HOME AND AWAY: Monday - Thursday, 7pm, Channel and 7plus
Kyle Shilling is the most recent permanent member of the Home and Away cast, or is he permanent?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That's the question on fans' lips as the promos show him being blown in the air by the bomb that explodes in Summer Bay this week.
The 28-year-old Widjabul man is the first Indigenous cast member of the long-running soap.
Having grown up on the Mid-North Coast, he picked up the surfing habit at Old Bar.
"I ty to get up there as much as I can. My grandparents live in Old Bar and the rest of the family is in Tweed Heads."
His surfing background has stood him in good stead for his role as Mali Hudson, who took over the surf shop from departing character Dean Thompson.
"The whole surf aspect was brought in as to what my character is able to do on screen. It's pretty funny at times, as I have friends who are extras on the show, and it feels a bit odd when I am supposedly teaching them how to surf as they are professionals."
Joining the well-oiled cast and crew of Home and Away, caused him a few nervous moments.
"Any time you start something new you get nervous. You are testing the waters, asking what you can do or say. It's my first time doing screen work, so not knowing how much I could move.
"It was all pretty confronting, but they are all so lovely. A few have taken me under their wing. Even the crew are welcoming."
Mali has had a rocky romance with police officer Rose Delaney (Kirsty Marillier), of whom he was very wary at first.
"The way I look at it is, it's not really an emotion I haven't felt before. As an Indigenous man I have been confronted by police a lot. When I had the opportunity to put it forward on screen, it was good for people to have an idea of what that feels like. I'd love to extend on it more with my character.
"What's been presented is a great start."
For his dramatic scenes involving the explosion, Shilling relied on previous experience.
"I have done a bit of stunt work. I was in a physical theatre show in a harness being thrown around the stage for about an hour. And I've done tumbling.
"But I've never had something blowing up in front of me.
"That was a day's work. We had a great team with everybody ready to go. There was a lot of the production team - more than usual, plus the fire brigade, ambulance and paramedics ready to go if anything went wrong."
The super fit Shilling has danced with Bangarra Dance Theatre, so he very agile.
"I missed the initial explosion but I had one time to be ready for the stunt, because once the van is gone it's gone.
Shilling had auditioned a couple of times previously for the popular show.
"In my mind there was a bit of keeping me on their books as they didn't have a role to suit. Third time lucky I guess.
"It sucks - not! Every day I get there, even on the cold days, you pinch yourself. I'm looking at the ocean, the headlands... you just don't get sick of it.
"A lot of people don't have these kind of places around them, it's an amazing work environment.
Many Home and Away alumni have gone on to bigger and better things in Hollywood, so does Shilling see that in his future?
"I want to put all my energy into this. It's a great starting ground. When my time is up here, I would love to be able to say I am going on to something big.
So might we see him alongside Chris Hemsworth?
"Chris Hemsworth is looking forward to working with me," Shilling quips.