Esther Anderson takes up new role on Home and Away

[**Julie**]

Esther Anderson takes up new role on Home and Away

Herald Sun

June 5 2008

SORRY boys. After years of parading around in lingerie and bikinis, Home and Away's latest stunner Esther Anderson is finally keeping all her gear on.

That's right, since joining Home And Away, the soap renowned for its beachside locale and swimsuit-clad actors, the former model and Postcards presenter hasn't once had to strip down to her bare essentials.

As Summer Bay's straight-laced new policewoman Charlie, Anderson has spent most of her scenes in uniform.

And she couldn't be happier.

‘‘I haven't been in a bikini once so it's really fantastic,'' she laughs.

‘‘Having spent a lot of time modelling lingerie and standing around in little shorts when it's freezing, I am really enjoying keeping my clothes on.''

Anderson says it has always been her dream to become an actor and she had always viewed modelling and her work as a travel reporter on Postcards as stepping stones to that goal.

Though Postcards also presented its acting challenges -- you try sounding excited and knowledgeable about boats or obscure tourist destinations -- Anderson is delighted to finally have a chance to flex her acting muscles.

Adding to her excitement, Anderson has also been a long-time fan of Home and Away and had to pinch herself when she finally found herself on set in the diner with Ray Meagher, who has played the iconic character Alf Stewart since the show began.

She was thrilled when she won the role on Home and Away, but had little time to celebrate because she was expected on set for her first scenes within four days of hearing the news.

And that meant packing up her Melbourne apartment and moving to Sydney.

Though many would be daunted at the task of making such a big move so quickly, for Anderson travelling for work has almost become second nature.

Anderson left her home in Geelong when she was a teenager to pursue her modelling career in Japan. She has travelled internationally and was based in Melbourne when she filmed Postcards.

She admits moving to Sydney and finding a house in between learning her lines and filming scenes has been hectic.

‘‘I'm so excited,'' she says.

‘‘I've only just started to calm down. It's just been incredible.''

Anderson is shocked by photos of herself from her modelling days in Japan.

The actor says she ‘‘looks sick'' in the old photos because of the Japanese penchant for pale, stick-thin, blonde models.

Anderson bleached her hair and used whitening products on her skin to get work in the notoriously cut-throat modelling industry.

Luckily, the naturally slim Anderson didn't have to resort to extreme dieting to meet the waifish body type required of models in Asia.

‘‘I was really skinny then, about 5kg lighter,'' she says.

‘‘They would weigh us when we got off the plane.

‘‘A lot of young girls go there and, if they are slightly bigger than their portfolio says, they are sent home. That sort of scrutiny can be hard.

‘‘It was great to come back to Melbourne where they like a girl with curves,'' Anderson says.

Home and Away, PG

Channel 7, weeknights, 7pm

Life in Summer Bay

Duration: 30 minutes