Stephen Peacocke is set to reprise his role as Darryl “Brax” Braxton on Home and Away for the first time in 10 years.
In an interview with TV Week, the Dubbo-born star said he was genuinely surprised audiences embraced his character, revealing he initially feared he had “stuffed up” the role.
“It was a great relief to me,” Stephen recalled.
“But I had no sense that it was going to be anything that it turned out to be, because it did turn out to be pretty popular. It’s just funny, some things resonate. And I know I worked really hard at it, so I was glad it did. I brought a lot of who I am to the role. It was just a good bit of work.”
The star first played Brax in 2011, and went on to film more than 650 episodes as the bad boy of Summer Bay.
In 2012 he won the Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent and the following year he won the award for Most Popular Actor.
He was nominated for the Gold Logie in 2014 and 2015, the same year he quit the show.
In 2014, the actor scored major roles in Hollywood films like Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and Me Before You, alongside a few other roles in Aussie TV series.
Stephen shared that he is thrilled to be back on screens to play the role that made him famous.
“I really love playing the character and I just genuinely thought the audience would really get a kick out of (seeing Brax),” he said.
“Whenever you get a chance to play a character that resonates with the audience the way mine did on the show, I think it’s something to be cherished.”
He thanked the Home and Away audiences who have supported him throughout his career.
“That audience has followed my work since leaving the show, so I don’t take for granted how much of an opportunity it was,” he continued.
The last time viewers saw Brax, he was driving away with Ricky Sharpe (Bonnie Sveen) and their baby Casey while on the run after escaping prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
The family is now living on a cattle station in remote Western Australia – a life Stephen Peacocke says he can relate to, having worked on farms before pursuing acting.
The actor is also set to work together with his on-screen partner Bonnie again, with the duo returning to the show temporarily.
Stephen explained how important Bonnie was in his decision to go back to Home and Away.
“I think if one of us hadn’t have wanted to come back, then neither of us would’ve,” Stephen explained.
“Bonnie is great. When you’ve got someone that cares as much about the character that they’re playing as you do about yours, it means that the standard’s always high and I felt that way (about Bonnie).”
“The main thing was whether I wanted to come back and revisit the show and the character and I did,” he added.
“(But) it’s a stop, not a stay type of thing.”
Image: Seven
