Set in the fictional town of Summer Bay, Home and Away is one of the most popular television shows in Australia.
WATCH: Penny McNamee sings with her daughter Neve
It has been a staple of Australian Television since 1988, making it the second longest-running soap opera show in Australia just after Neighbours.
Show creator Alan Bateman has managed to weave a dynamic story full of complex and relatable characters with an ensemble cast that’s been constantly changing for 20 years. One of the most favoured characters in recent memory is the intelligent and successful doctor Tori Morgan, played by Penny McNamee.
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Get To Know The Actress
Penny McNamee is very much aware of the show’s status and what it means to be part of it. She was even quoted claiming that her portrayal of Tori Morgan in Home and Away has always been her “dream job.”
She shares in one of her interviews that, casting “spent about 10 hours, all 24 of us, going in and matching with different brothers to see which grouping worked best and had the most chemistry – which actors could work well as a family.“
Penny has actually been nominated for a Logie Award for Best New Talent for her role in Home and Away. You may have also seen her in her other television appearances including The Pacific, Salems Lot, and Headland.
Fast Facts About Penny McNamee
How Old Is She?
Born on March 17, 1983, Penny is currently 36 years old.
How Tall Is She?
Penny stands at 165cm tall or about 5 foot 5 inches.
Who Is She Married To?
Penny married Matt Tooker in 2009.
Does Penny Have Any Famous Siblings?
Her younger sister, Jessica McNamee is also an actor and she’s actually been in Home and Away before! Back in 2007, she played the guest role of Lisa Duffy.
Does Penny Have Children?
Penny and husband Matt Tooker have two children together.
Where Does She Live?
The actress lived in New York before flying back to Australia.
Who Is Tori Morgan?
For those of you who need a recap, Tori from Home and Away was first introduced to the show back in 2016 alongside her three brothers with whom she is very protective of. She was the first of the Morgan siblings to come to the fictional coastal town of Summer Bay to see if it was a safe place to live for all her brothers.
It’s revealed that her parents were murdered and that the killers are still out to get the rest of the family. This prompted Tori – whose original name was Tessa Lee – and her brothers to change their last names to Morgan.
Tori Morgan’s Love Interests
Of course, Tori from Home and Away has her fair share of love and heartbreak throughout the soap opera. Penny McNamee does an excellent job in navigating her character through several heartbreaks. She has been through three love triangles since the start of the show.
The first time around was with Nate Cooper and Duncan Stewart, played by Kyle Pryor and Benedict Wall respectively. Things ended with Duncan leaving Summer Bay to look for his son, and Nate pursuing the relationship with Tori.
Moving forward, Tori and Nate find themselves in yet another love triangle but the next time around with Riley Hawkins who is portrayed by Ryan O’Kane. She also becomes involved Robbo (played by Jake Ryan) and with Jasmine Delaney (played by Sam Frost) later in the series.
More recent storylines revolve around her and Martin Ashford (played by George Mason) who appeals to her soft and nurturing side. Penny McNamee actually says in one of her interviews that “Every girl has a crush on a bad boy at some stage,” and then further claims that “Tori is scared that she is imagining Ash’s feelings for her. She thinks that he couldn’t possibly like her.” The two inevitably split as Ash left Summer Bay, leaving with one last kiss.
The Mirrored Life Of Tori And Penny
You might already know that Tori Morgan gave birth to a daughter who she and the father, Robbo, named Grace. As the episode ends, Tori was seen losing consciousness just after giving birth. This leaves the audience worrying about Tori’s fate. Will she, or will she not survive?
In reality, Penny McNamee has a lot in common with her character Tori. For one, the two got pregnant around the same time, even with the story being written months ahead. Just as the show teased about Tori’s fate, plenty of fans are aware of the fact that Penny McNamee took maternity leave earlier this year. This hinted that Tori Morgan won’t be around for a couple of episodes.
“Everyone thinks the story was written because I fell pregnant, but I actually found out within a month of it happening to my character,” Penny tells the press about the simultaneous pregnancies of her character and in real life. “It’s been good, and it gave me a real grasp of where Tori was at”.
The actress, 36, recently gave birth to daughter Neve, her second child with husband Matt Tooker who she married in 2009. The two also have a son together, three-year-old named Jack.
In the show, Tori Morgan goes through the strenuous process of IVF to get pregnant the first time around. Funnily enough, Penny went through a similar experience. She tells New Idea about her condition called endometriosis. “I had the surgery, and typically doctors say that you really need to fall pregnant within the first six months after,” she reveals. “That’s your best chance because the endometriosis hasn’t started to grow back yet…We had planned to try for six months and then the next step for us was IVF. So to fall pregnant in the fifth month – we just felt such relief and gratitude. I was a little bit sceptical at first and didn’t want to get my hopes up.”
She lends a voice to the many women who go through the same, claiming that “It was quite a journey to figure out the diagnosis for me, and that’s why I’m so vocal about it.” She also says that she doesn’t “want other women to lose years trying to work out why they can’t conceive. I’d prefer them to know the signs and the symptoms, to hopefully prevent them from going through years of not knowing and the heartache.”
What’s In Store For Penny And Tori?
Caring and nurturing both in real life and on-screen, we can’t wait to see what’s in store for both the actress and her character. We are hoping to see more of Penny McNamee and her character Tori very soon!
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