Tim Kano, who plays Leo Tanaka on Neighbours, has spoken out for the first time about his forthcoming return to Ramsay Street.
After agreeing to reprise his role as Leo, the actor has been back on set since mid-March.
Tim has already announced that Leo’s return will be accompanied by a major storey.
“My agent called me and said Neighbours had a storyline and they’d be interested in bringing Leo back,” Tim revealed when asked how his homecoming came about. So that was incredible.
“I was ecstatic and elated since I still have a lot of friends on the show and was looking forward to seeing the crew and everyone else.”
“I wasn’t sure what the plot would be, but they teased me and it sounded fantastic.” It’s a unique plot that I’ve never seen before. I couldn’t refuse. It was simply irresistible to return.”
“I’m back there till the end of the year,” he continued. I returned in March, and it’s been wonderful to be back. It’s great to see everyone, but it’s even better to be a part of this crazy storey.
Between 2016 and 2019, Tim was a series regular in the role of Leo. Later in 2019, and again in January 2020, he appeared as a guest on the show.
“It was the end of my contract,” Tim added, reflecting on his initial departure. “When I originally joined, I signed on for three years.” I was eager to try out some new positions and work on a variety of projects.
“I enjoyed how Leo was smitten with Terese. He proposed to her, but she declined and returned to Leo’s father, Paul. It was a sad and depressing way to exit the Street.
“Leo decided he needed to go on a self-discovery quest and left a message for his twin brother David just saying he needed to find himself. It piqued my interest in a big way. It wasn’t one of those ‘jump in a cab’ departures where everyone waves the character goodbye from Ramsay Street.
“In terms of the character, it was much darker, heavier, and more meaningful. As a result, everything went off without a hitch.”