Home And Further Away
Former Home And Away star Lukas Radovich is taking on the Push-Up Challenge, but it’s not the first challenge he’s faced. He tells Matt Myers about growing up gay, mental health awareness, getting married, and that same-sex soap opera kiss.
The Push-Up Challenge is a national mental health initiative that sees participants complete 3,214 push-ups across 28 days – one for every Australian life lost to suicide in 2023. Lukas is tackling it with his partner, Liam, using the opportunity to raise awareness, honour lost friends, and promote the mental health benefits of physical exercise.
“Growing up gay was a struggle because I came from a conservative part of the world without much diversity.”
Tell us about your involvement in the Push-Up Challenge.
I didn’t know too much about the challenge and foundation, but the more I looked at it, the more I realised it aligned with my beliefs about the impact of physical fitness on mental health. Especially when dating an athlete! I can see how it’s a form of release and endorphin kick that helps daily life. Unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of friends who died by suicide, so the Push-Up Challenge also has a personal connection for me. In the industry I work in, mental health is in a bit of a crisis, and I wanted to do anything I can to spread awareness. I have an interesting point of view from working both as an actor and behind the scenes with the production crew. I’ve seen both sides of a workplace that can be quite hostile.
“It was groundbreaking because Home And Away had only seen a lesbian kiss a few years prior.”
So, you’ll be doing push-ups?
Absolutely! For 28 days, I’ll be doing 3,214 push-ups. It’s quite a lot, as it’s the unfortunate number of people who lost their lives to suicide in 2023. It puts the spotlight on those statistics, while also being a physical and mental challenge itself throughout the month. The great thing is creating a team through the app and doing the challenge together. I’ve created mine with friends, and we check in with each other every morning.
What do you do for your own mental health?
Exercise ensures my mental health is at its best. I go to the gym and run. Sometimes, through working, I forget that human interaction and connection are something that brings me joy. Communicating with my friends helps with my mental health. I’ve had therapy in the past, which is incredible, and I think everybody should do it. But it can be quite expensive. There are options to get a mental health plan from your GP, but it still doesn’t cover the entire cost, and I think there should be some reform. Therapy has certainly helped me in the past, and I’m sure it will continue to help me in the future when I need it. There should be less stigma about counselling. I see it as developing mental health, like developing the physical body. It’s just strengthening different muscles.
How was growing up gay for you?
It was a struggle because I came from a conservative part of the world without much diversity, up in the Blue Mountains (of New South Wales). But I had a supportive family, which I’m eternally grateful for. I moved to Sydney when I finished high school and then Perth, where I studied acting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). It wasn’t until after I left acting school that I grew into myself and started to accept who I was. I felt less pressure there, whereas high school and uni never felt like the right environment. It was a bit hostile. We were known at WAAPA by one of the lecturers as ‘the straight year’, which ironically couldn’t be further from the truth! I see kids these days having a much different experience. For example, my partner’s little sibling just turned eighteen and came out to their parents at thirteen, which is amazing. There’s such a difference now, compared to even ten years ago. It’s amazing how far we’ve come, but in today’s political and cultural climate, things feel slightly regressing, and we need to be mindful. We don’t want to be pulled back in time.
You played Ryder Jackson on Home and Away for five years. How was life on Summer Bay?
It was a whirlwind five years, and it still feels like a dream. I met some fantastic people and learnt to work on my craft, not just in terms of acting but also storytelling and exploring different acting methods. It was a rinse-and-repeat situation where I got to try things over. That was an exciting experience, even though doing multiple takes per scene can be daunting. But once I hit that five-year mark, I was ready to move on. I wanted to continue growing and learning outside of acting. It’s one thing being an actor, but you get a good sense of agency when you’re writing, directing and creating your own productions.
In a sense of irony, on Home and Away, you played the straight character in the milestone gay kiss.
I felt privileged to be a part of that because the director took great care in how we did it. There was a lot of rework and edits to ensure it was represented in the right way. Darius Williams, who played the gay character Ty, is a sensitive actor as well, and I think we were the perfect team to tell that story. It was groundbreaking because Home and Away had only seen a lesbian kiss a few years prior. It’s great but also a bit sad that even though it was prime time television, I don’t think there’s been another gay kiss since, except maybe on Neighbours, which has a bit more representation.
“The Kelpies have the highest number of LGBTQIA+ people in an Australian male sporting team.”
Your partner, Liam Forcadilla, is Vice Captain for the ‘Kelpies‘ Australian men’s national netball team. How did you meet?
We’re a Tinder love story! We’d been on a couple of dates, and then covid hit. I was in
Sydney, while he was living on the Central Coast, and I thought, “Well, I like this person and I don’t know when I’m going to see him again, given this covid thing. I may as well move to the Central Coast”. So, I did. Home and Away was on a big break, so it worked out well. I got to know Liam and his family over a couple of months. The rest is history.
And you’re getting married!
At the end of the year! It’s quite exciting. There’s a lot of planning, and it’s probably been the biggest year of our lives. It’s unbelievable. I never thought that kind of love would be possible for me, having grown up in a very conservative community and being told that being gay is wrong. I went to a religious school, which did its damage, but I keep on pinching myself because I feel grateful to be in the position I’m in. I have great friends and a chosen community that I created for myself. I don’t necessarily believe in the conservative practices behind marriage itself, but I believe in the union of two people and their celebration. Our wedding will be a mix of traditional with a crazy side as well.
Will you have two bucks’ nights?
We’re having separate bucks’ nights, even though we have similar friendship groups. Liam had his in January, because he’s going away on tour, but I’m having mine the week before the wedding.
Gay couples can also share the stripper at bucks’ nights.
(Laughs) And it’s a good way to save money.
Tell us about Underdogs, the Kelpies documentary you’re making.
It’s a passion project that’s not affiliated with the Kelpies, although I have permission and everyone’s onboard. It’s not necessarily a sports documentary, but more about the people behind the sport and follows their journey in the Trans-Tasman Cup. When I saw the community that these men were in, I was struck by it. Here’s a team that’s not paid for their work and finances its tours while representing Australia – and they’re incredible athletes. I wanted to tell that story. They have the highest number of LGBTQIA+ people in an Australian male sporting team. Being gay in other sporting codes like AFL and NRL could be a career issue, but in the Kelpies, it’s celebrated rather than hidden. The team is a mixture of gay and straight, which is a testament to the people and the culture of the sport.
Tell us about the web series The Boy Who Was Afraid of Everything.
After leaving Home and Away, I went down the rabbit hole of producing. I love seeing a story in its entirety, coming to fruition from concept to release. As an actor, you don’t get to see that. You’re normally a cog in the machine. I enjoy being able to craft a story, so I worked with a writer and director and created a web series that toured the world and won awards in the US. Now it’s being turned into a TV series, which is fantastic. I’ve also just shot Haven’t You Heard? Everyone Hates Me, written by Haris Mirza, who also wrote the web series, and I co-wrote an episode. I love the freedom and improv of comedy. On Home and Away, I discovered I’m a bit of a comedic actor.
Is a safe working space very important to you?
Yes, as a producer, it’s exciting to create your own workplace culture. You can select the cast, crew and develop what the experience on set will be like. The feedback from the film I produced was that everyone had a good time and felt supported. I want that to happen on every set I work on, because this world can be very stressful, and people can lose their tempers at four in the morning. I want to make sure everyone is protected from that kind of thing. There’s often no HR manager or counsellor on set, but I’ve learnt that there can be. I co-produced with Mentally Strong Productions, which always had an on-set wellness coach to ensure the cast and crew were looked after. It’s important that people can voice any concerns. It made the whole experience so much better, and that’s when people do their best work.
What music are you into?
I’m a bit of a chameleon when it comes to music. I’ll listen to Bill Withers and then Peggy Gou. I love House, disco, and Aretha Franklin always gets me in a good mood. I was a latecomer to Lady Gaga, and I think she’s a musical genius. The reason she’s still relevant is that she keeps reinventing herself. I also love Alanis Morissette. When I saw the Jagged Little Pill musical, it reinforced my love of her music. We listen to her entire albums while road-tripping. We’ll pull down the windows and scream out her lyrics.
With one hand in your pocket and the other making a peace sign?
(Laughs) Yes! Gosh, I love the power she has.
Who inspires you in the industry?
I’d love to emulate Joel Edgerton. He writes, directs, acts and creates his own work. He tells fascinating stories. I’m currently in a great position where I meet creatives who are a similar age to me, chipping away at their careers. They do incredible work, and I want to work with those people. With the film I recently worked on, we curated a team of inspirational and very nice people. Above all, you must be a nice person!
Follow Lukas on Instagram @lukas.radovich
For more on Underdogs: documentaryaustralia.com.au
For more on the Kelpies: ammna.com.au
