Note: The following article discusses sexual assault.
Jacqui Purvis has revealed what it was like acting out a sexual abuse storyline as her character Felicity “Flick” Newman on Home and Away.
Calling it “full on”, Purvis says it was “heartbreaking” having her character go through such a tumultuous time on the popular Australian soap.
The storyline sees her character’s drink spiked on a night out, before she is sexually assaulted and blackmailed into paying her perpetrator money.
“It was a real honour to be able to portray that,” she says.
“It was also a massive pressure at the same time, to do it right and to do it justice.”
The actor recalls being “angry and frustrated” when she found out the alarming statistics about sexual assault during her preparation.
“It’s heartbreaking,” she said.
And she labelled the storyline as “incredibly important” when it comes to reflecting real life.
“It’s rare to see this kind of thing on TV; it’s quite a taboo subject, it’s not talked about, it’s not shown and reflected,” she says.
“For the people that have been through this in real life, it is confronting, but I also think it’s quite refreshing … so they don’t feel alone and so that they can see themselves reflected, and feel seen and heard and understood.”
And Purvis says her powerful portrayal didn’t go unnoticed.
“I have had some really beautiful interactions, and have had people come up to me, told me their story and said I did it justice,” she says.
“That was the most incredible thing to hear because you put so much work into it.”
And when asked if her character will be okay, Purvis said it’s a long road ahead.
“It’s a long road of recovery and then there’s what seems like light at the end of the tunnel, but then Tane asks a question that could change their lives forever,” she reveals.
Outside of acting, and despite not being able to make it over to Perth for Telethon this year, Purvis says she loves the West Coast – and hopes to make it back over soon.
“I actually did a road trip from Freo to Coral Bay and it was the most incredible road trip I’ve ever been on,” she says.
“That coastline is something else.”