Toni Pearen looks back at her E Street and Home And Away days

Much-loved Aussie actor Toni Pearen remembers a time she would have to wear a disguise to avoid being recognised on a night out. She found fame almost instantly on an Aussie hit but these days her life is much more relaxed.

• Where is Hey Dad! star Simone now?
• Where is Chantoozies singer Ally Fowler now?

Much-loved Aussie actor Toni Pearen remembers a time she would have to wear a disguise to avoid being recognised on a night out.

Jumping back 30 years, Pearen was just 17 when she landed a role on hot new Aussie TV drama E Street.

“Seriously, my life was beyond my wildest dreams,” explained Pearen, who was in her final year of school at De La Salle College in Cronulla when she landed the job of a lifetime.

Toni Pearen is grateful for her career in the acting industry. Picture: Tim Hunter

MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

The 2019 concerts you don’t want to miss

Rising Hollywood couple’s Sydney holiday

Ricky Martin welcomes baby with husband

“I am so grateful for the life that I’ve had. I look back and I’ve had amazing experiences. I feel like I’ve lived my life 10 times over.

“I remember getting the job and knowing that it was the only thing that I wanted to do with my life.”

Playing Toni Windsor, Pearen found fame almost instantly.

“I remember clearly (co-star) Marianne Howard and I would go down to Melbourne. The show was so well known, we really couldn’t go anywhere so we put on these identical black catsuits and wigs and would go out trying to go incognito to disguise ourselves.”

She became a household name after landing a role on the popular show E Street. Picture: Supplied

Pearen with friends Bruce Samazan, Marcus Graham and Melissa Tkautz. Picture: Supplied

Pearen, 46, was inspired to pull out an old box of photographs when E Street co-star Penny Cook died of cancer on December 27 at 61.

“I was so grateful to have worked with Penny and Tony Martin, Cecily Polson and Vic Rooney,” she said.

“We had such a great cast and I will always remember how they treated us. The respect and lessons they taught us, I have always carried that with me.

“I wish I could tell Penny that right now, the impact she had on me as an actor and as a performer.”

Pearen remained on E Street until 1992 and joined Home And Away in 1994 when she also released an album, Intimate. As a pop star, she enjoyed success with hits In Your Room, I Want You and Walkaway Lover.

Pearen later went on to host Australia's Funniest Home Videos.

She now teaches acting with fellow E Street actor Raelee Hill on the northern beaches. Picture: Troy Snook

Pearen hosted Australia’s Funniest Home Videos from 2006.

“I have seen many a famous person behaving badly and luckily for them, no one had iPhones,” she said, referring to the rise of social media.

“I was always a pretty good girl, but from what I saw, if we had social media in those days, we probably would have got ourselves in a whole lot of hot water.”

Over recent years, after becoming a mum to two children, she teaches acting with fellow E Street actor Raelee Hill, the pair opening The Talent Co on Sydney’s northern beaches.

She is also a regular on morning TV show, Studio 10.

“It has been really great — we’ve got our first student his first agent,” she said. “We nurture them from the ground up and it is really fun.”

Originally published as Toni Pearen looks back at her E Street and Home And Away days