Judy Nunn is still unhappy about her character’s Home And Away exit

[Pantherboy]

TV Week article on msn.com:

https://www.msn.com/en-au/entertainment/celebrity/judy-nunn-is-still-unhappy-about-her-character’s-home-and-away-exit/ar-BBEHp6o?li=AAsEOE&ocid=spartanntp

 

Judy Nunn is still unhappy about her character’s Home And Away exit.

Seventeen years after Ailsa died in Home And Away, Judy Nunn has revealed what she really thought of the way her character was written out. Her character suffered a heart attack in the 2000 season finale after exerting herself lifting heavy boxes. 

“I was very irritated,” the 72-year-old tells TV WEEK. “And this is the first time I’ve ever, ever admitted it.

“I couldn’t believe it when I got the script. I thought, ‘Oh, come on, mate. After a solid 12 years, she has this stupid little heart attack or she’s seen clutching her chest?’ I felt very let down by the powers-that-be, actually.

“It was just, ‘OK, you’re out with the trash now.’”

Judy says she loved Home And Away and “adored” Ray Meagher, who played her husband, Alf.

But after nearly 13 years as Ailsa, she was feeling “a bit artistically stifled”.

So much so, she spent her last eight years on the show writing novels – even during wedding and funeral scenes.

“I’d be scribbling away on the back of my script, then they’d call, ‘Action!’” she remembers. “I’d sit on the script and off I’d go and cry accordingly.”

The actress-turned-author has now sold more than a million books worldwide and has just published novel number 14, Sanctuary.

“It’s about nine people, seeking refuge from conflict, whose rickety boat brings them to a deserted island off the WA coast,” she reveals.

“It is, above all, meant to be about human beings, showing the human face of literally everybody.”

One of the people she turned to when researching the book was her former co-star Vanessa Downing, who played Pippa.

“Vanessa is now a lawyer, and she’s been working with refugees,” Judy explains.

“She was very helpful.”

Although Judy says it was “hysterical” returning to Home And Away as a ghost, she says it would be “stupid” to go back now.

However, she’d be up for a “you-beaut guestie” in another show.

“I wouldn’t want [to do] a long-running series again,” she says. “The books are too important to me.”

 

 

 

 

[Blaxland 89]

Gotta say I 100% agree with her. As a long time viewer I felt cheated too. And the aftermath was even worse. 

[dee123]

It kind of sounds like the weak exit was them giving her the middle finger because she wanted to leave.

[j.laur5]

But the problem with the aftermath was that over half the cast was new and only being on the show a short time  they didn't really grow close enough to Ailsa to 'be overly sad she was dead. 

[alexx]

Ailsa's death was one of the worst and most cold exits for any character let alone a series favorite. They completely wasted what could have been one of the most memorable deaths and I think they did that because about six months earlier they had just killed Ken off, they probably didn't want to concentrate on a death all over again - but Ailsa's could have been a lot more in depth and emotional.

[~Lynd~]

It was a lot better then anything she'd get today.

[j.laur5]

I wish Ailsa was still around today.  I bet she be would still be working and running the Diner with Irene and Leah. 

Ailsa would have been great in the Duncan and his family storyline last year. 

[Jamie!]

I wonder if they didn't have enough focus for Ailsa's death because the year before after her car accident, they had Alf and Duncan saying their goodbyes to her whilst they were about to turn off the life support machine, but she then at the last moment, started to recover. I wonder if they didn't want to repeat these scenes one year later. They still should have done though because she was an original, well-loved character.

[pembie]

Yes but she got to play a evil spooky ghost for awhile I would have thought that would have been good fun

[CaptainHulk]

I can't imagine Ray being too pleased. They're still pretty tight to this day.