It’s been 25 years since they last worked together on Shortland Street, but it felt like no time had passed when actors Peter Elliott and Chris Hobbs reunited to film an episode of the Kiwi mystery series Blue Murder Motel.
“It was a lovely thing to work with Pete – he’s someone I’ve bounced off forever, so working with him again felt like home,” says Chris.
“His character was telling off my character, which is pretty much what David Kearney used to do to my Shorty character [Dr Frank Malone] back in the day, so it all felt quite familiar!” Peter, 69, agrees.
“It was an absolute delight. Chris is great and one of the funniest men I’ve ever met. He’s the only person I’ve ever known to turn up drunk to set with two strippers in a limo!”
A sheepish Chris cringes, “What can I say? We were a wild bunch! Sometime later, the producer turned that into a storyline for Karl Burnett’s character Nick Harrison, without changing a single detail. That’s all I’ll say about it!”
Life is a lot mellower for Chris, 54, these days. After 20 years living in the States, he moved back to New Zealand with his wife Leah Lisausky eight months ago. He owned a film equipment distribution company, but the business “died”, so moving back to be closer to family felt like a good move.
His whānau, of course, has a huge showbiz pedigree. His mum Aileen O’Sullivan is an acting legend, while his sisters Rebecca and Katrina also starred on Shorty. Their brother Tom is an actor too and London-based sister Jessica won an Emmy for directing The Crown.
Back in front of the camer
Since returning home, Chris has started a doctorate with Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Psychology, where he’s researching why people use drugs and alcohol to cope. He’s also into boxing and does a bit of coaching.
He shares, “When I moved to the States, I came across the legendary coach Freddie Roach and I boxed five days a week. I fell in love with it. It’s a bit like tai chi or yoga, where you’re always trying to perfect tiny, little things.”
After a few decades of working behind the scenes, Chris is ready to be in front of the camera again – a goal solidified by his experience on Blue Murder Motel.
He laughs, “I’m ready to resurrect my crusty acting CV. I’ll take whatever’s offered, but I’d love to play the lead in a show.”
Meanwhile, after temporarily quitting showbiz for a few years, Peter’s acting schedule is full. He’s back on Shorty as power-hungry health exec David as part of the soap’s Legacy season and is also shooting the Kiwi comedy series The Sanctuary, created by comedy couple Laura Daniel and Joseph Moore, and directed by Madeleine Sami.
Making a difference from within
“I’ve never had so much work in my life,” he exclaims. “As soon as I say I’m not available, it seems to appear.”
Peter was also recently elected as a Waitematā Local Board member, a role that sees him committed to Auckland Council meetings two days a week and doing a lot of reading in between.
“I’ve been interested in politics for a really long time,” he explains.
“I’ve sat on the sidelines and shouted about local issues for years, then I realised it was pointless and I should see how hard it is to make change from within. “Turns out it’s really hard! But it’s a three-year term, and if I can advocate for the community and make some changes, particularly around cleaning up the waterways and protecting the Hauraki Gulf, I’ll be happy.”
Life in the fast lane
Peter’s wife Susan Trainor has been very supportive, urging him to take the acting gigs while they’re there.
“I’ll make this work until I can’t,” he says.
“I thought my career was dying down, which is why I put my hat in the ring to do something worthwhile, and as soon as I did that, the acting floodgates opened! But it’s a privilege doing what I chose to do and Blue Murder Motel was just a gem of a thing.”
Of juggling council work and acting, Peter adds, “It’s good for the old brain – the more you use it, the better it gets. But I can’t believe I used to film 10 to 12 scenes a day on Shorty. It really was a factory back then and it was tough on my home life. I was often absent. But producer Oliver Driver has done an amazing job on Shorty – it values the craft more than it did 30 years ago.”
But while Peter’s back in Ferndale, he says he’d never return to theatre.
“It was my first love, but I can’t do it any more – it’s just too stressful. I’ve suffered from stage fright for decades. I go into fight-or-flight mode and I can’t remember anything. It feels like a death for me. After 40 or so years, I don’t need to punish myself.”
Chris and Peter’s episode of Blue Murder Motel screens 8.45pm Sunday on TVNZ 1 and streams on TVNZ+.
