REDLANDS-raised actor Hailey Pinto is making waves in the Australian television industry, with a Logie Award nomination marking a major milestone in her meteoric rise.
The 24-year-old Cleveland District State High School graduate plays fan-favourite Abigail Fowler on Home and Away and has earned a nomination for the prestigious Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent – just one year after landing her very first acting role.
“I feel all of it – overwhelmed, excited, grateful,” Pinto said.
“It is very exciting and now I just have to be able to walk there in heels.
“That’s what I’m most worried about.”
The Logie Awards will be held on August 3.
Pinto said she never imagined she’d be in this position when she started auditioning.
“This definitely never crossed my mind, that I would get this nomination after my first audition and my first job,” she said.
“It was not in my reach or even a possibility.”
While she now works on-set each week in Sydney, Pinto said her heart remained in the Redlands, where her parents, sisters, niece and nephew still live.
“Home is Redlands for me,” she said.
After graduating from high school, she took a gap year and relocated to Sydney to pursue acting seriously.
She said that while Redlands was a great launching pad, most of her industry training took place outside the area.
“This has been the best education however,” she said of her time on Home and Away.
“So many people on the set have guided me and taken me under their wing.
“I have learned a lot in only one year.”
She credited her on-screen sister and sister-in-law as standout mentors.
“Those women are incredible – amazing powerhouses,” she said.
Pinto said she believed her strength as an actor came from introspection and gut instinct.
“You have to grab onto what people see on the outside and then listen to your gut before taking the first steps,” she said.
As Abigail, Pinto has tackled intense storylines including drug abuse, a high-stakes kidnapping, and going undercover – all while bringing a spark of humour and vulnerability to the character.
“A big part of Abigail’s personality is her craziness and cheekiness, and yet she is so very vulnerable,” Pinto said.
“Abigail has spirit, and she is stubborn – perhaps that’s where I come in.”
Her filming days are varied and unpredictable.
“We often get scripts and schedules last minute, so you must be quick at learning a script. It’s a very fast-moving day.”
Now, with a Logie nomination under her belt, Pinto’s future looks bright – something her Redlands supporters are no doubt celebrating.
