Debra Lawrance

[beau_t]

Sorry if this has been posted before. I just found it. From That's Life:

http://www.thatslife.com.au/article.asp?ArticleID=3653

It was the unscripted moments that most enriched Debra "Pippa" Lawrence's time on Home & Away.

Debra Lawrance, 53, Melbourne, Vic

Wandering down the street, I heard someone call out. 'Pippa!' a girl yelled.

She wasn't calling my name but I knew she was referring to me. It was 1990 and I'd just started playing the role of Pippa Fletcher on Home and Away. It hadn't taken long to start being recognised. 'Hi,' I waved back.

Months earlier I'd been a free spirit, travelling and doing the occasional acting gig to pay my way. Now, I'd just signed up for a three-year stint.

It didn't take long to get comfortable. Working long hours, the cast and crew quickly became my second family. On screen, I played the caring foster mum and I was drawn to nurturing the young actors off-set too.

'I love working with you,' Kate Ritchie told me one day. She'd been on the show playing Sally Fletcher for three years, since the age of eight. I was lucky enough to play her mum and the two of us quickly grew close. I knew I'd keep in touch with her forever.

Kate Richie and me on set

A couple of months after I joined the show, a man named Dennis Coard came in for an audition. 'I'm new to acting,' he told me when we got chatting.

Afterwards, Dennis, 40, scored the role of Michael Ross, Pippa's new love interest. But when he arrived on set, I found myself being rude to him. I didn't know what was wrong with me!

'We've got to work together,' he said, more amused than offended. 'Maybe we should try to get along.'

'You're right,' I nodded.

Months later, I realised how much I actually liked Dennis. I was attracted to him and it dawned on me that was why I'd been so quick to tease. Because he was new to Sydney I started inviting him out to see plays and after that, we weren't just a couple on camera. We became an item in real life too.

Months later we walked down the aisle as Pippa and Michael in front of 60 million viewers world-wide. A year later we married in our own secret ceremony with just two people present.

But there was one person I missed. 'I wish Kate had been there,' I told Dennis. 'She's only young,' he reasoned. 'We couldn't burden her with the secret.'

Back on set, everyone was thrilled. 'You two are great together!' Kate smiled.

When Dennis and I were out in public together, some fans got confused. Seeing us wandering the supermarket aisles, it looked just like a scene from Home and Away. 'Are you really Pippa and Michael?' many asked.

'It looks that way,' I'd laugh.

Pippa was the perfect matriarch. She always knew exactly what to say to mend a broken heart or revive lost dreams. When it came to raising kids, she was faultless.

So when Dennis and I had our daughter in 1992, I hoped Pippa's maternal magic had rubbed off on me!

Over the years, Pippa became such an icon on the show. I saw lots of talented kids come and go. Like Melissa George who played Angel Brooks. When her character fell in love with Shane, played by Dieter Brummer, the two became a media sensation.

And Isla Fisher, who played Shannon Reed, buzzed around the set with such energy it was impossible to ignore her.

In 1996, Dennis left the show to focus on theatre but I stayed. Barely a day went by when I wasn't recognised in public. But not all the comments were good. 'You're making me look like a bad mother,' a woman scoffed one day. And she wasn't joking.

In 1997, yet another young kid briefly joined the cast. He had sandy hair, a compelling voice and a contagious smile. His name was Heath Ledger. 'I'm keen to learn,' he announced. 'Just enjoy yourself,' I told him.

He was so eager and mature, I knew his career would take him to the heights.

Later that year, it was time for my stint on Home and Away to end. I'd been on set eight years and it had given me so much - including a husband! So it wasn't easy saying goodbye.

'We can't kill off Pippa,' a producer said as I filmed my final scenes. 'She's too loved.'

He was right. In the end I was written out by going on a road trip around Australia.

Even years later, people still recognised my voice. 'Were you my primary school teacher?' they'd ask. 'No,' I'd reply. 'But I was probably in your living room every night.'

In 1999, Dennis and I had a son. Home and Away had given me a family but there was still something more.

After playing a foster mum for so long I'd gained a new respect for the women who really helped needy children.

It was the unscripted moments that most enriched Debra "Pippa" Lawrence's time on Home & Away.

Debra Lawrance, 53, Melbourne, Vic

Wandering down the street, I heard someone call out. 'Pippa!' a girl yelled.

She wasn't calling my name but I knew she was referring to me. It was 1990 and I'd just started playing the role of Pippa Fletcher on Home and Away. It hadn't taken long to start being recognised. 'Hi,' I waved back.

Months earlier I'd been a free spirit, travelling and doing the occasional acting gig to pay my way. Now, I'd just signed up for a three-year stint.

It didn't take long to get comfortable. Working long hours, the cast and crew quickly became my second family. On screen, I played the caring foster mum and I was drawn to nurturing the young actors off-set too.

'I love working with you,' Kate Ritchie told me one day. She'd been on the show playing Sally Fletcher for three years, since the age of eight. I was lucky enough to play her mum and the two of us quickly grew close. I knew I'd keep in touch with her forever.

sally

Kate Richie and me on set

A couple of months after I joined the show, a man named Dennis Coard came in for an audition. 'I'm new to acting,' he told me when we got chatting.

Afterwards, Dennis, 40, scored the role of Michael Ross, Pippa's new love interest. But when he arrived on set, I found myself being rude to him. I didn't know what was wrong with me!

'We've got to work together,' he said, more amused than offended. 'Maybe we should try to get along.'

'You're right,' I nodded.

Months later, I realised how much I actually liked Dennis. I was attracted to him and it dawned on me that was why I'd been so quick to tease. Because he was new to Sydney I started inviting him out to see plays and after that, we weren't just a couple on camera. We became an item in real life too.

Months later we walked down the aisle as Pippa and Michael in front of 60 million viewers world-wide. A year later we married in our own secret ceremony with just two people present.

But there was one person I missed. 'I wish Kate had been there,' I told Dennis. 'She's only young,' he reasoned. 'We couldn't burden her with the secret.'

Back on set, everyone was thrilled. 'You two are great together!' Kate smiled.

When Dennis and I were out in public together, some fans got confused. Seeing us wandering the supermarket aisles, it looked just like a scene from Home and Away. 'Are you really Pippa and Michael?' many asked.

'It looks that way,' I'd laugh.

Pippa was the perfect matriarch. She always knew exactly what to say to mend a broken heart or revive lost dreams. When it came to raising kids, she was faultless.

So when Dennis and I had our daughter in 1992, I hoped Pippa's maternal magic had rubbed off on me!

Over the years, Pippa became such an icon on the show. I saw lots of talented kids come and go. Like Melissa George who played Angel Brooks. When her character fell in love with Shane, played by Dieter Brummer, the two became a media sensation.

And Isla Fisher, who played Shannon Reed, buzzed around the set with such energy it was impossible to ignore her.

In 1996, Dennis left the show to focus on theatre but I stayed. Barely a day went by when I wasn't recognised in public. But not all the comments were good. 'You're making me look like a bad mother,' a woman scoffed one day. And she wasn't joking.

In 1997, yet another young kid briefly joined the cast. He had sandy hair, a compelling voice and a contagious smile. His name was Heath Ledger. 'I'm keen to learn,' he announced. 'Just enjoy yourself,' I told him.

He was so eager and mature, I knew his career would take him to the heights.

Later that year, it was time for my stint on Home and Away to end. I'd been on set eight years and it had given me so much - including a husband! So it wasn't easy saying goodbye.

'We can't kill off Pippa,' a producer said as I filmed my final scenes. 'She's too loved.'

He was right. In the end I was written out by going on a road trip around Australia.

Even years later, people still recognised my voice. 'Were you my primary school teacher?' they'd ask. 'No,' I'd reply. 'But I was probably in your living room every night.'

In 1999, Dennis and I had a son. Home and Away had given me a family but there was still something more.

After playing a foster mum for so long I'd gained a new respect for the women who really helped needy children.

Me and Dennis at the Barnados Australia's Mother of the Year Awards

I became an ambassador for Barnardos Australia's Mother of the Year Awards, which recognised the importance of parenting. Meeting such extraordinary women as part of this job blew me away.

Some had fostered over 60 children while others had taken on kids with severe disabilities. Each of them had given it their all to make sure a child felt loved, protected and had all it needed. 'I'm nothing special,' they'd tell me, year in, year out.

Today, it's been 13 years since I left Home And Away and I'm still acting. Dennis is working in theatre and I'm about to tour with the production of Driving Miss Daisy.

Even now I'm still recognised for my role as an amazing mum and, thanks to Pippa and Barnardos, I've learnt to be an amazing mum in real life too.

For more information, visit Barnados at barnados.org.au.

[alexx]

Thank you very much for posting this! A great read and makes me really miss Pippa and that whole era of the show.

When I think about it I'm sure many people were able to learn a lot of positive lifestyle choices threw Home and Away as is used to be, I know it probably influenced me in terms of morals and beliefs growing up more than I am aware its just a shame the show very much lacks the warmth it oozed back then. I so wish that Fletcher/Ross element would return and some of that old H&A magic could be rekindled.