simple for me.
What is your earliest recollection from childhood?
My parents used to pull the kids along when they went tennis playing with family in eastern Sydney. When I was two years old, I used to wander and one day I felt I was lost. You wouldn’t believe how horrified I was, yet I can vividly recall the bloody dress I was wearing. That was therefore my first memory, and I recall it because it was an extraordinary circumstance in a life that had not before been intense.
What do you view as your most notable accomplishment?
That’s simple. Clancy, our daughter (32). We were never going to have kids, but then Paul got clucky, and I said, “You’d best hurry up, time’s ticking,” and I almost immediately became pregnant. Simply put, it was a miracle. She drastically altered our life, which was amazing.
What would you bring with you on a desert island?
A cap, mosquito repellent, my phone so I could call my friends and order Uber Eats, or if I didn’t have a phone, some other device that would allow me to call my family and friends and get food that would be delivered by boat.
which of your bad habits?
Depending on who you’re speaking to. Paul would admit that I’m bad at closing deals if you were to speak to him about it. I sing in a rock band in my teens, so it must be related to that, but I keep the fridge door open, and I can literally be standing in front of it and not hear it beeping.
What do you regret most?
You sometimes think, “I wish I could take that back,” after saying or doing something, but in the big picture, you don’t really have anything to regret. But, a part of me feels that I would have preferred to have gotten to know my daughter better when she was younger. If there had been two of me, I could have; that would have been fantastic. Clancy, though, didn’t seem to miss out at all. Paul made a great parent. He attended preschool, the park, netball, and dance lessons. (Since I am such a bad competitive mother, I was banned from netball. I’m the one that yells and prowls the sidelines.)
What makes them your greatest hero?
That is very difficult. The farmers who have endured drought and fire without taking the easy way out come to mind as well as all those magnificent folks who have suffered with the awful floods and just keep bouncing back. They’re incredible heroes. I have to mention Johnny Ruffo, a close friend of mine who portrayed Chris Harrington on the show and was just informed that he had terminal brain cancer. And another of my friends, Lucy, who had her leg amputated just recently as a result of a tragic bike accident that occurred roughly three years ago. Johnny is 34 and she is 38. These young people are simply heroically insane.
How do you want Irene to go from Home & Away?
I want to exit with the biggest splash and most impact. I want to drown at sea or die a terribly long and miserable death with everyone around me crying and wailng. However, Irene might drown at sea and no one would ever locate her body; a memorial service would be held, and then she would simply walk back into town.
Loves and Hates Loves by Lynne McGranger
Exercising. I adore strolling. I adore being outside. I enjoy staying fit and active.
my loved ones and friends.
fine wine. My favourite wine is pinot noir.
Hates
I detest unfairness. My blood pressure rises even whether I read a book with it in it or see it on television.
Bullying makes me physically ill because I detest it so much. It’s bad at work, school, with children, with adults.
Trolls. I abhor political trolls in particular.
