EXCLUSIVE: Ryan Moloney, the actor who has played a lead character on popular Australian TV soap opera Neighbours for almost 30 years (main picture) says he has made the decision to leave the cast to avoid being typecast.

Moloney told me that he had never expected his character, Jarrod “Toadie” Rebecchi, to become a recurring role for him when he first played him in 1995 aged 15.

“I became better known as ‘Toadie’ than either Jarrod or even Ryan because when I joined the cast of Neighbours my character had a brother Kevin with a nickname ‘Stonefish’ and the script writers gave me ‘Toadfish’ which, as we Aussies always do, was soon shortened,” he explained.

“I never regretted my years as Toadie but it’s time for me to do other things so I don’t become typecast.

“Apart from learning the ropes behind the cameras as a director for Neighbours, I’m very excited by an offer from the Melbourne Theatre Company for a lead role in their upcoming production of the AA Milne classic Toad of Toad Hall although I’m not quite sure exactly what character I’ll be playing,” Moloney said.

“There’s also the opportunity to provide the voice of a lead character in an animated documentary now in development.

“I don’t know too much about it but it’s the story of the problems created by the introduction into Queensland in the 1930s of an invasive species that soon spreads into other parts of the nation.

“I’ll be voicing the lead character, someone called Buffo Marinus, but that’s all I really know so far.”

Moloney told me he was also signed to co-host a new program being developed by SBS TV as a rival to the ABC’s popular Back Roads.

“The new show will see its two co-hosts hitting the road to visit small towns around Australia,” he disclosed.

“While Heather Ewart appears as herself in Back Roads, the SBS version will have me and my co-host play two distinct characters which producers think will be far more entertaining.

“SBS has enlisted well-know chef and judge from My Kitchen Rules, Manu Fieldel, (below) as my co-host but I’m not too sure which character each of us will be playing in the new show The Frog and Toad.

“I’m 44 now so I’m very, very happy with my decision to leave the cast of Neighbours.

“I’ll now have much more time to take on many different and varied roles before I croak,” Moloney told me.

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