Photos: Guy Coombes.
Learning they’d be co-starring as mother and son in Happiness, actors Rebecca Gibney and Harry McNaughton couldn’t hide their delight. Appearing in the local musical comedy together meant the firm friends would finally meet for the first time.
“It was a bit ridiculous,” explains Harry, 37, who returned to acting for Happiness after spending much of the past few years writing and producing. “Bec and I had known each other for about three years. I’d been scriptwriting for her since season one of Under the Vines, but we’d never actually been in the same room.
“We had this crazy online relationship where we’d comment on each other’s social media photos. Once I posted from Fiji on holiday and she messaged me, saying, ‘Harry! Put some clothes on!’ But even though we got on brilliantly, we’d never physically met. It felt a bit like online dating!”
Adds Rebecca, 60, “Because Harry was in the creative team for Under the Vines, we’d talk on Zoom and it was actually bizarre how we bonded straightaway. I knew he was a brilliant writer – he has a brain the size of a small planet. And he has so much energy. He’s very clever and he’s funny. We very much share the same sense of humour.”
But while Harry was already signed up as ex-Kiwi Broadway director Charlie Summers in Happiness, the producers assumed Rebecca – whose acting credits include A Remarkable Place to Die, Packed to the Rafters, Flying Doctors and The Dressmaker – wouldn’t be interested in the lower-budget production.
“Normally, I’ll be asked if I’m interested in a project, but I put my hand up for this one,” tells Rebecca. “They asked if I could sing. So, I recorded myself singing to prove I could hold a tune and sent the tape in. Then they told me Harry was playing my son Charlie! It felt like it was meant to be.”
Listening to the banter between the animated pair from their respective homes – Harry in the Auckland house he shares with husband Koro, 45, a CEO and co-founder of Koha (Harry and Koro’s production company), and Rebecca in the picturesque Marlborough home she shares with her husband, production designer Richard Bell, 61, and actor son Zac, 21 – it’s easy to think the pair are actually family.
Harry even calls Rebecca “Mum” at one point, bursting into laughter at his slip. “I didn’t even notice!” he exclaims as Bec squeals in delight. “I actually had to ring my real mother to warn her I’ve referred to Bec as Mum so often recently when we’re together so she wouldn’t get offended!”
While Rebecca’s success means she has every right to enjoy diva status, Harry says that’s far from the truth.
“There’s nothing scary about her at all. But, it was scary knowing you must step up when you’re working with someone of her calibre,” he admits. “You want to be on your A game!”
The pair says their friendship helped them on set a lot.
“It was great having him around,” shares Rebecca. “I don’t sleep well, so I often mask and pretend I have energy I don’t really have. But Harry has energy to burn. I’d come in and he’d be bouncing off the walls. He’s like a light source – you can plug into him and he fills you with his energy. He’s someone who can carry you through your most difficult days.”
Harry agrees, “You have to do a lot of masking in this industry – socialising and being with people on set – but Bec and I don’t have to mask around each other at all. The connection was just there. It’s lovely, knowing you don’t have to put up a front and just be yourself.”
While Harry and Rebecca have yet to meet each other’s extended family, they are undoubtedly lifelong mates. Plans are afoot to get both Harry’s real and on-screen mums together – “maybe I’ll meet her when we have grandbabies!” jokes Rebecca.
Grins Harry, “We both love food and we’re not averse to the odd glass of wine, so Koro and I hope to visit Bec in Marlborough for a hike and some wine tasting.”
And he’s a good person to have around, jokes Rebecca. “Harry’s an amazing cook! The night before the final day on Happiness, he stayed up all night baking cookies for the cast and crew, and wrapping them in individual cellophane with handwritten notes.”
“It’s easy to enjoy your work if you’re with a good team,” adds Harry. “And working with someone like Bec is truly a joy.”
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