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Home and Away EXCLUSIVE: Bonnie Sveen spills on a possible return to the soap
Bonnie Sveen played Ricky Sharpe on Home and Away from 2013 to 2016.
Logie award-winner Bonnie Sveen first shot to fame as Ricky Sharpe on Home and Away in 2013. The star felt pressure stepping in as Darryl ‘Brax’ Braxton’s (Steve Peacocke) new love interest, but quickly won fans over.
Viewers were disappointed to see Bonnie and Steve depart the show in 2016, with the Tasmanian-based blonde going on to film Seven's The Secret Daughter with singer Jessica Mauboy. Since then, she has been busy raising twin girls with assistant director Nathan Gooley and lending her voice to the voiceless.
Brax, Heath and Casey Braxton are among the most-loved characters from Summer Bay, with fans constantly hoping to see them reappear in the soap. When asked if she would return alongside the iconic River Boys, Bonnie tells Yahoo Lifestyle that she can’t rule it out completely.
“I never want to say a flat no,” she admits. “I have no plans to go back, and maybe I won’t [get an offer], maybe I should just prepare for myself that it’s not going to happen.”
In Bonnie and Steve’s heartfelt exit, the pair had an emotional reunion before leaving the bay with baby Casey. The actress says that their final storyline felt like ‘the right way’ for their characters to leave.
“It was a really beautiful time in my life, and I always think about it with nostalgia. I feel so lucky to have worked with those people,” she adds. “It has shaped my acting process a lot, just with all of that regularity and experience.”
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The multi-talented star has dipped her toes into other aspects of filmmaking over the past few years, recently finishing her short film Riley which is about to be released on the film festival circuit.
“I’ve learnt so much as a filmmaker, having written, directed and produced it, it was a whole different side of things,” she tells us. “[It has] been a really long process and a very involved post-production journey with lots of animation.”
Penny McNamee, who played Tori Morgan for over five years on the soap, recently returned to Summer Bay as a writer. Bonnie finds the idea of returning in a behind-the-scenes capacity intriguing.
“I could [return as a writer]! To be honest, acting is still the love, but I could definitely. It’s such a feat writing for Home and Away because there are [approximately] 24 or 25 core characters and different storylines,” she mused.
“But I think in a filmmaking capacity I would probably be looking at indie projects, perhaps moving into hopefully feature films or my own creations.”
Why Bonnie wants to make a ‘positive impact’
The bubbly filmmaker has always been outspoken, using her acceptance speech at the 2015 Logie Awards to acknowledge she was standing on Indigenous land, and shining a light on positive body image.
Being a huge animal lover, she decided to become an ambassador for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, or IFAW for short. Working closely with Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Tasmania, the star is hoping to make a “positive impact” in Australia.
“I’m hugely passionate about [animals], because it’s humans and it’s human activity that causes the majority of animal suffering. And I think especially as an animal lover, I feel a real obligation to do what I can,” she exclaims.
As a mum to 4-year-old twins, she explains how motherhood has changed her view on leaving behind a better world.
“It’s not just native animals that are affected by things like climate change and natural disasters, our little people will too. It’s their future, and they deserve the same freedoms, safety and access to clean water and air, as what we had growing up, and a healthy planet,” she explains passionately.
“Wildlife extinction doesn’t just affect animals, our future depends on biodiversity…actively caring for our wildlife is caring for ourselves and our family’s future.”
She’s keen to pass her passion for the environment onto her children by having conversations with them about animals, and little ways they can help protect wildlife.
Bonnie’s top tips to preserve wildlife and be more sustainable
Look after animals in their own areas, particularly when there are severe weather conditions. This could be by putting a shallow bowl of water outside for animals to drink from and keeping pets inside (especially at night, away from nocturnal wildlife).
Download the IFAW wildlife rescue app, so if you come across injured wildlife, you can contact the nearest rescue group and carers.
Improve biodiversity in your own backyard, or volunteer for landcare groups or coastal cleanups.
Reduce, reuse and recycle, by choosing pre-loved items over fast fashion, or purchasing new clothing made from sustainable fibres.
Being 'water wise', going plastic free or choosing biodegradable options.
Check out the IFAW website for more tips.
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