just tak

George Zhao joins Takaya Honda for a funny, open and vulnerable chat about Ghosts Australia, The Family Law, acting, ego, imposter syndrome, identity, clown doctoring, almost quitting the industry and learning that casting is not a competition.

What we get into:
· George’s Logie nomination for Ghosts Australia
· Meeting Takaya on The Family Law
· Moving from Sydney to Melbourne
· Growing up between New Zealand and Australia
· His first brush with performance through The Lion King auditions
· Dance, school, shame and self-awareness
· Almost training to become an Anglican minister
· Finding acting at drama school
· Early success, ego and The Family Law
· Ghosts Australia and playing Joon
· Anxiety, self-worth and almost quitting acting
· Working as a clown doctor in children’s hospitals
· Disability support, counselling and life outside acting
· Asian actors, comparison and competition
· Why booking the role is not the same as “winning”
· Neighbours auditions, David, Leo and old friendships
· Voting for George at the TV Week Logies

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/c/justtak

Promotion / Links:
Watch George Zhao in Ghosts Australia
https://10.com.au/ghosts-australia

Watch George Zhao in The Family Law
https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/the-family-law

Vote for George Zhao at the TV Week Logies
https://tvweeklogies.com.au/

Find out more about Clown Doctors Australia
https://clowndoctorsaustralia.org.au/

Sponsors:
BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.
https://beautyboat.com/
RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:
If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.
Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.
United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew Backer joins Takaya Honda for a funny, thoughtful and honest chat about Neighbours, Play School, acting, identity, bullying, coming out, casting, resilience and what it really means to bring yourself to the work.

What we get into:
· Playing Logan on Neighbours
· Being labelled “the gay stalker”
· Aaron, David and fan reaction
· Working together on Play School
· School musicals, bullying and finding acting
· Jersey Boys and the eight-show-week grind
· Screen acting, guest roles and finding confidence
· Writing and starring in Die Bully Die
· Homophobic bullying and turning trauma into story
· Coming out and the fear of being a gay actor
· The casting director who saw through the mask
· Play School, Story Salad and improvising for kids
· The F Ward, medical drama and playing a triage nurse
· Emma’s Dance Club and Brady the Trady

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:
/ justtak

Promotion / Links:
Die Bully Die:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28325544/

Follow Matthew Backer:
Instagram: / matthewbacker

Watch Matthew on Play School:
https://iview.abc.net.au/show/play-sc...

Sponsors:
BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.
https://beautyboat.com/
RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:
If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.
Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.
United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.
Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nathan Borg was told more than once that acting probably wasn’t going to happen for him. He didn’t accept that.

In this episode, Nathan talks to Takaya about growing up profoundly deaf, being bullied at school, landing Neighbours during COVID, and becoming the show’s first recurring actor with a cochlear implant.

What we get into:
· Growing up profoundly deaf in Bacchus Marsh
· Meningitis, cochlear implants and learning to hear
· School bullying and discovering drama
· Being told the industry would not accept him
· Meeting Jason Herbison and auditioning for Neighbours
· Joining one of TV’s fastest-paced sets during COVID
· Jackie Woodburne, Annie Jones and Sally-Anne Upton having his back
· Teaching directors basic signs on set
· Playing Curtis Perkins and staying on Ramsay Street for years
· The pressure of becoming an advocate
· Developing Bump Into You, a deaf gay romance series

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:
Patreon.com/justtak

Promotion / Links:
Follow Nathan Borg
https://www.instagram.com/nathan_borg/

Deaf awareness and support
Australia: Deaf Australia
https://www.deafaustralia.org.au/
United Kingdom: RNID
https://rnid.org.uk/

Sponsors:
BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.
https://beautyboat.com/
RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:
If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.
Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.
United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shane Isheev joins Takaya Honda for a proper behind-the-scenes deep dive into the Neighbours writers’ room, life as a script producer, fan backlash, storylines that changed direction, and the wild plots that never made it to air.

What we get into:
· Going from Neighbours superfan to script producer
· How a script department actually works
· NCIS Sydney and the difference between soap and crime drama
· Plotting hundreds of episodes a year
· Actors pushing back on scripts
· David’s final story and whether David and Aaron should have returned
· Fan reaction, criticism and not being able to explain the “why”
· Finn Kelly, amnesia and the joy of ridiculous soap
· The emotional weight of the 2022 finale
· COVID-era storytelling challenges
· Mackenzie’s story and meaningful representation
· The lost Amy Williams twist
· The planned earthquake that never happened

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/justtak

Promotion / Links:
Follow Shane Isheev
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaneisheev/

Watch NCIS: Sydney
Paramount+: https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/ncis-sydney/

Sponsors:
BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.
https://beautyboat.com/

RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:
If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.
Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.
United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Riley Bryant joins Takaya Honda for a funny, thoughtful and emotional chat about Neighbours, school, anxiety, growing up through lockdowns, surviving one of the fastest sets in television and figuring out whether acting is still the life he wants.

What we get into:
· Playing JJ Varga-Murphy on Neighbours
· Meeting Takaya on Surviving Summer and running the Neighbours callback
· Balancing Year 11 and Year 12 with a major TV role
· Riley’s chaotic sporting childhood and the basketball own-goal disaster
· Acting classes, auditions, Coles, Surviving Summer and booking Neighbours
· First-day nerves on Ramsay Street
· Driving into Ramsay Street on his L-plates
· The Felix reveal, James Beaufort and learning by watching himself back
· Riley’s emotional final scene as JJ
· Post-show blues, stability and whether he might step away from acting

just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why?

Support Just Tak on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/justtak

Watch / listen to more Just Tak:
https://www.justtak.com/

Promotion / Links:
Follow Riley Bryant
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rileyjbryant/

Sponsors:
BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order.
https://beautyboat.com/

RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good.

Support:
If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone.
Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000.
United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events).

Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.