It’s the most anticipated new show to hit New Zealand TV screens this year, brought to us by the same team that created Kiwi cult classic Outrageous Fortune, and stars some of our most-loved actors.
Dirty Laundry certainly has some hype to live up to, but four of its stars – Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Rachael Blampied, Tai Berdinner-Blades and Victoria MacCulloch – are confident their new show will deliver.
Chatting to the Weekly over high tea at Auckland’s historic Cotter House, the four strong, beautiful and sassy women say working on the new drama was one of the most pleasurable experiences they’ve ever had on a television set.
The series centres around the Rafferty family, who is thrown into chaos when their mother and matriarch Donna (played by Jennifer) is arrested for fraud, money laundering and tax evasion.
(from left) Tai, Jennifer, Victoria and Rachael.
Her two sons and two daughters (Tai and Victoria), and various associates, including Rachael, now have to figure out their place in this new, very real and gritty world without Donna. Of course, more secrets are then revealed.
“It was an absolutely lovely set to work on,” says Jennifer. “A lot of us knew each other already, so there was a really easy feeling, and we gelled quite quickly as a family.
“There was absolutely no drama – trust us, there’s plenty on camera, you don’t need it off! Life is too short to have drama on set.”
However, the majority of the experienced cast couldn’t resist pulling pranks on Victoria, who is making her professional acting debut.
“As far as our own dirty laundry goes, we found out quickly that Vicky’s very gullible,” grins former Go Girls star Tai, as Victoria puts her head into her hands and tries desperately to say she was “method acting”.
“This being her first job as an actor, she didn’t know a lot about set protocol and things like that. We’d take great delight in convincing her, for example, if she wanted to leave Auckland after the shoot had finished, she’d have to pay a ‘release fee,’” continues Tai.
“I didn’t, for the record,” adds Victoria, shaking her head while Rachael and Jennifer roar with laughter. “I just thought it might have been something in the fine print of the contract or something!”
All four say it was a refreshing change to play exceptionally strong, unapologetic female characters.
“Our writer is female, so is our producer, line producer and, of course, the lead characters,” explains Tai. “It’s exciting to play and share that with New Zealand, and go, ‘Look, we’re doing it and we are not apologising!’”
“I loved it too,” says Shortland Street alumna Rachael. “I was having a fitting with our costume designer Katrina and my character has a love interest on the show. Katrina said, ‘I don’t think she is the type of woman who changes just because a man comes into her life!’ I said, ‘Yes, thank you!’”
Jennifer Ward-Lealand – plays Donna Rafferty
Arguably New Zealand’s most respected actress, Jennifer plays Donna, the family matriarch. A suburban housewife and book-keeper, she is sent to prison after her scurrilous deeds are uncovered, which comes as a surprise to her children.
“Donna is used to controlling everything and the family has no idea that this has been going on,” tells Jennifer. “She experiences an enormous loss of control as she’s sent to jail.”
While Donna would give anything for her family to not know about her life in the shadows, eventually she has to put her fate in their hands.
“I think she’s a woman with a brilliant brain and the ability to juggle about 10 things in her hands at the same time. To lose that ability to keep an eye on everything is very difficult for her.”
Rachael Blampied – plays Imogen Blakelock
Playing misunderstood and flawed characters is something Rachael knows well after her turn as Shortland Street baddie Bree Hamilton.
“Well, would we say baddie?” she laughs.
“Imogen looks mean from the outside and that’s how the audience is supposed to view her, which they do, at the beginning. But as the season goes on, you’ll see she’s a very three-dimensional character and we find out why she does a lot of the stuff she does.”
Imogen, says Rachael, is best described as an “unrelated second cousin, kind of person”.
She is Donna’s nemesis and her daughter is related to the Rafferty family.
“She comes back into their lives when she finds out Donna has been sent to prison. She’s a businesswoman, is quite clever and she’ll do anything to make her daughter’s life happy. She quickly befriends Bianca, who is the loveliest – and most susceptible!”
Tai Berdinner-Blades – plays Kat Rafferty
Kat is the second eldest – or as Tai likes to call her, the “first” daughter of Donna, but likes to think she’s the head of the Rafferty children.
“She’s a lawyer and the person who ends up holding the family together after this explosion happens,” she says. “When we first meet Kat, she’s just become engaged, which is something of a surprise to the rest of the family as she’s had many unsuccessful relationships, with most of them failing because of her.”
Such was the strength of Tai’s bond with her character, she reckons she even started to take on some of Kat’s qualities in real life.
“She’s very much in control… I feel like I’m very organised at the moment. I always turn up to places on time!”
Victoria MacCulloch – plays Bianca Rafferty
The second youngest Rafferty, Bianca is a happy, bubbly woman, says Victoria, even if she’s living in a bit of a fantasy land.
“She lives in her own world. She loves people and has her own business, which Mum helped set up – and she’s just about to buy her first house,” explains Victoria.
“She’s quite protected, but she’s not so aware about that. Everything is going swimmingly and then this happens. She has to grow up fast and finally live in the real world.”
Victoria says she reckons audiences will be able to relate to her lovable but slightly oblivious character, especially with troubled economic times.
“I think everyone has had a time where everything has been flipped on its head and you have to learn how to cope with new situations… It’s pretty relatable, it’s pretty tough.”
Tune in to Dirty Laundry on TV One, Wednesdays at 8.30pm.
