The actor Ryan Moloney, who portrayed Jarrod “Toadie” Rebecchi on the venerable Australian soap opera Neighbours, has shared his plans for his post-Neighbours future.
As the endearing class clown who developed into a hotshot lawyer, Moloney enthralled audiences for nearly three decades while portraying Toadie.
However, Moloney has stated that he will be leaving Toadie behind for a life as a tradesman as the programme comes to an end.
According to Moloney, “I’m not ruling anything out.” I’m enrolled in a civil construction course that involves operating excavators and constructing roads.
“I enjoy using those kinds of devices for amusement. I enjoy performing earthworks and other manual labor-intensive tasks. That’s where I am right now, but who knows how it will all turn out?
It has been a year of significant change for Moloney. His change of direction in his career comes after the seasoned actor sold his opulent Mornington Peninsula property a week before Neighbours was cancelled.
The small-screen celebrity received an unknown sum between $6 and $6.3 million for his opulent Mornington Peninsula estate.
They were “stoked” to have sold the four-bedroom house and its 4.33ha plot to a young local family after spending seven years there with his wife.
As the final episode, scheduled to air in August, approaches, Moloney expressed his gratitude for having such a successful career.
He told The Daily Telegraph that it was “very special” to be a working actor in Australia.
And I’m very appreciative of the life that is put into what is created.
When Moloney first played Toadie, the character was a trouble-making young teen, but the audience’s enthusiasm for the character rapidly cemented Moloney’s place in the main cast.
The programme is also praised for giving talents like Margot Robbie, Delta Goodrem, and Kylie Minogue a head start in their careers.
However, Moloney has bemoaned the bad handling of the programme that has grown to be one of the great characteristics of Australian television at a time when free-to-air television appears to be going the way of Blockbuster in a world of on-demand streaming goliaths.
Speaking to Hughesy, Ed, and Erin morning on 2Day FM in June, Moloney criticised the Logie Awards’ handling of Neighbours’ impending cancellation, which also prompted sympathy from the cast of rival programme Home And Away.
The “incredibly disappointing” tribute package from the show that played during the ceremony only served to add insult to injury, according to Moloney, who along with other cast members from the show were split across two tables and seated “behind the cameras.” Moloney added that cast members from a competing Channel 7 soap acting sympathetically.
The Home And Away cast expressed their regret for the rejection by coming up to them later, he claimed.
Fans of Neighbours were inconsolably informed that the show was ending in March.
According to a statement from Fremantle Media, “We simply have no choice but to rest the show following the loss of our key broadcast partner in the UK and despite a prolonged hunt for alternative funding.”
We acknowledge that this is a great disappointment for our wonderful, devoted fans as well as for the entire team. We appreciate all of your comments and encouragement, and we pledge to end the programme with a bang. We will now be honouring our neighbours.
Every day, 1.5 million people in the UK watch Neighbours, and 170,000 people in Australia’s major cities.
Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue will make special guest appearances in the finale, which airs on Thursday, July 28 on channel 10.
