just tak

Something a little different from Just Tak this week…

No guest. No edit. Just Takaya, live on YouTube and answering your questions.

In this special live episode, Tak takes questions from viewers around the world and chats all things Neighbours, Play School, acting and the realities of working in the Australian screen industry - with plenty of stories and tangents along the way.

We get into:

· Neighbours memories and behind-the-scenes stories

· David, Aaron and life on Ramsay Street

· Play School and what’s coming up

· Acting, auditions and the state of the industry

· Future Just Tak guests

· Your questions, answered live

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:

Patreon.com/justtak

Sponsors:

BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.

https://beautyboat.com/

RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Debra Lawrance joins Tak for a warm, candid and deeply personal conversation about Home and Away, Neighbours, Please Like Me, nearly 50 years in acting, learning to listen to her body, surviving the industry and the moment she finally became Debra rather than simply Pippa.

What we get into:

· Stepping away from the Steel Magnolias tour

· Why actors push through illness and exhaustion

· Learning to rest after nearly 50 years in the industry

· Discovering acting and leaving Melbourne for NIDA

· Training alongside Judy Davis, Mel Gibson and Steve Bisley

· Learning not to envy another actor’s success

· Missing a major role and the advice that stayed with her

· Taking time away from acting for family

· Returning through Blue Heelers

· Life after Pippa and becoming Debra Lawrance

· The responsibility and social impact of television

· Please Like Me and telling stories without labels

· Coaching young actors on Neighbours

· Jackie Woodburne, Alan Fletcher and on-set mentorship

· Playing Liz Conway and crossing from Summer Bay to Ramsay Street

· Working through grief while filming Home and Away

· Signs, dreams and unexplained moments after loss

· Acting coaching, career mindset and creating your own work

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:

https://Patreon.com/justtak

Promotion / Links:

Debra Lawrance on IMDb

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0492592/

Watch Please Like Me

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2155025/

Sponsors:

BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.

https://beautyboat.com/

RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:

If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.

Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.

United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George Zhao joins Takaya Honda for a funny, open and vulnerable chat about Ghosts Australia, The Family Law, acting, ego, imposter syndrome, identity, clown doctoring, almost quitting the industry and learning that casting is not a competition.

What we get into:

· George’s Logie nomination for Ghosts Australia

· Meeting Takaya on The Family Law

· Moving from Sydney to Melbourne

· Growing up between New Zealand and Australia

· His first brush with performance through The Lion King auditions

· Dance, school, shame and self-awareness

· Almost training to become an Anglican minister

· Finding acting at drama school

· Early success, ego and The Family Law

· Ghosts Australia and playing Joon

· Anxiety, self-worth and almost quitting acting

· Working as a clown doctor in children’s hospitals

· Disability support, counselling and life outside acting

· Asian actors, comparison and competition

· Why booking the role is not the same as “winning”

· Neighbours auditions, David, Leo and old friendships

· Voting for George at the TV Week Logies

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/c/justtak

Promotion / Links:

Watch George Zhao in Ghosts Australia

https://10.com.au/ghosts-australia

Watch George Zhao in The Family Law

https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/the-family-law

Vote for George Zhao at the TV Week Logies

https://tvweeklogies.com.au/

Find out more about Clown Doctors Australia

https://clowndoctorsaustralia.org.au/

Sponsors:

BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.

https://beautyboat.com/

RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:

If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.

Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.

United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew Backer joins Takaya Honda for a funny, thoughtful and honest chat about Neighbours, Play School, acting, identity, bullying, coming out, casting, resilience and what it really means to bring yourself to the work.

What we get into:

· Playing Logan on Neighbours

· Being labelled “the gay stalker”

· Aaron, David and fan reaction

· Working together on Play School

· School musicals, bullying and finding acting

· Jersey Boys and the eight-show-week grind

· Screen acting, guest roles and finding confidence

· Writing and starring in Die Bully Die

· Homophobic bullying and turning trauma into story

· Coming out and the fear of being a gay actor

· The casting director who saw through the mask

· Play School, Story Salad and improvising for kids

· The F Ward, medical drama and playing a triage nurse

· Emma’s Dance Club and Brady the Trady

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:

  / justtak  

Promotion / Links:

Die Bully Die:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28325544/

Follow Matthew Backer:

Instagram:  / matthewbacker  

Watch Matthew on Play School:

https://iview.abc.net.au/show/play-sc...

Sponsors:

BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.

https://beautyboat.com/

RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:

If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.

Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.

United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nathan Borg was told more than once that acting probably wasn’t going to happen for him. He didn’t accept that.

In this episode, Nathan talks to Takaya about growing up profoundly deaf, being bullied at school, landing Neighbours during COVID, and becoming the show’s first recurring actor with a cochlear implant.

What we get into:

· Growing up profoundly deaf in Bacchus Marsh

· Meningitis, cochlear implants and learning to hear

· School bullying and discovering drama

· Being told the industry would not accept him

· Meeting Jason Herbison and auditioning for Neighbours

· Joining one of TV’s fastest-paced sets during COVID

· Jackie Woodburne, Annie Jones and Sally-Anne Upton having his back

· Teaching directors basic signs on set

· Playing Curtis Perkins and staying on Ramsay Street for years

· The pressure of becoming an advocate

· Developing Bump Into You, a deaf gay romance series

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:

Patreon.com/justtak

Promotion / Links:

Follow Nathan Borg

https://www.instagram.com/nathan_borg/

Deaf awareness and support

Australia: Deaf Australia

https://www.deafaustralia.org.au/

United Kingdom: RNID

https://rnid.org.uk/

Sponsors:

BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.

https://beautyboat.com/

RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:

If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.

Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.

United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shane Isheev joins Takaya Honda for a proper behind-the-scenes deep dive into the Neighbours writers’ room, life as a script producer, fan backlash, storylines that changed direction, and the wild plots that never made it to air.

What we get into:

· Going from Neighbours superfan to script producer

· How a script department actually works

· NCIS Sydney and the difference between soap and crime drama

· Plotting hundreds of episodes a year

· Actors pushing back on scripts

· David’s final story and whether David and Aaron should have returned

· Fan reaction, criticism and not being able to explain the “why”

· Finn Kelly, amnesia and the joy of ridiculous soap

· The emotional weight of the 2022 finale

· COVID-era storytelling challenges

· Mackenzie’s story and meaningful representation

· The lost Amy Williams twist

· The planned earthquake that never happened

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/justtak

Promotion / Links:

Follow Shane Isheev

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaneisheev/

Watch NCIS: Sydney

Paramount+: https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/ncis-sydney/

Sponsors:

BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.

https://beautyboat.com/

RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:

If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.

Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.

United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Riley Bryant joins Takaya Honda for a funny, thoughtful and emotional chat about Neighbours, school, anxiety, growing up through lockdowns, surviving one of the fastest sets in television and figuring out whether acting is still the life he wants.

What we get into:

· Playing JJ Varga-Murphy on Neighbours

· Meeting Takaya on Surviving Summer and running the Neighbours callback

· Balancing Year 11 and Year 12 with a major TV role

· Riley’s chaotic sporting childhood and the basketball own-goal disaster

· Acting classes, auditions, Coles, Surviving Summer and booking Neighbours

· First-day nerves on Ramsay Street

· Driving into Ramsay Street on his L-plates

· The Felix reveal, James Beaufort and learning by watching himself back

· Riley’s emotional final scene as JJ

· Post-show blues, stability and whether he might step away from acting

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/justtak

Watch / listen to more Just Tak:

https://www.justtak.com/

Promotion / Links:

Follow Riley Bryant

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rileyjbryant/

Sponsors:

BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.

https://beautyboat.com/

RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:

If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.

Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.

United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim Robards joins Takaya Honda for a funny, honest and surprisingly revealing chat about Neighbours, SAS Australia, Peloton, fatherhood, fitness, wine, acting and what success really looks like when life changes.

What we get into:

· Tim’s work with Peloton as an Australian guest instructor

· Building Elle Wines and the story behind Elle Rosé

· The pressure of balancing family, business and creative work

· The psychic who pushed Tim towards acting

· From Italy With Love and carrying a US film lead

· Leaving Neighbours during the pandemic

· Watching Don Hany take over as Pierce Greyson

· Filming Neighbours under COVID rules

· Whether Tim would ever return to Ramsay Street

· SAS Australia and what really happened behind the scenes

· Zima Anderson’s accident

Support Just Tak on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/justtak

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Promotion / Links:

Follow Tim Robards

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mrtimrobards/

Elle Wines / Elle Rosé

Award-winning Australian Grenache rosé crafted by Tim Robards and Shun Eto.

https://ellewines.com/

Tim Robards on Peloton

Tim joined Peloton as an Australian guest instructor for Bike, Tread and strength classes.

https://www.onepeloton.com/en-AU/blog/peloton-guest-instructor-tim-robards

Sponsors:

BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.

https://beautyboat.com/

RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:

If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.

Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.

United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrea McLean joins Takaya Honda for a raw, generous and deeply honest conversation about leaving Loose Women, losing professional identity, financial collapse, shame, resilience and building a life after public failure.

What we get into:

• Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago and returning to the UK
• GMTV, live TV and becoming the long-serving anchor of Loose Women
• The art of holding a panel together and making the viewer at home feel seen
• Walking away from a stable TV contract
• Building This Girl Is On Fire and launching into a pandemic
• Business failure, illness and selling her home
• Shame, public identity and the Starbucks story
• Rebuilding through media training, writing and moving to Spain
• Redefining success, money, contentment and what comes next

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:

https://patreon.com/justtak

Promotion / Links:

Buy Andrea McLean’s book Shameless and find out more about Andrea:

https://andreamclean.com/

Follow Andrea McLean

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreamclean1/

Sponsors:

BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.

https://beautyboat.com/

RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:

If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.

Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.

United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rob Mills joins Takaya Honda for a warm, funny and refreshingly honest chat about fame, theatre, Neighbours, music, ageing, resilience and what it really takes to keep showing up in the creative industry.

What we get into:

• Australian Idol and early fame
• Rob’s Neighbours era as Finn Kelly
• Waitress, Wicked, Ghost and the eight-show-week grind
• Taking on Bon Jovi live
• Vocal discipline, fitness and recovery
• Reviews, critics and being called “surprisingly good”
• Georgie Tunny, interviews and wedding planning
• Music education and the Australian Children’s Music Foundation
• Acting technique, emotional fatigue and staying good to work with

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:

https://patreon.com/justtak

Promotion / Links:

See Rob Mills in Waitress

Rob stars as Dr Pomatter in Waitress, now playing in Australia.

https://waitressthemusical.com.au/

Follow Rob Mills

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robmillsymills/

Rob Mills Official Site

https://www.robmills.net.au/

Australian Children’s Music Foundation

https://acmf.com.au/

Sponsors:

BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.

https://beautyboat.com/

RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:

If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.

Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.

United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.