TV Soap, Vol 4 No2 (February 1998)

Nadine's Raw Talent

Nadine Garner has grown up on TV. Bursting onto the small screen on the Henderson Kids way back in 1984 as a 13 year-old, she starred as an orphaned twin, alongside the likes of Paul Hill, Alex Papps and one pre-Neighbours Kylie Minogue.

"I enjoyed it, like anybody, it was just one part of my life that I look back on, " she says.

All these years and an AFI award later, it's a very different Nadine, all grown up at 26, whose appearing on the cutting-edge ABC drama series RAW FM. She stars as Zelda Lee, a blind radio DJ whose first passion is music, and lots of it.

"I guess what I have in common with Zelda, is that I love listening to radio. I listen to a lot of ABC radio, and I love listening to Triple J, but commercial radio bores me to tears. I love radio, and I think that people thought it would become redundant, but it's more popular now than ever."

The most challenging aspect of playing Zelda for Nadine was the prospect of playing a blind person. "Trying to move from Point A to Point B takes a lot of concentration. You have to be constantly mindful of not using all the basic instinctive responses you would use as a seeing person." Nadine considers herself the "veteran" of the cast and says the enthusiasm of the younger cast members rubbed off on her.

"I enjoyed being around the young people, they were fantastic, wonderful people. Really talented and clever and just great to be around and there are lots of different kids, lots of Asian kids, lots of Greek and Italian kids. It's a great mix and very groovy."

Nadine is taking on the Bard in a production of the Taming of the Shrew, and has no immediate plans for any more TV. "I'm not interested in working for the sake of money, even though you have to make a living, but I won't do jobs I don't believe in."