Do we have the next golden couple from Neighbours?
Mackenzie Hargreaves (Georgie Stone) and Hendrix Greyson (Benny Turland) are destined to become the next major Neighbours romance on Ramsay Street. However, there are some issues, such as Mackenzie’s friendship with Hendrix’s ex-girlfriend, Harlow Robinson (Jemma Donovan).
Georgie Stone spoke with RadioTimes.com about the most recent surprise twist, revealing that she was not on board with the tale when she initially discovered it was coming and how committed she was in her character’s previous relationship with Richie Amblin (Lachie Miller).
But, now that Richie is gone, does she believe Mackenzie and Hendrix have what it takes to go the distance?
Mackenzie was certain that she simply wanted to be friends with Hendrix at first. Do you believe she was being truthful to herself at the time?
“I believe she was beginning to like him in that sense, but she was unaware of it. After her recent love problems, I believe she was eager to chalk it up to friendship and discovering new intimacy with someone, therefore I don’t believe she believed it was romantic. I believe she was telling it like it was.”
Mackenzie has been romantically associated to three people so far; out of Richie, Jay, and Hendrix, who do you believe she is most suited to, and how would you rank them from worst to best?
“Okay, I think she’s the least appropriate for Jay. Even with the vibe that Dhruv Malge, who played Jay, and I had, I thought it was more sibling-like, and I didn’t really sense the romantic tension from how it was written, but Dhruv was amazing to work with. Also, he is four years younger than me, so it was a little different, but I believe it was more of a sibling issue.
“The bond between Mackenzie and Richie was one of my favourites. I thought it was incredibly lovely, and it was precisely what she needed at the time. She desired stability as well as a connection, which was ideal for her. She is, however, in a more fun mood right now. I believe Hendrix just pulls out that in her, and I’ve been really enjoying their relationship, so I’ll definitely place that one at the top.
“However, I’m not sure. I worked for a year with Lachie, who portrayed Richie, and I cried when I found out we were parting up because we had invested so much time in our relationship and I felt like I was going through a real breakup. It hit me like a tonne of bricks. And I despised the Mackenzie Hendrix relationship when I first heard about it, but now I really enjoy it, so I’ll definitely put it on top.”
Is it possible to witness Richie’s reaction to Mackenzie’s new relationship on screen?
“We’re now in a Richie-free zone, but I’d welcome his return simply because I admire Lachie and enjoy working with him. However, as far as I’m aware, we don’t. Who knows what the writers have in mind; they’re known for dropping bombshells, so maybe at some point.”
Mackenzie is concerned about her friendship with Hendrix’s ex-girlfriend Harlow.
“Because there is now a divide between them, Mackenzie is concerned that this would harm her friendship with Harlow, and there are many circumstances in which she would prioritise her friendship with Harlow above Hendrix because she is frightened of losing her friend. She’s always striving to do what’s best for others, and she frequently prioritises other people’s wants over her own, which is portrayed in this strange dynamic.”
Fans adored Mackenzie when she first joined, but she had a period earlier in the year when she wasn’t as popular. Was that something you knew about back then?
“I was,” says the narrator. I had discussed with the writers the possibility of giving Mackenzie a little more authority and assertiveness. So we witnessed her doing precisely that following her operation and into the Eco-warrior period. But then some directors would approach me and say, ‘Mackenzie is coming off as a little too self-righteous, can we try to tone that down?’, which I hadn’t noticed until I saw it on screen and thought, ‘Ah, OK.’
“There was a moment when she was depressed, and I was sorry when I left work because of it. I was looking for some lightness and comedy, and then it started to happen, and we had a lip sync war, which was a lot of fun. Mackenzie was adrift for a long after she and Richie broke up, and I was looking for ways to inject some comedy into her life – That was the challenge I set for myself: to find those light moments. The producers and writers liked it, so they started putting it in the script, and then Mackenzie and Hendrick started dating, and we were suddenly in this full rom-com storyline, which is now on screen, and the fans seem to be enjoying it.
“Mackenzie, I believe, is here to stay, and I believe we’ve found the correct balance for her because Harlow and Mackenzie were both quite righteous, and I believe we’ve found it for her, and we’ve been trying to figure out how to differentiate them, and I believe we’ve done so. Mackenzie is on the lighter and more dorky side of the spectrum, whereas Harlow is lot more straight-laced.”
You’ve recently shared scenes with Ryan Moloney, Alan Fletcher, Jackie Woodburne, and Lucinda Cowden, all of whom are Neighbours icons. What’s it like to be on the receiving end of their wrath?
“It’s fantastic. I adore them all and have been collecting copious notes whenever I’m on set with them. I’ve learned a lot from the older cast members who have been here for a long time, and it’s been a great opportunity to learn from the masters, so that’s been amazing, and I believe I’ve come a long way in terms of the different kinds of acting and the different things that are expected of you.
“I set a goal for myself to attempt to get Ryan to break into a scene. I’ve been trying because he makes me laugh all the time, and I’m terrible for laughing when I shouldn’t be — I’ve wrecked so many takes because I can’t stop laughing. So I’ve been trying to achieve that with Ryan, and just lately in the last month, I’ve made Ryan laugh and won my triumph. Because it hasn’t aired yet, I can’t give you the context.”
Is there anything you can tease about Mackenzie’s future plans for the rest of the year?
“Last night, I was dressed in the strangest costume I’ve ever worn, and it was the strangest thing in the world gazing around at the set and at the outfit I was wearing. I remember thinking to myself, “I can’t believe this is my work.” That’s all I’m going to say!”
