Yahoo News Exclusive: Home and Away star Kyle Shilling on aftermath of Mali's explosion horror
Home and Away spoilers follow for UK viewers.
Home and Away airs huge scenes for Mali Hudson on UK screens this week as he makes a heroic move in the show's big explosion storyline.
The Summer Bay residents are in for a shock as word spreads that someone connected to Stunning Organics has sent an explosive device to Marilyn Chambers, wanting to silence her after their recent public dispute.
The bomb, hidden away in a Stunning Organics box, ends up in the possession of John Palmer and Roo Stewart this week while they're out on the road together. When Mali finds out, he rushes off to save them – but will he be too late?
Kyle Shilling, who plays Mali, recently chatted exclusively to Digital Spy about the storyline.
How did you feel when you found out that Mali would play such a big role in this story?
"I was so excited. Having the opportunity to work on something like this was great. I couldn't wait when I heard that it was coming up. It shows what I'm capable of as an actor and that's what I was most excited for – to prove that I could do this kind of thing.
"I found out quite a while beforehand that this story was in the works and I kept checking with people to make sure that it was actually happening! It was a lot of fun."
Did you appreciate having that early heads-up?
"I did, because it was a big scene to shoot and I had to be mentally prepared for all this. Mali chases down a car, gets out and then sprints towards the danger zone. It's great to have a fair bit of time to prepare yourself for that.
"You want to do the scene justice. If I'd found out just one week prior, I think I still would have done alright – but having a month-and-a-half to know about it really helped me to execute the scene better."
Mali gets caught up in the explosion. Did you do your own stunt work or did the show use stunt doubles?
"We did have stunt doubles there. The show said, 'Look, if you're not comfortable doing this, we can use the stunt doubles'. I joked, 'Send them home!' (Laughs.)
"I did all of it and it was a lot of fun. They had the stunt doubles there to show me how they'd like it to look, so it was good to have them there for that. But I was capable so we didn't need them for the actual scene."
Why does Mali put himself straight into the danger zone to help John and Roo?
"It's his appreciation to friends and family. He always talks about how important those relationships are. When Mali realises that his close friend John Palmer is in danger, he thinks, 'No, I'm not letting this happen. I have an opportunity to help'.
"Mali doesn't think twice about it. He just gets in his van and gets there as fast as he can, because that's who he is."
Have you enjoyed filming Mali's unlikely friendship with John?
"It's been amazing. It started when Dean and Ziggy left and John Palmer went into this dark world where he felt that nobody respected or appreciated him. I think it was great for Mali to see that, reach out and keep pushing, even when he was turned down so many times.
"I love Shane [Withington, who plays John]. He's a good friend of mine off screen as well, so our scenes in the show are not that much different to what we're like in real life. It's great – I love their relationship and it just gets more fun as time goes on."
Mali ends up injured with a perforated eardrum after the explosion, which has some big consequences for him. Can you tell us more?
"Mali is stubborn. He's faced with this realisation that his ear affects his balance, so his injury could then mean that his surf lessons are affected. Mali can't teach and he can't go in the water, so he's left wondering how he's going to keep the income of his surf shop going.
"We go on this journey with Mali following the bomb. He doesn't want help from anyone and he wants to prove that he can do it himself. It's a stressful time for Mali, but we do see friends step up for him."
After all their ups and downs, do you think Mali and Rose are a good match?
"Yeah, I think they are. It's early days in their relationship and they're still discovering who each other are. It was hard from day one when Mali found out that Rose is a police officer.
"But I think they stick it out and their relationship could be really beautiful. I love working with Kirsty [Marillier] who plays Rose – she's great. I've been filming with her for so long now that it'd be weird to go to work and not have that relationship on screen anymore! I hope they work it out and I think it's capable of being a really nice relationship."
Would you like Mali's family to be more of a permanent fixture?
"Yes, I'd love to see more family come in. Obviously, we've seen Mali's sister Elandra come in, and she will return briefly at some point. The reasoning to it is exciting. I'd love to see more of Mali's family, but there's some exciting stuff coming up…"
What can you tease about Mali's longer-term future?
"Mali has been keeping a secret and all will be revealed!"
We know you have a background in music. Would you say that or acting is your main passion?
"I love music but I feel it's more of an outlet as an art form for me. It allows me to tell my story and share my emotions.
"Ideally I would love to go as far as I can in acting, but with that comes more opportunities in the music world as well. If both could work together, that would be amazing. If I had to give up one for the other, I think I'd stick to acting."
Do you have a firm plan for your career future?
"At the moment I'm really enjoying my time here on Home and Away, but I don't want to just reach one point – I don't want to plateau.
"I want to continue to do better and better, so if there's an opportunity for me to do something on a larger scale at the end of my time on Home and Away, I'd love to do that. I'm going to do whatever I can to get myself there as well.
"When it comes down to a two-year plan, or five-year plan, I don't have one – only because I feel like those things happen when they're meant to. But I will be pushing and pushing in order for that to even be a possibility, for sure."
Mali is the first Indigenous Australian to be a regular character on Home and Away. How does it feel to have that place in the show's history books?
"It's amazing. Growing up, we were never portrayed on TV – let alone mainstream TV. The only time we were, was in things like 'quit smoking' ads or 'alcohol abuse' ads. It sucked to see.
"To be out here now on mainstream TV – on something that's not just viewed in Australia, but overseas as well – is amazing not just for myself but my family, my community and my culture.
"It's just been great to have that opportunity to prove that us Indigenous Australians are just as capable of anything as non-Indigenous Australians. I hold that very close to myself and I'm stoked to have the opportunity."
Check out more of our Home and Away coverage:
- Home and Away to bring in two new characters in mystery story
- 11 huge Home and Away spoilers for next week
- Home and Away reveals Roo Stewart outcome after shock explosion
- Home and Away's Felicity Newman makes positive step in devastating storyline
- Home and Away's Kirby Aramoana and Rose Delaney in major row over explosion
- Home and Away's Andrew Lawrence shares dark fears after rescue
Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5 and 6pm on 5STAR. First-look screenings air at 6.30pm on 5STAR and the show also streams on My5.
Selected classic episodes are available via Prime Video in the UK.
Read more Home and Away spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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