“From a young age, I could lie like a chop in gravy. I loved the thrill of crafting a story. It wasn’t until my twenties that I made the connection that lying is a lot like acting.”
For almost 30 years, Lynne McGranger has been entertaining TV viewers all around the world. As a veteran on the popular soap Home and Away, her much-loved character Irene Roberts has long been a font of wisdom, good humour, and unforgettable lines. She is the second-longest serving cast member after Ray Meagher. She joined the series in 1993, taking over from actress Jacquy Phillips who originally portrayed the character of Irene from 1991 to 1992. As of 2021, McGranger is the longest-serving female cast member of a television soap opera in Australia after playing the role for over 28 years.
But McGranger’s story goes far beyond Summer Bay. From an Aussie childhood full of fad diets (tuna, milk and oranges, anyone?) to the relationship heartaches, career disasters and difficult choices that would change her life forever. But then Lynne landed a ‘guest role’ on Home and Away that’s lasted twenty-nine years and counting…
Acting Up: Me, Myself & Irene opens with McGranger stating, “If you picked up this book and just realised that my name is actually Lynne McGranger, not Irene Roberts, you’re not alone.” It’s this type of self-deprecating humour and pragmatic approach to her own celebrity that makes McGranger so likeable. “Perhaps you’ve just seen my mug as you flicked through the channels on the telly.”
The fact is, most Australians at least recognise McGranger, while many know her well – or think they do – due to her longstanding role on Home & Away. The role aside, it’s a phenomenal and rare achievement to be a working actor, non-stop for nearly three decades.
Being a successful working actor is one thing – it turns out McGranger can also write. Her memoir reads as if you’re listening to an exceptional raconteur rattle off anecdotes and tales. She covers her life, from her childhood where her capacity to tell tales was evident early on, to teacher’s college in Wagga Wagga, motherhood and more. But it’s when she becomes a Summer Bay local that this story really hits its stride. She’s careful not to give away any sordid secrets (although she insinuates there are some) but instead shares fascinating insights into what life is like working on the soap. The section on continuity between scenes that are shot out of order is fascinating and funny.
Acting Up: Me, Myself & Irene is a warm, hilarious, and intimate look inside the life of one of Australia’s living TV legends. It’s entertaining, effortless storytelling, from a very nice woman who deserves the success she’s had.
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