Look out Summer Bay – there’s a fresh new face in town! Smart, no nonsense and a little bit bohemian, the character of 15-year-old Ruby Buckton, is Charlie’s sister. She's no sheltered little girl – the independent Ruby is very much her own person. And the young actress playing Ruby, talented Rebecca Breeds, is clearly stoked to be part of the Home and Away alumni.

I was interested to find out what triggered her passion for acting, and she gives the credit to her brothers. "I had two loud older brothers (Benjamin and Matthew) and I had to get noticed." She laughs "I have memories of Dad with the family video recorder and me just doing anything to get attention. I always wanted Mum and Dad’s attention, so I think that started it, I learnt to perform at a very young age. Then I clearly remember in Year 3 at the age of nine deciding that I wanted to be an actress, so the beast was born!"

Rebecca’s parents fully supported her choice, with Mum taking her to acting classes and Dad even joining a drama group himself so that she could go along. Now he is the leader of the Chrysalis drama group and loves it.

With a scholarship to St Andrews Cathedral school, Rebecca followed her passion for music and singing, but it wasn’t until a fellow student suggested that she put herself up for Drama Captain that everything really fell into place. “It was brilliant, it taught me so much about organising and delegating” she said enthusiastically. “With the music captain, we made a St Andrews Cathedral School Idol, and it was full of all kinds of performances. We went through all the auditions and the voting processes, and when the night came it felt like we had given birth to a child, it was that epic!!”

Music was in her blood at a very young age too. “My Dad got me onto piano when I was a very little girl, but I hated it and quit, until I was 14 then I self-taught from then on.”

“I was always the girl singing in class with people going ‘Bec shut-up’ and ‘do you ever stop making a noise’, and no I don’t.” she grinned.

With mixed bag of music tastes from Jazz, Hip Hop, girly ballards and bands like Coldplay, it’s hard to imagine what style would suit this young talent, but she feels she has a hint of Missy Higgins, Delta Goodrem and Brook Fraser, with her own added flavours.

You might recognise Rebecca from her role on the teenage drama Blue Water High playing the role of Cassie. You may also recognise her love interest Pat in Home and Away, who also stars in BWH.

Whilst she was filming a scene for BWH, she got ‘The Call’ from Home and Away to confirm the role of Ruby Buckton was hers. “I was in the middle of a scene and I saw I had a missed call, then could hardly wipe the smile of my face for the second take. I was with Cariba (who plays Bridget, and is also in H2O) and we just screamed.”

“When I read Ruby’s character breakdown I loved her straight away, so I’m excited to explore her. She pushes boundaries where I wouldn’t and she has a lot of fun. She thinks she is so mature, but she’s really young and innocent. She has a good heart and she loves her family.”

With her new on screen family, Rebecca says she formed a bond with Esther (who plays Charlie) very quickly. “I don’t have a sister and so it was great to start this journey together.” Even her on screen Dad is very protective and says he doesn’t know how he got such beautiful daughters, giving the fictional mother the credit for the good genes.

Learning all the new scripts isn’t a problem, Rebecca practises with her flatmates Cariba and Kaine (also from BWH), in their Collaroy home on the Northern Beaches.

And whilst Home and Away is hard work it won’t stop Rebecca from doing more acting courses and continuously planning her future, which includes wanting to go to L.A., the U.K, recording an album and one day getting married. She has even chosen the name for her first born son..Jacob.

When she does manage to get home to see her parents, she is also greeted by her dwarf rabbit Sooty. “She's like a dog and will run to you and stand up on her hind legs until you pat her.” She laughed. And to really relax, Rebecca goes into the National Park that backs onto her parents house and sits on a rock. She takes a deep breath and says “My soul just feeds on nature”, and then we start talking about a love of the bush, walks up to Long Reef Headland and seeing whales. All too soon the intercom cracks into life and Rebecca is called to do her next scene.

You will enjoy watching her on Home and Away, she is certainly a breath of fresh air. If you want to see some more of her work, check out the Blue Water High website and her role as Leah Hopkins in the new feature film Newcastle. We will have more details nearer the release date in October and will be giving away some double passes for the movie so stay tuned.

Interview by Tania Seager