She worked on Neighbors for twelve years and would have liked to have stayed on for another ten years. But Rebekah Elmaloglou is also sad about the way an iconic show has been treated.
TV tonight talks to Rebekah Elmaloglou
“Terese Willis” 2013-2025
Rebekah Elmaloglou worked on it for twelve years Neighborsthree times the length of her first run Home and away.
In that time, her character Terese has had an on/off relationship with Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis), hotel and retirement home management, breast cancer, alcoholism, marital problems, abuse and relationships with stepsons, in-laws and more.
‘If you had said to me twelve years ago: ‘You are going to move to Melbourne and continue working Neighbors For the next twelve years I would have said, “Absolutely, absolutely not.” I was always more than happy to do a stint Home and away”, she says Television tonight.
“If the show hadn’t been canceled this time, I would probably be here for another 10 years. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s also very rewarding. I’m so blessed with my character and have a full-time gig as an actress in Australia.”
But its success is not without some doubt about the way the show’s achievements are often ignored in its home country.
After the soap’s cancellation in 2022, released on the Accommodation prices was denied a moment on stage, despite being the longest-running drama in Australian TV history. It was left to ex-cast Dan MacPherson and Natalie Bassingthwaighte to acknowledge the cast who were seated at a table with an obstructed view.
“It was so humiliating. Even when we were walking down the red carpet, no one would interview us, no one even said ‘boo’ to us,” she recalls.
“Look, I don’t want to diss the Australian media because I hopefully have a career and a future in our industry. So I don’t want to irritate anyone. But it’s just been a bit disappointing at times. Not so much for me personally. It’s for my colleagues and the crew and production.”
“Personally, over the last few years I’ve been like, ‘What are we doing this for?’ Especially if there is no recognition within our industry.
“It’s just funny, because we go there and do a tour of Britain, and press journalists and the British just love us. We’re treated so beautifully and wonderfully… all the meet and greets and personal stories about what people think about the show… That’s what makes me think, ‘This is why we’re doing it. This is why we’re making the show.’
“There was an article recently where Tony Ayers was talking about Neighbors because it’s such an incredible training ground, and it makes you think, ‘People appreciate the training and the iconic nature of the show, I think.’
After the show was revived by Amazon in 2023, Elmaloglou was at the center of the soapie twist, with Terese getting a surprise wedding to Toadie (Ryan Moloney). She remembers producers sitting at the table to hear the news.
“I was just stunned! Like, ‘You’re kidding me!’ because Toadie and Terese have barely had anything to do with each other in recent years. So for me it was just so random, but I really embraced it! I thought, this is going to be a very interesting time. Let’s do this! ”
Terese heads into the final episodes still uncertain in her relationship with Paul, yet unable to extricate herself, a tug-of-war beloved by soapie fans and a testament to her working relationship with Stefan Dennis.
“When you come and watch scenes with Stef and me, we have so much fun. We’re so mischievous and we just love our characters, we love working with each other. It’s been a great place to work. I’m just devastated that I can’t see everyone every day. I think I’m a little bit numb at the moment. It’s very much a different feeling this time… I’m not sure, it’s very hard to explain,” she says. continues.
“I’m really going to miss working with Stefan, Jackie (Woodburne) and Fletch (Alan Fletcher). Jackie and I have become so close and it will be very difficult not being able to see them every day. Jackie recently said we will be having monthly lunches to keep in touch.”
What will she miss most about Terese?
“She’s such a boss lady and at the same time I’ve always had the family side of her. I love that she’s a very serious, you know, ‘Boss Lady’ who gets to work with Paul all the time, but she can also be quite funny and fun. I’ve never been bored of her, and I think that’s what’s kept her alive. The scriptwriters have always loved writing for her and they find it very easy to portray her,” she explains out.
“So I think what I’ll always miss is not being able to step into her shoes, do her voice and her mannerisms. I’m so different from her it’s ridiculous. So I think I’ll definitely miss her.”
She added: “I’m devastated, as are we all. We are such an incredibly close family and we have so much fun.”
“But I’m quite excited about the future and what it will bring. If it weren’t for the money, I would happily retire. I’ve been in the industry for over 43 years now. It’s been a long time, but I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work.”
Neighborhood screens 4 p.m. Mon – Thurs at 10.
Final 8:40 PM Thursday, December 11 at 10.
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