Lynne McGranger has opened up about embracing a new chapter in her life after leaving Home and Away.
The beloved actress, 73, who portrayed Irene Roberts on the long-running soap for 33 years, told Daily Mail one of the only reasons she decided to sign up for new series Shark! was to prove that age should never be a barrier.
‘Being a woman of a certain age, a lot of people start to feel invisible,’ Lynne said.
‘And I thought, “Bugger that for a joke. I am gonna get out there and show people that it doesn’t matter what age you are, age is a number. You can do whatever you chose to do.”‘
The veteran star said that stepping away from the role that made her a household name has given her the opportunity to push herself in ways she never could before.
‘I wanted to do something different that was apart from Home and Away,’ she explained.
Lynne McGranger has opened up about embracing a new chapter in her life after leaving Home and Away
The beloved actress, 73, who portrayed Irene Roberts on the long-running soap for 33 years, told Daily Mail one of the only reasons she decided to sign up for a new challenge was to prove that age should never be a barrier. (Lynne pictured on Nine’s new show swimming with sharks)
‘I’ve been on telly doing Irene for 33 years, and I thought, “Wow, this is not something I would do normally.’ But it is something that I’m gonna have a crack at.’
Shark! follows six Australian celebrities learning to face their fears and dive into an ocean while at the same time confronting their individual personal fears.
While many fans know her as one of Australia’s most recognisable television stars, Lynne said she is also looking forward to reconnecting with her first love.
‘I just wanna do more theatre,’ she said. ‘That’s where I started. A lot of people don’t know, but I was a stage actor before I was a television actor.’
The actress revealed returning to the stage was one of the major reasons behind her shock decision to leave Summer Bay.
‘During Home and Away, I was lucky enough to get away occasionally and do bits and pieces. But towards the end, the last five to 10 years, it just became very demanding and I had to focus on that.’
Now free from the demands of a year-round television schedule, Lynne said she is enjoying the opportunity to be more candid than ever before.
‘I can speak my truth and it’s… I love it,’ she said.
‘Being a woman of a certain age, a lot of people start to feel invisible,’ Lynne said
‘And I thought, “Bugger that for a joke. I am gonna get out there and show people that it doesn’t matter what age you are, age is a number,”‘ she explained
The actress also spoke about recently going public about a difficult period in her career involving workplace bullying, but stressed the incident occurred decades ago and was unrelated to Home and Away producers.
‘That was many years ago,’ she explained. ‘It was great to be able to say that without disrespecting the show and the producers, because it had nothing to do with them.’
‘It was just a situation that arose and a situation which now, with hindsight, I feel I dealt with really well.’
Having spent decades in the entertainment industry, Lynne also had some advice for the next generation hoping to make it in showbusiness.
‘Put your head down and your bum up,’ she said. ‘Work hard. Do the best you can do and be kind.’
‘Be kind and respectful because if you tread on people on the way up, you’re going to meet them again on the way down.’
The actress believes humility is one of the most important qualities a performer can possess.
‘There’s no place for egos in this industry,’ the Gold Logie winner said.
The veteran star said that stepping away from the role that made her a household name has given her the opportunity to push herself in ways she never could before. (Lynne pictured on Home and Away)
While many fans know her as one of Australia’s most recognisable television stars, Lynne said she is now looking forward to reconnecting with her first love
‘You have to be kind and inclusive. Maybe the world just needs to be a bit more like that.’
Despite the daunting nature of the challenge, Lynne said the cast of the new Channel Nine series formed a close bond.
Among those who impressed her the most was influencer Tammy Hembrow.
‘Tammy was the one I thought, yeah, ”I don’t know…
‘Tammy is a gorgeous young woman. Very close to her family, but loves the water. She’s a mermaid. She’s a real mermaid.
