As she and her on-and-off-screen partner Patrick return to Home And Away, Sophie provides a relationship update.
Home and Away stars Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor.
Sophie Dillman expresses that she “couldn’t say no” when Home And Away invited both her and her on-and-off screen partner Patrick O’Connor to come back to the soap.
The 31-year-old actress, who reappears in Summer Bay this week, informs Woman’s Day that her return will be filled with drama.
“We got to come back to our amazing Home And Away family but also film in some of the most beautiful parts of Queensland. It was a dream. ”
Her character Ziggy, however, will not be experiencing a vacation.
“There’s no quiet time in Summer Bay,” she chuckles.
“I have to anticipate some drama, but it was a really fun storyline, and the fans will enjoy it. ”
BACK FOR GOOD?
Sophie became part of Home And Away in 2017 and stayed for 554 episodes until 2023.
Although her upcoming appearances are brief—only two episodes—Sophie hopes for a permanent return in the future.
“I’ve always mentioned that I want to be Emily Symons when I grow up, so it’s definitely something that I would love to pursue,” the cheerful blonde states.
“The writers do an excellent job of crafting character storylines that resonate in the Bay, but it’s not simple to flip a switch and have characters reappear intermittently. ”
Since Sophie and Patrick’s characters Ziggy and Dean departed from Summer Bay in March 2023, they have been residing in North Queensland to be nearer to Dean’s younger son.
Now, Home And Away regulars Mack (Emily Weir) and Levi (Tristan Gorey) embark on an unplanned and unexpected journey up north to visit Dean and Ziggy, leading to heightened tensions between the two men.
Sophie indicates that Ziggy and Dean are living the ideal life with their baby Izzy, repairing cars in the sunshine and surfing.
“It’s the perfect Australian upbringing. ”
She also mentions her enjoyment of working with her on-screen baby.
“Working with babies ensures that you are truly present, as they won’t do anything they don’t wish to, and communication is not possible, so you simply have to go with the flow,” she explains.
“It’s a real gift to be in the moment, and we had such a wonderful time. ”
GRAND ADVENTURE
While their on-screen characters have been reveling in the tropical sunlight and sands of the stunning Whitsundays region, Sophie and Patrick have been enjoying their own adventure, spending the past 18 months traveling throughout Europe.
“We had the most amazing adventures and witnessed so much stuff! ” Sophie expresses.
“I’m so pleased we took the leap to relocate there because it was absolutely fantastic. ”
With London as their starting point, Sophie and Patrick’s spectacular journey included dog-sledding over a frozen lake in Norway, touring the shores of Italy and Greece, scaling the summit of the French Alps, and uncovering the marvels of Slovenia.
Although Sophie enjoyed her time traveling and working in London’s West End theatre scene, she confesses she was eager to return home to Sydney temporarily, while Patrick continues his work in the UK.
“The dreary weather was a significant factor in my decision to come back as I kept falling ill over there,” she reveals.
“It doesn’t bother Patrick; he still has plenty of adventures he wants to pursue, and I’m thrilled he’s made that choice. ”
After living and working together continuously for years, Sophie admits that being apart from each other has been a strange experience.
“[Long-distance relationships] can get tricky sometimes because we don’t know any other way,” she remarks.
“We collaborated before we were a couple, and then we began dating, so we’ve never had this much time apart. ”
However, despite the distance separating them, Sophie states that she and Patrick are still thriving and continue to be very supportive of one another.
DREAM CAREER
Now back in Sydney, Sophie is eager to explore new professional ventures, similar to her former co-star Lynne McGranger, who recently revealed she was departing from Home And Away and her long-time role as Irene Roberts.
“I’m so thrilled for Lynne, and I wish her many exciting experiences as she leaves,” she comments.
And while Sophie has enjoyed being back on Home And Away, she is genuinely enthusiastic about what the future may bring.
“I’d love to explore as many different roles as I can,” she expresses to Woman’s Day.
“The dream is to have a varied career filled with all kinds of roles – so fingers crossed, I guess! ”
WEDDING BELLS?
Sophie served as maid of honor for her best friend Blaise, who got married in Brisbane earlier this month.
“I’m so privileged to take part in it. I’m incredibly happy for her. It feels like the most significant day of my life,” she shares with laughter.
“We’ve been friends for 25 years. It’s been a lot of fun organizing everything. I recall the first time we discussed weddings; we were about eight years old! ”
Sophie mentions she’s not in a hurry to walk down the aisle herself, “Maybe one day,” she says.
“Not any time soon. ”
