Natalie

Caption: Neighbours bad girl - Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Source: Australian OK! July 2005
Author: Rachel Lees
Page: 76-79

Images

Neighbours bad girl - Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Isn't shy about tackling the big issues with boyfriend Ryan - or about killing off Izzy!

You probably know her as the manipulative, money-hungry, man-eating home-wrecker Izzy Hoyland, but Neighbours star Natalie Bassingthwaighte couldn't be further from her onscreen character. In contrast to Izzy's questionable means of making a living, Natalie is an exhaustingly hardworking, multi-talented performer. She sings, she dances and she acts - and she's bloody good at all three! On top of a hectic Neighbours schedule, Natalie recently added the lead role of Sandy in the stage spectacular Grease (opposite Craig McLachlan) to her resumé, and officially became the third member of electro-rock group Rogue Traders, recording her first single with them - the thumping dance hit 'Voodoo Child'. She's also tucked an impressive list of stage credits under her belt, including roles in Rent, Footloose and Chicago.

Izzy may have a penchant for married men, but Natalie is blissfully happy with her boyfriend of two years, Ryan Eckersley, the assistant to the director on Neighbours, admitting, 'I have no qualms saying that Ryan and I will be together forever.' A week after moving into their new Elwood home in Melbourne, with unpacked boxes and furniture still to assemble, Natalie invited OK! in to check out her new pad, and chatted candidly about playing a bad girl, why she won't get married and her future in Ramsay Street...

How often do people mistake you for your character Izzy?
All the time... Someone told me their friends chuck things at the screen when Izzy comes on, and you find people checking you up and down to see if you really are a nice person. I have to say, I don't write it, we're just actors!

Is it fun playing a bad girl?
Absolutely! When the auditions came up for the show, I said no [at first] - I was working on music and I wanted to get into film. But when I heard the character breakdown I thought, that sounds fun... I've enjoyed it - probably a lot more than I expected.

How was Izzy's recent pregnancy?
It was very weird putting on the stomach every day. You don't know of you're going to get clucky.

Did you get clucky?
I'm at that age where I have moments of it!

Your contract with Neighbours is up in July next year...
Hmmm - am I going to resign? I've had an amazing time, and, while it's great to have a regular income and live a normal life, if you stay in one spot too long you get rusty... You never know how you'll feel at a particular time in the future, but I will probably move on [then]. What I'm thinking now is, what's next?

Would you want Izzy to be killed off?
My sensible side says, please don't kill me off so I can come back some day, but that's chickening out. I'm up for high drama - if they want to do a great death, let's go for it!

What did you think of Natalie's performance in Grease, Ryan?
Ryan: It was the first time I'd seen Nat do anything on stage. I was just amazed. Every time she opens her mouth and sings I get goose bumps...
Natalie: He's too cute!

How do you cope with her schedule?
Ryan: I miss her when she goes away, but it's been that way since we met.
Natalie: It's always going to be like that and I think we handle it pretty well.
Ryan: It just makes you value the time you have together more. And I don't mind having the house to myself sometimes... though when it gets to four days without her that gets a bit hard.

What was it like playing opposite Craig McLachlan, Natalie?
He's an old hand, he knows it! Craig owns that role. He's played it so many times now. He's very dedicated - he's a Virgo like me. We were born on the same day 10 years apart, so we're quite similar. Craig just makes me laugh 24/7 - he makes everyone laugh 24/7!

Did Olivia Newton-John see you on stage as Sandy?
Somebody told me Olivia was going to come and I said, 'If she's there afterwards I'll be over the moon, but don't tell me beforehand because I'll get really nervous!' But she did see me in Footloose and she whispered some amazing things in my ear at the end. I don't usually get star-struck but I was so star-struck when I saw her.

What was it like working with John Farnham?
He's so talented and so much fun. We had a couple of drinks and a jam with him at the piano one night after the show, and it was surreal to be singing with John Farnham in such a casual atmosphere.

Did sparks fly when you and Ryan met on the set of Neighbours?
Natalie: Hmmm. [In the beginning], I didn't feel anything and I know he didn't either. We were just work colleagues.
Ryan: Nat just didn't seem like my kind of girl. Then we started to get to know each other.
Natalie: It was just a really good friendship, we kept hanging out and now here we are in our new home!
Ryan: I didn't want a girlfriend and Nat didn't want a boyfriend, so it was good at the start because we got to know each other for who we were.

How do you find living together?
Ryan: Good, except for hairpins.
Natalie: I knew you were going to say that!
Ryan: I can't stand them. You can't walk into the house without finding one on the floor.

And Ryan's most annoying habit?
Natalie: Umm... I honestly can't think of anything. The best thing about us is that we laugh a lot and we have a good time.
Ryan: The most important thing is we're two people living seperate lives together.
Natalie: With us it's cool, it's very easy...

Is it true your mum's keen for you and Natalie to get married, Ryan?
Ryan: [Imitating his mum], 'Don't let that one get away!' But we're not interested in getting married, and we're not that religious.
Natalie: I've been married before - I was 23 - and it's a lot different to what I thought it would be. It puts a lot of pressure on a relationship, then if it's not working you stay together for the wrong reasons. I have no qualms in saying Ryan and I'll be together forever, but I don't need a piece of paper.

Have you talked about having kids?
Natalie: We've been talking a lot about that. I have anyway! Ryan's 27 and I'm 30 this year, so I'm probably more ready for babies than he is - careerwise I'm not, but my hormones are going, yes, yes, yes!
Ryan: Hmmm...
Natalie: We just take it each day at a time. Right now, all I see is a great future.