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Interviews > Stephen Hunt

As Matt Hancock, Stephen Hunt's time on the show ended abruptly amidst a controversial axing of the entire Hancock family. In an exclusive interview, he offers an intimate perspective on that difficult time and the Neighbours experience in general...

Can you give us a little background on your career?
I started seriously looking into acting when I won the Young Playwright of the Year Award in 1996. I produced, directed and starred in my own plays at school and did a few musicals. I was always more interested in music. I stopped all those activities to focus on study for my final year, and after getting into medicine and having moved out of home at 16, realized I couldn't keep up the work. I dropped my degree to straight science and started film and television acting courses. I got an agent and did extra work on Home and Away. I got a few ads and then a few guest spots on Home and Away before my Neighbours audition came up.

How did you land the role of Matt Hancock on Neighbours?
I auditioned with everybody else and thanks to [assistant producer] Jan Russ, gave the performance of a lifetime on the day. I don't think I've done as well since. She's an amazing woman and knows how to get the best out of people.

How did it feel coming into such an established cast? Had you watched the show before?
It was daunting and took me a few months to find my feet. I'd never watched it except to see Daniel MacPherson's (Joel Samuels) debut - we went to school together. It was pretty weird seeing your good mate running around Ramsay Street.

Many fans felt the Hancock family had great on-screen chemistry. How did you get on with your fellow Hancocks - Nicholas Opolski, Sally Cooper, Anthony Hammer and Isabella Oldham?
We all were like a real family, and still are to some extent. I keep in touch with all of them and miss them a lot. Being away from my real family, I used Nick and Sally for advice all the time. I took Anthony to breakdancing lessons every Tuesday night which was fun and we became great friends.

Do you have any particular favourite storylines?
The leaving one was nice. It was the only major one my character got and I had a ball doing something a bit more serious than being the local clown.

Who did you most enjoy working with on the show?
Ryan Moloney (Toadfish Rebecchi). He's a laugh a minute but also extremely professional and talented. He was always there to lend a hand and not afraid to let you know you're doing something really badly. He was always there with constructive criticism and a practical joke.

Was there a good social life amongst the younger members of the cast?
There were strong social circles throughout and it had nothing to do with age. One of my closest friends was Shane Connor (Joe Scully). I'd frequently drink with him and hang out at his place with his kids. I also had a lunch at Tom Oliver's (Lou Carpenter) place with Krista Vendy (Teresa Bell) and Madeleine West (Dee Bliss). My closest friends were Daniel, Jono Dutton (Tad Reeves) and Carla Bonner (Stephanie Scully). We would be out 2-3 times a week together. I lived with Jono and Dan for a bit, and then around the corner from Carla for six months.

After only a year and against the wishes of many fans, the Hancocks were controversially written out of the series. What reasons were you given for the decision?
We were told very little. We asked and asked, but all we got was a producer acting like a dodgy member of parliament. I lost a lot of respect for producers over the way it was handled. We were all called in and told that it was just one of those things - sorry. I think that professionally we should have been informed formally and individually. I had to go straight from the meeting and do seven scenes. Not my finest work as you can imagine. It was quite funny when I was called to the office, I said to Tom Oliver "Oh shit, I've been fired" and when I came back he said, "So, did you get fired?" I said "Yep" and walked off. He found out I was serious about half an hour later and came to give me a hug. I was okay about it. I just thought, "Well I can do my swim without their permission now" - and I did.

How did you feel about the decision to write out the Hancocks?
I think it was done a little hastily to fit in with the end of the financial quarter - money seemed to run everything at that time. The exit was sudden and never mentioned again. It was bizarre. I think personally it was a good time for me to bow out. I see Jono constantly labelled as "that guy from Neighbours" or "Tad" and am glad that I am just recognisable but most people can't put their finger on where it's from. I felt badly for my stage parents, who had adjusted their personal finances toward an ongoing role, but they are both fine and still giving me advice via email.

The recording of the Hancocks final episode coincided with that of the 4000th episode of the series, and a huge party to mark the occasion was thrown. Can you tell us a little about that?
That was a great evening. I played one of my songs with the band for the final song and carried on in the hallway with the other musical cast getting through all the songs we could think of singing. My girlfriend at the time - Kendell Nunn who played Elly - and I had to say goodbye the next day as I was moving back to Sydney to train for the swim. She was great and we're still close friends. We all stayed until the early hours before carrying on up in the Dandenong ranges.

After finishing on Neighbours, you went to the UK and swam the English Channel to raise money for AIDS charities. Can you tell us about the swim? it must have been an amazing experience.
It sure was. It was a very emotional thing for me. The memory of my uncle was at the front of my mind the whole way. I had my sister, Jono Dutton, and Dan MacPherson on my boat for support and they were all fantastic. I ended up with the fastest time of the year in 12 hours 12 minutes, which was an added bonus. The actual day was a breeze, but the nine months of training - especially the temperature training - was the most painful and challenging experience of my life.

What have you been doing since? Are you still based in the UK?
Yeah - still here. After 14 months on Neighbours, I swam the Channel and came third at the Nationals for 25km along the way. Since being here, I have done a few short films and a 10 week run of Cinderella playing the Prince. It was an awesome experience. We played to over 55, 000 people throughout the run and had a sell-out run. I got my band, the Methuselahs, up and running after that, and have been gigging regularly in London as well as a few uni tours. I'm now recording a few songs - no pop career looming don't worry! I'm waiting to confirm the lead role in a British sitcom, to be shown on Channel 7 next year. I am also currently writing a major play, which I think will be extremely unique and confronting. I've never heard of anyone else using the concepts and techniques I've developed for it, let alone the storyline. I have two more film shorts in the making too - I'm just trying to get some money up to shoot them.

Have you kepts in touch with any of your co-stars?
I pop into the studio every six months or so and say hi. I keep in regular touch with Daniel Mac, Jono Dutton, Carla Bonner and Blair McDonough (Stuart Parker). I socialise with Ryan Moloney and Madeleine West when in Melbourne, but we all made the understanding not to be offended by lack of communication and just hang out when our paths cross.

Would you ever return to Neighbours? And what do you think Matt is doing now?
I might return if asked. I think my character was left completely unresolved and could do with a proper resolution. I will be in the UK for a while and only home for three months at a time, so if I were to come back, it would only be brief. I would think that Matt was doing as much good for the community as possible to reconcile his mistakes. I originally wanted him to swim the channel to raise money for Harold to build a shelter for the homeless kids, but the producer wouldn't take the risk.

Do you ever watch the show now? Do you think it has changed much since your time?
I rarely watch it. I don't have a television and never really have. I'm too unproductive with one around. I've caught a few episodes when doing gigs in uni towns and think it's on the improve. It was getting boring and there was little creativity before. I understand the new executive producer [Ric Pellizzeri] has shaken it up a bit and allowed them to take more risks, which are paying off.

To read a full character profile of Matt Hancock, click here.

Interview by Moe. Added on 3rd May 2003

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