In the course of a morning, Paula Duncan has laughed and cried and laughed again, whirling around the room, talking up a storm. Family, love, career, depression, cancer, divorce and infidelity – nothing is off limits.
“I’m not shy about expressing myself and telling everyone how I feel about life,” the multiple Logie-winning veteran of 17 Aussie series from Number 96 through The Young Doctors, Cop Shop, Prisoner, Home and Away and Neighbours smiles wryly.
“I haven’t done anything different to a lot of my darling friends, but I guess my face is pretty familiar and I do wear my heart on my sleeve!”
At 70, and celebrating half a century in showbusiness, the down-to-earth star is reflective. With two failed marriages behind her – one of them to former Cop Shop heart-throb John Orcsik – Paula has battled episodic depression and survived a long-ago suicide attempt. “I only ever wanted to be married once – ideally, one complete relationship,” she sighs. “It wasn’t able to happen – I don’t know why. My folks were married all their lives and I wanted what they had.” Sadly, she has now abandoned any hope of “ride into the sunset” romance but remains passionate about her family, friends, career, cooking, dogs and charity crusades.
“I’m too emotional, probably too compassionate. Not because I’m a wonderful person, it’s just the way I am,” confides the self-proclaimed “rebel with a cause” who has raised more than $12 million – and counting – to help the sick and disabled.
