Holly makes plans for her bridal waltz

[Andy]

Holly makes plans for her bridal waltz

The Gold Coast Bulletin

30 June 2005

HOME AND AWAY

Weekdays, 7pm

Seven, Prime

THINGS are on the up and up for Sydney-based Gold Coaster Holly Brisley.

The former Agro Cartoon's Connection and Looney Tunes presenter has just snaffled a Best Actress gong at the recent New York Film Festival, started work on a soapie and looks forward to her best role yet - as the real-life wife of her marketing executive partner Paul Ford.

The couple have just announced their engagement. No date has been set for the wedding, but they expect to tie the knot sometime during the next eight months, most probably in the new year.

Ford proposed during a recent holiday in Venice. "It was so romantic," says Brisley. Holly's Gold Coast property developer parents are over the moon.

"I think they thought they'd see never see me get engaged," says Brisley. "Yet, here I am about to get married and do the forever thing. Mum is so excited she's just plain cute."

While Brisley is planning her own wedding, her new Home and Away character - debuting tonight - wants to wreck one. Brisley plays a vampy actress called Amanda Vale, the ex-wife of Dan (Tim Campbell) with whom she has a son.

Vale arrives in Summer Bay as Dan and Leah (Ada Nicodemou) plan to walk down the aisle and plots to win Dan back.

Brisley, describes Amanda as a manipulator, who'll do whatever she has to get what she wants.

"She gets up to so much mischief," she says. "Everytime they throw me a new script I say, `you're kidding right?"'

Brisley is excited about her TV debut. "People are already comparing Amanda with the Desperate Housewives, but I like to think of her as being an Amanda Woodward type . . . remember Melrose Place."

In a strange twist of fate, the Melrose Amanda was played by actress Heather Locklear, who in turn was played by Brisley in a recent made-for-TV movie Behind The Scenes of Dynasty.

"My Amanda has a child and loves him, absolutely without a doubt. He's her No. 1 priority.

"I don't like to call her conniving. She does some strange things, but it's never malicious. It's more about survival. She is the victim of circumstances which have escalated into quite a mess."

With the New York gong under her belt, Brisley has forgiven Australian critics who knocked her acting abilities when The Crop was released here.

"They're quick to judge. I don't know why. Naomi Watts couldn't put a foot right here. Now she's a star overseas, they call her Our Naomi."

Brisley, however, has no immediate plans to head off to the US any time too soon. "I never say never but certainly not right now," she says.

"At the moment, I have more than enough to do here."