Lynne McGranger was ‘terrified’ landing Home and Away role at 39

Home and Away legend Lynne McGranger says she was “terrified” when she joined the soap just shy of 40, revealing to Australian Women’s Weekly the advice colleagues gave her to survive.

Home and Away star Lynne McGranger has revealed she was “terrified” when she got her big break just shy of her 40th birthday.

The beloved TV icon, known for playing Irene Roberts, opened up to Australian Women’s Weekly as she prepares to farewell the long-running soap.

Although she previously appeared in a couple of Flying Doctors episodes and once played a nurse on A Country Practice, McGranger landed her breakout role in Home and Away in 1993.

“There was an assumption that I knew what I was doing, and I didn’t really have a clue because I’d only really done theatre,” she told Australian Women’s Weekly.

“But I remember the producer saying to me, ‘Watch Judy Nunn [who played Ailsa Stewart] and learn.’ The way to do it is to watch and mimic the older ones. That’s how you learn if you want to stay and your character is successful.

Home and Away star Lynne McGranger admits to “not having a clue” what to do when she first arrived on set nearly 40 years ago, during an exclusive interview with Australian Women's Weekly. Picture: Will Horner for Australian Women’s Weekly

“And even if your character is hated, that’s a good thing too, because what you don’t want is somebody to be ambivalent about you.”

Originally cast for a three-month stint, McGranger continued on the show while raising her 20-month-old daughter, Clancy McWaters, who joined her mum for a photo shoot for the August cover.

McGranger’s partner Paul soon became a stay at home dad, which she described as his dream come true.

“He couldn’t wait,” she said.

“He would do the reading. Take her to ballet, to netball. He loved it. I don’t know how parents cope with young children when they’re both working.

“Invariably someone’s just earning money to pay for childcare, so we were very blessed for Paul to bring her up through her school years.”

Lynne McGranger said even if your TV character is hated that’s a good thing. Picture: Will Horner for Australian Women’s Weekly

McWaters also reflected on being raised by parents who didn’t follow traditional roles.

“Mum and Dad – they’re not married – were quite different to other families,” she said.

“Mum was the main breadwinner and it’s been cool because I’ve been raised with the belief that it doesn’t have to be that way where the woman stays at home, and men go to work. I’ve got two awesome role models.”

McGranger, who joined the cast at age 39, was Home and Away’s longest-serving female cast member. That title now passes to Ada Nicodemou, who will mark 25 years on the show next month.

Ray Meagher, 80, remains the show’s longest-serving star overall, having been part of the original cast since Home and Away launched in 1988.

Lynne McGranger with her daughter Clancy McWaters. Picture: Will Horner for Australian Women’s Weekly

Lynne McGranger‘s exclusive interview appears in the Australian Women's Weekly. Picture: Will Horner for Australian Women’s Weekly

McGranger has been nominated for the 2024 TV WEEK Gold Logie alongside Ally Langdon, Hamish Blake, Julia Morris, Lisa Millar, Poh Ling Yeow, and Sonia Kruger.