Lukas Radovich shot to fame as Ryder Jackson on Home and Away, working closely with acting legends Ray Meagher (Alf Stewart) and Georgie Parker (Roo Stewart) from 2017 to 2022. The star, now 28, played Alf’s rebellious long-lost grandson who was caught stealing from Hunter King and VJ Patterson.
Fans were disappointed when he quit the soap in 2022, with his exit followed by multiple cast members including Courtney Miller (Bella Nixon), Sam Frost (Jasmine Delaney) and Harley Bonner (Logan Bennett). The star is grateful for his time spent in Summer Bay, affectionately calling it his “home” for five years. However, he admits to Yahoo Lifestyle that his first day didn’t exactly go to plan.
Introduced as a ‘bad boy’, Lukas remembers having to film a high-intensity scene as soon as he stepped on set. After he was spotted stealing, he was chased across Palm Beach by actors Scott Lee (Hunter King) and Matt Little (VJ Patterson).
Unfortunately, when Scott pulled Lukas’ jacket to stop him from getting away, he ended up with a nasty injury.
“I was very nervous…when I was running, Scott grabbed my jacket and as I turned his finger got caught in my denim jacket and I dislocated his finger,” he says sheepishly. “So that was my first day on set, [spent] filling out incident report forms.”
The star adds that he thought he had “completely bombed” on his first day, but Scott was “lovely” about it, and the pair have developed a close friendship.
Working with Aussie icon Ray Meagher: ‘Took me under his wing’
Lukas can’t speak highly enough of both Ray Meagher and Georgie Parker, both stalwarts in the acting industry. Ray, 78, has been on Home and Away since the first episode in 1988, and Georgie. 58, joined in 2010 after working on All Saints and A Country Practice.
As the trio are an onscreen family, they grew close and helped support Lukas while he found his footing as a new actor.
“Working with Ray was incredible. I definitely felt like he took me under his wing and showed me the ropes,” he recalls. “If he knew that I needed help, he was there to help me. And he’s just a laugh. He keeps the set fun and exciting, and he’s a wealth of knowledge as well.”
With Ray and Georgie’s combined years of experience, the star remembers being captivated by their stories, saying that it was ‘one of the most awesome parts’ of the job.
Georgie is currently starring in Ensemble Theatre’s Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica, which Lukas is planning to see soon, and he says that joining her on stage in the future would be a ‘peak’ in his career.
“I would love to get on stage with Georgie, that would be phenomenal,” he tells us. “I’d love to work with her in just a different capacity. Especially with theatre, it’s a very different experience because it’s very insular.”
“It’d be a very different experience, but I think it’d be a really rewarding one.”
Lukas’ big career move: ‘Very busy’
Since departing the soap, Lukas has been working on a number of different projects. Dabbling in behind-the-scenes work, he produced a web series, a short film and directed Penelope Pettigrew’s music video BiConic.
He hasn’t lost his passion for acting though, and fans will be able to see him on stage in All His Beloved Children at the Kings Cross Theatre in May.
