What's your opinion on us, the fans? What's it like going from being a relative stranger to being recognised and mobbed? Question sent in by Amy Tyndall.
Amy Tyndall - hi sweetie! You're lunatics, the lot of you! What do I think of fans? You're all mad! You’re stark raving insane, all of you! [She's definitely joking - Ed.]
I’ve been in the business a really, really long time, so it’s hard to remember being really anonymous. Going to America has been refreshing in that respect, because very few people know me, so I can actually walk down the road and just be really normal, and it doesn't matter if I go out without makeup on.
In Australia it’s virtually impossible. They don’t mob me, but they always recognise me, but they are always really nice and ask how I’m doing and about the various projects I’m in.
Over here - I lived here for a really long time, twenty-seven years I was here, I came when I was nine. I used to go back and forth [between the UK and Australia] a lot. But as soon as I'd done Neighbours and it was shown [here] I was suddenly chased by school kids!
That was the most bizarre time, when fans were running after me and I felt like a popstar. Most of the time the fans are very respectful.
There’s only been two times when it’s been a little bit odd. Both instances happened in America. Once a video camera got popped under the door when I was in a [toilet] stall. I kicked it out of the way and gave chase, but they had gone.
The second time I heard this voice say, ‘Hi, how are you?’ and because of the camera incident I looked down, but then they said, "No, no, I'm up here!" I looked up and they were there, standing on the toilet in the next booth, leaning over the top. They wanted to know if Zhaan went to the loo. I said, "Yes, she does, thank you very much for asking, honey, but tell you what, we'll talk all about it outside." Of course they were gone by the time I came out. I didn’t want to shout or scream or be aggressive any way because if they were doing that then they had no boundaries and they could have a gun. They might say, "Zhaan's dead and you should be too," or something crazy.
All in all, the fans know that I really, really love them and that I'm really normal and that I’m not up my own bum. I'm not one of those actors that thinks she's superior in any way.
