ON August 8, Hailey Pinto plans to be sitting at her family home at Victoria Point watching herself for the first time as a new character in Home and Away.
Hailey, 23, plays Abigail Fowler, a younger sibling to Levi (Tristan Gorey) and Eden (Stephanie Panazzo).
The third of four siblings, Hailey said it was interesting to explore the family dynamic in the show.
“This is my turn to discover what it’s like to be the youngest and to really feel that character,” she said.
“Abigail is very headstrong, energetic, sassy and stubborn. What’s great about her is that she stands up for herself, even if she’s not always right. She also has a lot of her own personal demons, and her siblings are a part of this.”
Hailey said that in order to explore the character, she has done a lot of background research and builds emotion through the use of music.
Growing up in Cleveland and attending Cleveland State primary and high schools, as a member of Cleveland Air Magic she said she always felt that her sport was also like putting on a show.
“It is hard to pick a specific moment, but it was when I gave up doing sports that I started to explore what it would be like to act. It made sense to me and I knew that was what I wanted to do,” she said.
Hailey attended an acting school for two years in Sydney during Covid years.
“The industry was in disarray,” she said.
Her first audition came at the end of 2023 for Home and Away.
“I am so grateful to have this opportunity. The role has the right energy and is a good fit. I just got lucky.”
Filming started for Hailey in March and she said the cast had welcomed her with open arms.
“It has been one of the easiest transitions. Everyone is absolutely lovely and have offered me support. I couldn’t ask for a better situation,” she said.
Hailey will be attending the Oscars for the first time with the Home and Away cast on August 18.
