Tai Hara credits uniquely Australian sense of humour for success of Colin From Accounts

Former Home and Away star Tai Hara shares what he believes is the secret to the global success of Colin From Accounts.

Tai Hara reckons it’s the famous, uniquely Australian sense of humour that made Colin From Accounts an unexpected global smash.

After its release here in December of 2022, the little Aussie rom-com that could gradually took over the world, earning glowing reviews and legions of fans, first in the UK, where it aired on BB2, and then in the US, where it streamed on Paramount+.

Critics raved about the crackling chemistry between its creators Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer – the real-life couple who play on-again off-again leads Gordon and Ashley – and its relatable depiction of modern life and love.

Former Home and Away star Hara, who plays Ashley’s ex, James, says it was a joy to watch the show catch on globally because of its “beautiful Aussie sensibility” and believes that “people have been longing for a show like this”.

“Now more than ever, our sense of humour is more accepted and understood in all different territories, especially in the States,” Hara says. “But it’s the very Australian quirks that I think tickle everyone now and it’s something that’s just super relatable.

Tai Hara in Colin From Accounts Season Two.

“It’s also just the way that we hold ourselves. A lot of the time, it’s self-deprecating, not taking yourself too seriously, and I think for other cultures or other countries I’ve been to, that can be really refreshing, and especially when we probably haven’t had comedies at the forefront of entertainment for a little while now.

“People are just dying to have a bit of a laugh and what Colin does so well is it’s lighthearted, it gives you all the laughs, but it has a lot of heart as well. Pat and Harri hit the sweet spot in terms of making a show that is all-encompassing.”

Hara, who has spent time in the US working on shows such as Madam Secretary and Preacher – and hopes to return at some point – says that the self-deprecating, sweary Australian sense of humour sometimes raise a few eyebrows, but is ultimately an asset there.

“I think our sense of humour probably does shock people a little bit,” Hara says with a laugh. “The Americans tend to be a little bit more polite than us in language … but for my American friends and in my experience it’s a quite endearing quality, and they love our sense of humour and they enjoy joining in as well.”

Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall at the 2023 Logie Awards. Picture: Channel 7

Hara says it was a genuine pleasure to return for the second season of Colin From Accounts, which he describes as “best set I’ve ever worked on in my professional career”. Although he acknowledges that the success of the first season brought with it a weight of expectation for Brammall and Dyer (who both won Logies, as did the show), it didn’t filter through to the cast and crew.

“Pat and Harri are just so all-encompassing with cast and crew,” he says. “They’re so genuine and kind and fun. It’s always the best joke wins, and the ensemble is just a beautiful group of artists.

“You’re constantly in stitches, trying not to go up during takes, and I will say we probably have to do a couple of extra takes because there are so many laughs. It’s really great when you’re doing a scene and you see the camera shaking. It might not be the best visually, but you know that you’re getting some giggles from behind the camera as well.”

Tai Hara is back for Colin From Accounts Season Two.

Hara’s character, also a doctor, returns in this week’s episode, and while he’s cagey on details, he says “there’s a little bit more fire there”.

“They are still working together at the hospital, and in this season I got to do some really fun scenes with Pat as well,” he says. “So there’s some juicy scenes to be had and that’s probably as much as I can give away.”

Hara says Colin has given him a taste for comedy, one of his favourite genres, and hopes the exposure will bring more opportunities his way. In the meantime, he’s filming Return To Paradise, the Australia spin-off to the long-running and much-loved UK crime-comedy-drama hit Death In Paradise, which has been an ABC staple for 13 seasons and now also streams on Binge.

“It’s just a real pleasure and a privilege to be part of the first Aussie cast, and we have a female detective, which is brand new as well,” he says. “Anna Samson is absolutely incredible, and our ensemble cast is just filled with brilliant Australian actors too – Catherine McClements, Celia Ireland, Anna McGrath. Lloyd Griffith is a Brit who’s in there with us too. It’s just a huge highlight of my career getting to work with really beautiful generous artists.”

Hara knows that some of his appeal for the British viewers of Return To Paradise is his three-year stint as Andy Barrett on Home and Away – and he’s totally fine with it. Even eight years after leaving, he’s still connected with his Summer Bay castmates – some of whom he bumped into on the Logies red carpet when he was there with the Colin crew – and says he’d even be open to returning to the long-running soap if the timing was right.

Tai Hara and some of the “beautiful group of artists” in Colin From Accounts.

“You’d think by now people would have forgotten about old Andy Barrett, but he tends to still pop up,” Hara says with a laugh. “I think Home and Away will always be a part of me and for different people just in the same way it was for us as kids. You remember people fondly from your time on there. There’s definitely still Andy floating around and hopefully, yes, some of those people that remember me from Home and Away get on board for Return To Paradise.”

Hara says he still has ambitions to work overseas, but as a father of two with singer-dancer wife Fely Irvine – a former member of Hi-5 – he is adamant that “family always comes first”.

“It would have to be the right project for not just myself, but also Fely and the kids,” he says. “Fely is a phenomenal artist in her own right, so I think it’s always a bit of an open book to where you’re going to land when you’re family of creatives, but hopefully it’s an exciting journey for all of us and the kids get to come on that too.

“I think everyone speaks about it before you become a father but until you actually become a parent you can never quite understand the perspective and the priorities that it gives you. I think it’s just the most beautiful, fulfilling thing and it’s definitely enlightened and enriched both mine and Fel’s lives.”

Colin From Accounts is now streaming on Binge, available on Hubbl, with new episodes every Thursday

Originally published as Tai Hara credits uniquely Australian sense of humour for success of Colin From Accounts