Photography: Michael Rooke.
No, no, the cat can’t go outside. The cat. Watch the cat! Give me five minutes, Freddie – Mum’s talking right now. I’ll come see you soon… Yes, Gus, don’t worry. You are getting your cast off today…
Watch the cat!” Shutting her eyes in mock frustration, Antonia Prebble laughs, “Life is really just logistics, isn’t it?”
The Kiwi actress is doing her best to get her household organised for the day while also chatting to Woman’s Day, but the scenes in her suburban Auckland home can be best described as “organised chaos” as her husband and Westside co-star Dan Musgrove tries to keep their adorable but boisterous sons, Freddie, six, and Gus, four, away from their mum while he gets ready to go to work.
Oh, and he has to get the cat back inside – she’s just a kitten and doesn’t have her shots yet, explains Antonia, 41 It’s a chaos the acclaimed podcaster and former Outrageous Fortune star not only loves but also embraces.
“It’s never boring around here, that’s for sure,” she smiles.
“I’ve always liked life like this, with the constant movement and change, even as a child. I love lots of different things going on in my life and I’m definitely not afraid of change. “I don’t know if I really believe in star signs, but I’m a Gemini and if it’s a good horoscope, I’ll go with it! Anyway, one of the Gemini traits is that they love novelty and they get bored easily. That’s me 100%.”
A life in motion
It’s a good thing she’s wired like that because life is full of flux for Antonia and actor/screenwriter Dan, 43, as projects start and end. For the past few years, it’s meant Dan has spent more time at home, writing in their study, while Antonia has been out of the house on film sets.
However, the pair, who wed in 2024 after a six-year engagement, have now swapped roles. Dan has just wrapped a film, a “sheep-shearing comedy” he co-wrote and also stars in alongside cinema legend Geoffrey Rush. And Antonia has moved into the study, where she’s penning her own secret writing project.
A new chapter begins
“We’re very much in a new chapter of our relationship and with our dynamic as a family,” she says.
“Before having kids, my focus was always work – I started acting when I was 12! I was very professionally driven. It guided all my decision- making. But since the kids, everything has totally changed. “As I’m getting older and now that I’m a mother, being on set for 12 hours a day is not conducive to the mother I want to be. So it’s been really exciting to find other elements of this career that I can still find meaningful but be slightly more in control.”
A creative partnership
She and Dan have been developing TV shows together for a few years now – “since the pivot era of COVID,” laughs the actress – but in 2025, Antonia put her “big girl pants on” and decided to dive into writing without Dan, alongside her pals Catriona Munro and Georgie Oulton.
They’ve developed a new TV show together, a thriller, and Antonia says it’s been one of the most fulfilling projects she’s ever worked on.
A new kind of collaboration
“It felt like the right time for a new challenge and to develop a show under my own steam. And to do it with two friends, who have a similar amount of experience as me, has been so fun. Previously, Dan has always taken the lead on shows we’ve worked on because he’s been doing it for so long and I’ve learnt a lot from him. “But this is me having agency over my own career. Honestly, it’s been the most hilarious, bizarre start to the year. Things have kind of turned on their head. Dan thought he had retired from acting – he’s a writer and producer most of the time – but then the film happened! So he’s been on set all day, while I’ve been at home writing this script. It’s like, ‘How has this happened?!’”
A new creative outlet
Stepping away from the camera has also meant more time to dedicate to another one of her loves – her podcast What Matters Most, which is now in its fifth season. Tackling topics such as the mental load, burnout, friendship and motherhood, it’s a project close to the hearts of Antonia and her co-host, clinical psychologist Jacqui Maguire.
“We’re at the same stage of life, where the past few years has been focused on having babies and that kind of thing,” Antonia nods.
“But there’s so much more to talk about and we’re really excited about this next season. We have big plans for where we want to take the show in the future.”
A natural curiosity
Hosting a podcast is a natural extension of Antonia’s inherent curiosity about what makes people tick.
“I have a genuine interest in people,” she explains.
“I’m the friend who always wants to dive deeper over a wine, like, ‘Give me details!’ I love it and we’re all so fascinating. Why do we do what we do? I find those chats so stimulating.”
Having both the podcast and her writing projects has left Antonia feeling not only fulfilled creatively, but also more balanced between embracing change and feeling in control over her life, both as a mother and a professional.
Motherhood as a compass
“Being a mum makes decision making so much easier, really,” she explains.
“Being behind the scenes more and writing means more time at home, which is perfect for this phase of life. “When I feel things are working best is when my primary role is with the boys, which is then topped up with professional ventures that are meaningful to me. In saying that, there will always be upheaval in this industry and nothing’s permanent. I just have to trust that it’ll always somehow work out!”
“One of the lovely things about having children is that any job I don’t get, the disappointment is absolutely cushioned by the silver lining of life with them. I’ve realised that, as I get older, the world isn’t going to end if I don’t get a role… It will, however, if we don’t get this cat back inside!”
Antonia’s fifth season of What Matters Most is now available wherever you get your podcasts.
