Water Rats: articles


Red Hot!

Red hot!

Rebecca Smart and Diarmid Heidenreich step into passionate new territory in Water Rats

Thirteen years after she won the heart of the nation as a little girl in the miniseries The Shiralee, Rebecca Smart has achieved one of her acting goals—a love scene!

In this week's sizzling episode of Water Rats, 25-year-old Rebecca finally gets to steam up the screen in a passionate scene with co-star Diarmid Heidenreich.

"People will wonder what happened to the little girl from The Shiralee," laughs Rebecca, who plays Con Donna Janevski in the Nine Network drama. "But it's about time—I'm sick and tired of being the girl who never gets the guy. I'm glad that Donna is getting some action in her life."

In the dramatic storyline, Donna is taken hostage by a convicted killer. She must use all her wits to stay alive and escape from him.

When she finally arrives home, distressed by her experience, she turns to her co-worker and flatmate Snr Con Matthew Quinn (Diarmid) for comfort… which soon becomes passion!

"Diarmid was so lovely to shoot the scene with," Rebecca says. "It was his first on-camera love scene as well, so we both were in the same boat.

"We've worked together for a years and have known each other for years—he went to the school up the road from mine. The scene was nice, but he's just Diarmid, so it doesn't count!"

The love scene between the two characters was a surprise to Diarmid.

"One moment they're talking, and the next they're in each other's arms and the passion is rising," he says.

"There has been a lot of flirting between Matthew and Donna, but I wasn't sure it would come to this. And when we filmed the scene, it was over before I even knew it!"

Rebecca believes that the love scene marks a dramatic turning point for her desk-bound character.

"I love Water Rats, and it's so nice to have something else to play other than Donna the Desk Chick!" she laughs. "The drama of this episode is great, and I think we're going to see more of what Donna is capable of."

April 2001