australian television information archive

Nudity is fine with me

EXPECT to see a lot more of Anna Hutchison, the cute Kiwi shining in her Underbelly role from tomorrow night — mostly in the nude.

Playing Terry Clark's (Matt Newton) demure girlfriend Allison Dine, Hutchison says she wasn't concerned by the prolonged nudity attached to the part.

"The role called for nudity, so you just do it — I'm a professional," Hutchison told Insider.

If the part of Roberta Williams in the original Underbelly propelled KatStewart's career, Insider predicts Dine to do the same for Hutchison.

Last week, the 23-year-old embraced the adage the show must go on, returning to the set on Thursday after having her appendix removed just days earlier.

"I'm a little sore, but Mum's been here looking after me, as has Jason" — Jason being Hutchison's boyfriend, Jason Smith, best remembered as Home And Away's Robbie.

The pair met while playing Power Rangers in New Zealand a couple of years ago.

"We met while saving the world — how cool is that? He's been a great nurse to me this week."

Hutchison, well-known across the pond for her two-and-a-half-year turn in Kiwi soap Shortland Street, said she would pursue future work in Australia.

"I'm going through a bit of an unemployment time at the moment. It's a strange life being an actor. But I'll just start doing some auditions and see what comes from them."

Still on Underbelly, an omission in the program's closing credits is rumoured to have upset Clive Small and Tom Gilling, authors of Smack Express.

The pair's novel, released last week, was used as the primary information source for the series, but receives no recognition in Underbelly's credits.

A source said Gilling and Small are quietly fuming over the incident.

By Richard Clune
February 15, 2009
The Sunday Telegraph