Thanks for the correction 
Fixed now.
Sad to hear about Orpheus Pledgerās fall from grace with drug abuse and mental health problems, currently in remand. Obviously thoughts go out to the victim (his mother) first and foremost. But hope he eventually gets the help he needs and has a good family and social network around him, as well as psychiatric team.
Used to watch him as a talented child actor 20 years ago on Silversun and The Secret Life of Us, most notably people will remember him for his role between 2016 and 2019 on Home & Away.
2 Likes
Wow, must be very unwell.
1 Like
There seem to be a lot of drug related issues involving Home and Away cast members. Must be an unhealthy work culture there.
1 Like
I dont think drug related issues are confined to Home and Away.
Orpheusās issues dont seem to stem from Home & Away. Seems more a mix of meth and mental health issues.
3 Likes
No but there have been quite a few cases that have been reported in the media and I know for a fact, a lot that havenāt been reported.
1 Like
Again, thatās not confined to home and away. Cocaine and other recreational drugs are widely used in the entertainment industry and society at large. The jokes of large lines in the logies bathroom are not made for no reason.
But meth is a different drug entirely. I donāt think you can link it to Home and Aways workplace culture.
3 Likes
I donāt think itās got anything to do with the work culture of H&A, more to do with the entertainment sector, pressures of being an actor, availability of substances (whether prescription or illegal) and likely other factors.
3 Likes
Orpheus escaped from police custody at Royal Melbourne Hospital this morning, and is now on the run.
1 Like
The judge is not happy.
IMO though, that hospital and Police have let both the court and Orpheus down, given his mental health condition (unbelievably thatās what he was ordered to go in to get an assessment for!) Where were the Police guards? Security? General staff/doctors/nurses? His lawyer claims Orpheus had to and did wait an astonishing 6 hours before evading authorities and fleeing.
Court also released CCTV to media of him nearby thereafter attacking an innocent woman on the footpath. He now has a warrant out for his arrest (of course he was on remand).
Iām not condoning his violent behaviour, nor breaching legalities, or what he originally did to that other woman (of which media are now not naming)ā¦ But heās clearly got demons and a more than likely inextricably linked mental illness or issue, also caused by or exacerbated by previous drug abuse charges.
This whole story is quite sad and now really concerning.
Side note: Cassie Zervos on Seven News tonight pronounced his Christian name as āOrificeā. Whoops.
Yep, this is a very unstable man. Clearly heās not himself or thinking straight. He needs 24 hour supervision.
Hopefully he turns himself in.
1 Like
Orpheus Pledger on Silversun.
1 Like
Probably more suited for another thread
Talking of Orpheusā¦ Itās amazing how a kidās show like āSilversunā had so many rising stars and connections, usually such shows have nobodies and zero connections.
Ryan Corr (a lot: other kids TV, Rafters and Aussie & Hollywood movies); Angus McLaren (other kids TV and Rafters); Thomas Blackburne (Ned Kelly); Cleopatra Coleman (a lot: Neighbours, other Aussie dramas, indie Hollywood movies and Dopesick); Eloise Mignon (City Homicide and Neighbours); Teague Rook (Charlotteās Web and Crackerjack, now a teacher), Yesse Spence (now one of Australiaās most prolific and recognised voice over artists), Michelle Pettigrove (accomplished actress and Frankie J Holdenās wife), Jeremy Stanford (a lot).
Another show of a similar fantasy and high concept from this period was āParallaxā, WA-funded and cast. Except the only names I can think are notable or connected are Igor Sas (known in Perth and had two kids star in the show too), Luke Hewitt (also known locally and nationally narrating Outback Truckers) and Caroline Brazier (married veteran Aussie actor Geoff Morrell but also originally from Wa).
IIRC these also aired on Seven or Nine but were quickly dropped. However were then picked up, continued by and re-run on the ABC.
Yes, that cast had many successful people in the cast. But there are a lot of other childrenās shows that have featured actors who went on to do a lot more acting or producing, directing etc.
1 Like
Interesting as the Daily Mail, ABC and The Age clearly tag him as āHome And Away starā
But Sevenās news headlines conveniently overlook that minor detail, just listing him as āsoap starā
https://x.com/7NewsMelbourne/status/1782991560344510775
https://twitter.com/7NewsMelbourne/status/1782970907797110962
Seven trying to disassociate themselves from another fall from graceā¦? 
EDIT: Seven buried this little detail at the bottom of its article and tried to throw Neighbours (which he last appeared in 13 years ago!) under the bus too 
As well as starring in Home and Away, Pledger also appeared in 26 episodes of Neighbours
3 Likes
BBC News also referred to him as a Home and Away āStarā
On a serious note, how is it that Seven seems to have some of the dodgiest people on their payroll? This guy, Roberts-Smith, OāKeefe, Lehrmann. Like for goodness sake 
Iām sure you can find just as many, if not more, dodgy people at other networks. Iām sure I could list more at the ABC, Nine, Ten or Foxtel.
3 Likes
Not to defend Seven here, cause theyāve had some shockers with the likes of Roberts-Smith and the bungled Lehrmann interview payments, but you canāt really lump OāKeefe and Orpheus into that list when one was sacked after allegations came out and by all accounts the others issues arose after he left Home & Away.
Prior to the initial legal issues, Andrew OāKeefeās contract had ended, and Seven opted not to renew.
1 Like