Rebecca Gibney – Under The Vines

By starrymag | January 3, 2022

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for “Under The Vines.”

A) “Under The Vines” is a tale about two strangers from opposite sides of the world who inherit a failing vineyard in the Deep South of NZ and despite an instant dislike for each other are forced to work together to try and bring the vineyard back to life or risk losing everything. It’s a fish out of water story with beautiful scenery, colorful, loveable characters and a lot of wine!

 

Q) What was it about the series that drew you to be a part of it?

A) When I first started discussing the idea with the creator Erin White, we talked about all the shows that had a kind of similar bent and one of them that kept coming up was “Northern Exposure,” which was a series I loved from the ‘90s. It was set in a fictional town in Alaska, and I remember loving all of the characters and watching the evolution of the main character as he learned to adapt and fall in love with the town’s residents. It had great heart and humor. We wanted to make an NZ version of “Northern Exposure” with wine! And I have never played a character quite like Daisy before so that was a bonus as well.

 

Q) How was Daisy originally described to you?

A) Daisy was described as a gregarious single and ready-to-mingle-50-something-fashion-forward Sydney socialite who has a penchant for younger men, has never worked a day in her life, is a total commitment-phobe and is just a tad flaky. How could I say no!?

 

Q) What kind of research did you do on wine or running a vineyard prior to filming?

A) Apart from drinking it? I didn’t actually do a lot of research on running a vineyard per se, but we do have a fantastic on-set advisor that has given us a lot of help in terms of getting the scripts absolutely right and Trae [Te Wiki] who plays Tippy has spent a lot of time with real vintners and has learned a lot about the winemaking process.

 

Q) Were you familiar with any of your co-stars before working with them on the show?

A) I had actually worked with a number of the cast on quite a few different projects, so it was lovely to be able to reunite with many of them. Dean O’Gorman was in the second series of our show “Wanted.” Robbie Magasiva and Cohen Holloway and I did a film together Lowdown Dirty Criminals, Matt Whelan was also in “Wanted,” Series 3. Catherine Wilkin and I have worked together a few times and one of my earliest jobs was a miniseries back in the ‘80s with John Bach, who plays Don.

 

Q) What were some of your favorite moments or episodes you filmed?

A) I have a particular fondness for one of the scenes we filmed at the end of the series. It was Charlie [Charles Edwards] and I driving back from the meeting and Marissa (Sarah Peirse) has just given Daisy a dressing down. We were in the car driving down a beautiful treelined road with the mountains in the background and it was the last shot of the day and when we pulled up the director called “cut” and it was all over. I already had a lump in my throat, but then as Charlie and I got out of the car the producer had someone playing “Dancing Queen” by Abba and the whole crew started clapping and hugging as it was all over. There were a lot of tears as we had the most wonderful time filming the series and no one wanted it to be over. I’m so glad we are getting to go back and do it all again for Season 2.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. What kind of fan feedback have you been receiving to the series?

A) It’s been so wonderful as everyone is loving the series. Most of the comments are about how fantastic it is to watch a show with so much hope and joy and love. There is no violence or murder. It’s a funny, warm heart-filled show and I think we all need that at this moment in the world.

 

Q) What do you think it is about “Under the Vines” that will make it a fast fan favorite dramedy?

A) I think the loveable characters as there will be someone everyone can relate to. And it’s the simplicity of the lives of everyone in the town. There is something so wonderful about people who genuinely love where they live, and each other. And it’s funny. The scripts are great. There is kind of old-world optimism and joy, not to mention the stunning locations. What’s NOT to love?!

 

Q) What are the other recent projects you have been busy working on?

A) I went to Melbourne earlier this year to compete on “Celebrity Masterchef,” which was an eye opener to say the least. I’m not really a chef, but my son was desperate for me to do it as it’s the only reality show he watches and it’s now the only reality show I have ever done. It was hard work but incredibly rewarding and I loved every second of it. I’m also currently attached to two other projects that are hopefully shooting in 2022. Plus, I am developing a feature film with my husband and partner in R & R Productions, which I’m very excited about.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and the work you do?

A) I wouldn’t be here without the support of so many people who have followed me over the years and have really supported the shows I have been in. Many of them have grown up with me and have followed my career since the mid ‘80s, so to them I want to say a huge thank you for staying with me. I hope I can continue to provide entertainment for them and many others for many years to come. I want to be the NZ/Australian version of Betty White, if I can be!

 

 

The entire first season is now streaming on Acorn TV