australian television information archive

Karvan does it her way

Claudia Karvan tackles being a single mother with a difficult family life in her next television series.

CLAUDIA Karvan made a flying visit to Melbourne yesterday to promote her new Foxtel drama series,

The stunning actor plays single mum and newspaper illustrator Frankie Paige, who is trying to come to grips with work, romance and her complex web of a family that includes a young daughter, an ex-partner, an occasionally depressive housemate and a bohemian mother.

Karvan, who juggles acting with caring for her own three-year-old daughter, Audrey, said the series appealed because no other TV shows were presenting modern, complicated families on screen.

“We wanted to talk about those sort of families that are becoming more and more common and you never see on TV—it’s always the perfect nuclear family,” she said.

Producer John Edwards developed the show with Karvan after considering several ideas, including a spin-off hospital drama with Alex and Rex from

The show assembles an incredible cast of acting talent, including Brendan Cowell, Asher Keddie, Max Cullen and Sam Worthington, who has been nominated for a best actor Australian Film Institute award for

As well as playing the lead, Karvan has taken on the role of co-producer. It’s yet another feather in her professional cap—she directed several episodes of

“I had to be a hell of a lot more diplomatic—as an actor you can shoot your mouth off a lot more. You can’t sit around whingeing,” Karvan laughed.

She is about to shoot another instalment of with Rebecca Gibney.

Beyond that, she is developing a feature film as well as taking on a couple of roles in new movies.

Love My Way premieres on Fox 8 on November 22 at 8.30pm.

October 21, 2004
The Herald Sun