Dominique Tillman
TV Soap
11 November 2009

Now happily at the helm of the Hammersley, Ian Stenlake’s fans don’t know how close they came to losing him to a UK soap !! -

These days he’s lighting up the small screen as kind-hearted Sea Patrol captain Mike Flynn, but had the chips fallen differently, Ian Stenlake could easily have been the UK’s hottest soap star right now.

Having kicked off his acting career with a role in the 1997 movie edition of British soap Emmerdale, Stenlake was all ready to pull up stumps in Australia. “It was extraordinary experience”, he said of the time. “I was offered a job on the actual series. I’d even signed what you’d probably call the pre-contract contract.” But thanks to a staffing shuffle on the soap, Stenlake missed the opportunity, thrusting him on a very different path. “I could’ve been a UK soap star,” he laughs before adding, “I hadn’t married Rach (wife Rachael Beck) at that point so who knows what would have happened if I’d gone over there.”

Twelve years on and Emmerdale’s loss has been Australia’s gain, with father-of-two going on to star in TV drama Stingers, as well as several theatre projects and now Sea Patrol. Speaking from Far North Queensland during a break in filming the naval series’ fourth season, Stenlake is full of praise for his latest gig. “I think I’ve got the best job on TV,” he admits.

A large part of Stenlake’s job satisfaction has to do with the action-packed storylines in which his character becomes involved each week. And with the 3rd season of the show out on DVD now, he’s more than happy to reminisce.

“I had a lot of fun, getting to shoot a few people and doing a few stunts. When I really learnt from the 3rd season is how much I love getting off the boat,” he laughs. With the increase in off-boat time, Stenlake took on a number of challenging stunts, with the most notable being a seven-meter jump from the boat to the ocean. Despite having a few practice jumps in the local swimming pool, the actor soon found that nothing could prepare him for the wilds of the ocean.

“I was getting ready to jump when a sea snake swam straight across where I was meant to land. I thought to myself ‘This is going to be fun’”.

This kind of encounter with nature is not a rarity on sea, “the elements are continuously up against us. My body’s starting to tell me I’m not 20 any more,” the 40-year-old actor jokes. “And of course the beer and pizza doesn’t help,” he adds with a laugh, before insisting. “You can’t be fit enough for shows like this.”

With work now underway on season 4, Stenlake promises the action will show no signs of slowing down despite the loss of original cast members Jay Ryan (Spider), Jeremy Lindsay Taylor (Buffer) and Saskia Burmeister (Nav). “It was really sad,” he says of their departure. “We’re a particularly tight group on Sea Patrol. But we’ve got some fabulous new actors who have settled in really well,” he adds.

Given the ongoing chemistry between Stenlake’s Mike and Lisa McCune’s Kate, the question undoubtedly on everyone’s lips is whether the pair finally do something about it. “All I can say is that things happen that we’ve been waiting to happen,” he teases before refusing to be drawn further on the subject.

Speaking of McCune, Stenlake is full of praise for his four-time Gold Logie winning co-star. And having worked alongside her in the musical Guys & Dolls, he’s certainly in a good position to do so.

“Lisa’s like my sister,” he reveals, before adding with a laugh, “I know that’s going to sound weird if we ever resolve our sexual tension”
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“It’s just so great because I know I’m working with someone who’s so brave and is going to give her best to everything she does. I just try to keep up with her,” he laughs.
Although Stenlake’s career kicked off with an international flavor, fans will be happy to hear he’s sticking around for a while yet. “I’m not in a hurry to go (work) overseas,” he admits. “I’m on for series for and even five if we’re that lucky.” Here’s Hoping!

Show Swap
TV WEEK
25 August 2009

With Sea Patrol docked until next season, Kristian Schmid took time to appear in this week’s episode of Packed to the Rafters.

Kristian plays a cerebral palsy-sufferer – and brother of new Rafter’s hunk, Jake (James Stewart).

“I wanted to be sure that I got it as right as I possibly could, so I spent some time at the Spastic Centre and talked to a lot of people with cerebral palsy,” Kristian tells TV Week.

“It’s terrifying taking on a role like this because there’s also the danger of offending people. I’ll be giving the guys at the Spastic Centre a call to make sure that they were happy with what I did.”

Kristian Schmid on Rafters

David Knox
TV Tonight
26 August 2009

There are quite a few stars popping up on different networks at the moment.

Next week we’ll see Kerri-Anne Kennerley’s appearance on Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation.

An hour later Sea Patrol’s Kristian Schmid has a role in Packed to the Rafters, as the brother of Jake (James Stewart).

“I’m playing a character with Cerebral Palsy and he is the brother of Rachel’s boyfriend,” he told TV Tonight. “It brings up a whole lot of ‘how am I going to deal with this?’ subjects.”

“The cast are really friendly, as are the crew, and they make the guest artist feel very welcome, so I’ve been having a ball.

“It’s really got some fantastic writing on it as well, which makes my job a lot easier.”

It airs 8:30pm Tuesday on Seven.

Temporary Rafter

Daily Telegraph
31 August 2009

SEA Patrol’s Kristian Schmid recently returned to civvies to film a six-part guest role for Seven’s Packed To The Rafters from this week (Tuesday, 8.30pm).
Schmid debuts as Jake’s (James Stewart) brother Alex, who suffers from cerebral palsy.

“The function of the character is not just to explore what it’s like to have cerebral palsy but to show how it affects the people around him,” Schmid explains.

“It raises questions for Jess Marais’ character (who is seeing Jake) and how she deals with it.”

While Sea Patrol actors Jay Ryan, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor and Saskia Burmeister have left the series, Schmid confirms that he will set sail on the program’s next voyage, which starts filming in and around Mission Beach this month.

Sunday Telegraph
September 2009

Closer – Vanessa Santer talks about the old days with Kristian Schmid.

Many remember him as Tod from Neighbours, but Kristian Schmid is all grown up and set to join another of TV’s most popular families. He joins the cast of Packed to the Rafters tonight as a guest role.

Q Are you on set at the moment?
No. I’m at the park with my son. We’re having a nice day together. I’m about to start work on Sea Patrol (where he has a recurrent role) in September. We film in far north Queensland. I take my family with me, but we’re in Sydney otherwise.

Q You had such an iconic role on Neighbours. Do you still get recognised as Todd?
It’s a strange one. Yes I do, but also Neighbours was associated at the time with growing up and was a really positive time in life for people. So I get a lot of “did I go to school with you?” or “did you go to this whatever?” Sometimes I say yeah, sometimes I say no, it depends on what sort of mood I’m in.

Q Yours was surely one of the best deaths ever on a soap opera. Was it a good way to gout of Neighbours?
It was very traumatic for many people. Being hit by a van is pretty good – it’d have to be up there.

Q Were you a fan of Packed to the Rafters before scoring the role?
Yeah, I think it’s a great show. I watched the first series and there are very talented people working on the show. To be honest, I’m a big fan of all the new Australian dramas. I think they’ve cast it (Rafters) really well with people who like working with each other, so there’s a bit of magic there and it’s really good writing. It looks at interesting issues without getting too heavy and dark.

Q You play a character with cerebral palsy in Packed. How challenging was that?
Look, it’s interesting because normally you’re just focused on the acting and hitting the right emotional keys, but when you’re playing someone with any sort of disability or physical trait there’s something else to think about. After talking to people with CP, it’s about muscle spasms that you don’t have a lot of control over. I’m generalising, but usually they have to concentrate extremely hard to control any twitches. There are so many things going on you get a similar look of concentration.

Q Why acting?
It changes all the time, but the easy answer is because I can. I truly like telling stories and there’s an element of me that likes to be the centre of attention. And it’s a great that as a male you get to embrace a lot of the emotional side of your like that some others may hide away. I get to play for a living. I don’t consider it work; I really enjoy what I do. When I’m doing 14-hour days that’s something to rejoice in.

1. Why did you audition for the new series of Sea Patrol? When did you find out you’d got the job? What do you hope to gain from this opportunity?

When I was given the opportunity to audition for Sea Patrol, I was very excited at the possibility of working on such a popular Aussie show. I received the news that my audition was successful on my eighteenth birthday, which made the moment all the more special – there was much celebration to be had! I hope that during my time on Sea Patrol I can further develop my acting skills under the guidance of my more experienced fellow cast members. It will be interesting to gain an insight into Navy life that I otherwise wouldn’t have had.

2. You’ll be replacing some much-loved characters. Are you worried about trying to live up to fans [or others] expectations?

The character of Jessica Bird is a new addition to the cast. There hasn’t been a gap girl in the previous seasons of Sea Patrol, so I don’t really feel that my character is a replacement for those that have left the show. She is also much younger than any of the Sea Patrol characters viewers are used to. With that said, I do feel the expectation to live up to the quality of performances that the series has produced so far, but I am determined to do the best that I can! Hopefully, the current fans will appreciate the new character and there will be new fans that will enjoy watching Bird’s journey in the Navy.

3. How does Sea Patrol differ from previous acting jobs you’ve had?

Where do I begin?! Well for a start, I’m living far away from home in sunny far north Queensland, which is entirely different to good old Melbourne. Living independently isn’t as scary as I thought it’d be, but it is still something I am getting used to. I have to say, I’m getting much better in the kitchen! Additionally, we spend several hours a day on patrol boats, which at times, feels like living in an entirely different world. I also had to undergo basic Navy training prior to filming so I could more accurately portray the role of a Navy Seaman. This is also my first acting role involving action scenes and coordinating movement with professional stuntmen. Neighbours and Snake Tales were great acting experiences, but they didn’t require me to do stunts like jumping between moving boats, and fighting terrorists who are trying to abduct me!

4. How are you settling in on set? What are the challenges of joining the cast of an established show?

At first, it seemed a bit daunting, but I feel I have settled in really well. Everyone has a great sense of humour and is so helpful and supportive, which made things a lot easier. Spending every day with the cast and crew, I feel like I am part of the Sea Patrol family already, and I have made some good friendships. The cast and crew are so experienced and professional, and I feel fortunate that I have been given the opportunity to be part of such a major production. It definitely feels like the perfect environment to grow and develop as a young actor. I guess one of the challenges that stands out for me, is getting my head around all of the Navy terms – they abbreviate absolutely everything!

5. Are you able to tell us a little about your character.

Jessica Bird has decided that after finishing her schooling, she wants to join the Navy for some real life experience. I think for a 17 year old, she has a lot of courage and intelligence, and as you will see, a year with the Navy definitely has an impact on her perspective on life. She is contemplating becoming a paramedic or a Navy medic, so if things work out, this ‘gappy’ may join the Navy full-time. She has stories of her own, some comedy, drama, and interesting interactions with the rest of the crew of HMAS Hammersley. At times Jess is naïve, but I think she has a good head on her shoulders. Her journey on the show definitely highlights how challenging it can be for Gap Year students in the Defence Force. Bird represents the younger generation – woo!