Throng

Weeknights, 7.00pm

Award-winning actress Anna Jullienne returns to screen this week as New Zealand’s much loved Shortland Street character, Maia Jeffries.

Shortly after winning the New Zealand Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2007, Anna took a six month break from the show which tied in with the birth of her character's baby on air.
"Because the show is story lined months and months in advance - you've got to give the producer plenty of warning if you want time off," says Jullienne. "I knew I wanted to do some over seas travelling and luckily for me, it was able to be tied in with the birth of Maia's baby."

After six months touring the world with friends, Anna has mixed feelings about her return to the street.

"I love my job, and I was sad to leave it for a while, but I forgot how much work it is!" says Jullienne. "The first week back in the studio was a real shock to the system; I was used to being somewhat of a lady of leisure and the early starts and long days really brought it home that I was back at work."

With her character Maia's return from the relaxed countryside of rural Thames, comes the latest addition to the Shortland Street cast, baby Jay Jeffries.

"I am naturally SO clucky," Jullienne says. "Since it's not the right time for me to have a baby of my own I was chuffed that my character Maia gets to have one. In fact - I get to work with two babies because Jay is played twin boys. I think that's often the case in TV when a baby character is cast. Because you can't guarantee that a child is going to be keen to play, you've got to have another on standby. The boys I work with are so cute."

Although Jullienne doesn't want to give away too many secrets about what's to come for her character, she does admit that like her own return to Shortland Street, motherhood has proved much more difficult than originally anticipated.

"Despite her desperation to have a child, I don't think Maia was really prepared for how demanding being a solo mother really is," says Jullienne. "It's fair to say that Maia is struggling to cope."