IT'S BEEN 25 YEARS SINCE YOU LAST SET FOOT IN RAMSAY STREET. HOW DID THIS ALL COME ABOUT?
I was visiting my family in Melbourne and I wanted to catch up with a couple of my old friends from the show, one of them being Stefan Dennis [who plays Paul Robinson] and the other one being [director] Chris Adshead. So I ended up going out to the studio, which I haven't done for 25 years, and it was just really good fun. So then the suggestion was that maybe I could do something, and so I said, 'Why not?'
WE UNDERSTAND THE REASON FOR YOUR RETURN IS TOP SECRET. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US?
Well, not a lot, because I don't want to spoil it. But I'm pretty pleased because it completes the circle for me. [Returning to Jim] came fairly naturally. I watched a couple of old episodes, and hello, there we are! He was a nice chap, you know, unlike a lot of the characters I play nowadays.
DID YOU ENJOY PLAYING A SLIGHTLY LESS VILLAINOUS PART, THEN?
No, it's harder being a nice guy. How do you stay interesting? If you're the bad guy, it's always interesting, so it makes it a lot easier to work.
YOU SAID JIM'S HOMECOMING 'COMPLETES THE CIRCLE' FOR YOU. CAN YOU ELABORATE?
Well there had been a bit of bitterness at the end [Dale left Neighbours in 1993, following a dispute with producers regarding pay], so it was really nice to be able to do this. Neighbours was very kind to me in a lot of ways; I was able to bring up my two oldest sons while I was working, which most actors can't. I mean at the moment, if I didn't have my wife with me, and I have the two current sons I've got (I keep breeding!), it would be impossible. At the moment I'm in LA with my family, but I work in Atlanta most of the time, and then other jobs take me all over the place.
DID THE WAY IN WHICH YOU LEFT THE SOAP TARNISH YOUR EXPERIENCE?
It did for many years. But my trip to the set, back in March/April, was sort of cathartic. I got there and it dawned on me that it had been a real blessing for me. So although I was right about the things I was upset about, the point was that I had this wonderful job that lasted all those years and I could get my boys through school and be there for them. It was wonderful.
HAVE YOU KEPT UP WITH RAMSAY STREET'S GOINGS-ON SINCE?
Not even slightly, no. Because it's not shown here in the US, I don't get to see it. But along the way there has been some big stars to come out of it, apparently, and I've met one or two of them and they look at me blankly as if I'm a piece of wood. They had no idea who I was, and when I tried to say, 'Oh, I was in that show' they look away, not interested.
AND WILL JIM'S RETURN BE LIMITED TO JUST ONE EPISODE?
I can't tell you anything because apart from anything else, I don't actually know. Depending on what the reaction is, there was some talk of me coming back - after the end of the season that I'm working on now, on Dynasty. If the fans like it, we'll see.
:: Alan Dale's return to Neighbours will air on Channel 5 on Christmas Day at 10.15am, and repeats at 6.05pm.
