Rebecca Gibney was Australasia’s favourite on-screen mother on hit-series Packed to the Rafters – and it seems she’s just as inspiring in her real life mothering duties. So much so that her 11-year-old son Zac is following firmly in her footsteps and creating an acting career of his own.
The cheery New Zealand-born actress says she and her television producer husband Richard Bell, who run a film and television production company together, were far from surprised when their son wanted to get in front of the camera – after all acting is in his blood.
“It was kind of inevitable because he grew up on film and television sets,” says Rebecca proudly. “He has always loved performing since he was really little. He was always the first to get up in front of the camera, whether he was singing with a hairbrush in the bathroom or grabbing the microphone for karaoke on a cruise ship. And that’s unusual because neither Richard nor I were ever like that as children – we were both terribly shy.”
Zac who starred beside his mother in Winter, is now acting in Wanted, the first television series to be realised by R&R Productions. Rebecca says she and Richard have been giving the production their all – but this has not put Zac off the industry, in fact he spends his spare time filming on his iPhone
Despite the demands of their work, family time has remained a priority for the trio and when they’ve completed Wanted, which is yet to be scheduled in New Zealand, they will hit the road with their little actor.
On the agenda is a visit to New Zealand, Rebecca’s birthplace and Zac’s favourite country in the world, where they will make the most of the South Island’s natural playground and try some extreme adventure sports.
And the family, who love to integrate work with their passions, have also made some long term plans involving New Zealand.
To find out more see the February edition of the Australian Women’s Weekly in stores January 28, 2016.
