Former McLeod’s Daughters star Simmone Jade Mackinnon plans acting comeback as she wins big on reality show The Summit
After the ‘worst years of her life’, a McLeod’s Daughters star has won big on a reality TV show – and is now planning a return to the screen.
Entertainment
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Former McLeod’s Daughters star Simmone Jade Mackinnon is plotting an acting comeback after completing a triumphant return to television on The Summit.
The one-time Gold Logie nominee took home $100,000 on this week’s finale of Nine reality series, her first TV appearance in over a decade.
Mackinnon, 51, said she would use half the money to pay off outstanding debt and the rest will go towards her online clothing business, Wandering Ozzie.
“So it’s not really exciting stuff but it definitely gives me financial relief, which is just amazing and greatly appreciated after these last few years of heartache,” said the actor, who played Stevie Hall for seven seasons on the SA-made TV drama.
“I went in solely for the money, as a single mum that was my initial goal. But what I didn’t expect was to get some of my power and spark back. That is something that money can’t buy so I’m eternally grateful for that.”
Once engaged to Hollywood star Jason Momoa, Mackinnon quit acting over a decade ago to focus on being a mum to son Madigan but says she’s now hoping for a return to the limelight.
“I 100 per cent would love to get back into acting. As a single Mum you are very limited in what work you can take on and when Madigan was young I didn’t want to miss a moment. I certainly didn’t want a nanny bringing him up,” she said.
“But now Madigan is 14 and we could easily travel together and he could come to set and do his schooling online. It’s completely doable now so that’s something I am definitely going to go for.”
It’s been a tough few years for Mackinnon, who battled financial issues during the pandemic which led to her losing her hair due to extreme stress.
“For me personally the last few years have been the worst of my life. The financial pressure has been relentless,” she said.
“Losing all my hair because of the stress was another very unpleasant moment in time. But I’m hoping with the power I have reclaimed within myself, thanks to The Summit, those terrible days of darkness are gone and I am finally heading back out into the light where I belong.”
Mackinnon was one of Australia’s brightest young stars, getting her big break on smash hit TV series Baywatch in 1999, featuring in 24 episodes and meeting co-star Momoa, the man who would go on to become her fiance.
They dated for several years before calling it quits in 2006.
Mackinnon would then take centre stage on McLeod’s Daughters, filmed in South Australia, alongside Rachael Carpani, Michala Banas and Bridie Carter. The series finished up in early 2009 after 224 episodes.
Following her return to the spotlight on The Summit, Mackinnon is ready to reach for the stars again.
“I would love to be able to get my Wandering Ozzie brand into a store like Anaconda, something like that would most definitely give us a brighter future and hey, if I could get an acting gig on top of that, then I’d be pretty close to living my dream life,” she said.
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