The irony of Rachel Ward and Bryan Brown’s meeting is remarkable, despite the fact that Hollywood celebrities frequently find love while working. While portraying an awkward couple in the obscene miniseries “The Thorn Birds,” they became friends.
Bryan Brown, who plays “Better Man,” and his wife, Rachel Ward, who plays “Twisted,” both have enduringly prosperous film careers. While Ward has been in “Hotel Colonial” and “Fortress,” Brown has starred in movies like “Along Came Polly” and “On the Beach.”
Luke O’Neill and Meggie Cleary’s roles as love interests in the ABC TV miniseries “The Thorn Birds” from the early 1980s will, however, be what they are most remembered for.
The dramatized relationship between an ambitious Catholic priest (Richard Chamberlain), his vivacious ward (Rachel Ward), and the ranch hand Luke (Bryan Brown), with whom she sought refuge, was the focus of the production.
Despite Luke’s more mercenary than romantic intentions, Brown and Ward had incredible chemistry in real life. Ward recounts her initial reaction to seeing him as one of profound recognition. When asked what drew her to her future husband, she pondered, according to DailyMail:
“Little thought has been given to it. I liked him. That was about it, you know.”
The “Blackbeard” actress also made fun of herself for potentially initiating contact. She described Brown as being “slow as a rainy week” and saying that it “took forever” for him to reveal his intentions for her.
Brown attempted to make amends by calling himself a “cunning Aussie bloke” and explaining that he was trying to take his time getting to know her. And while we’ll never be able to be certain who was telling the truth, it is clear that they had an obvious case of love at first sight.
For a man who frequently acknowledged worrying about commitment, Brown quickly realized he had found “the one.” Nine months later, at Cornwell Manor, a magnificent Georgian mansion in Oxfordshire and the location of Ward’s childhood home, they were wed.
Father Ralph’s Chamberlain believed that Ward cherished him. You see, their characters were meant to be romantically involved. The twist, though, was that Brown and Ward were actually falling in love as it happened. Chamberlin reflected: “If I may say so, Rachel was falling for Bryan, but since we’re portraying characters who do, she was shining with love, leading me to believe it was me! It was wonderful. ‘God. I truly like her.”
When Larry King questioned whether the love scenes had required nuanced acting, he recalled his feelings. Because of how drawn his character had been to Ward’s, he revealed how simple it had been.
As Chamberlain reflected: “As Father Ralph in “The Thorn Birds,” I had a lot of fun acting in the love scenes with Rachel Ward because she was such a magnificent creature. And I had a crush on her.”
The Thorn Birds, which debuted in 1983 and quickly rose to popularity, is now considered the second-highest-rated miniseries of all time. With its rebroadcasts decades later, it continues to attract new audiences.
As would be expected, the stars benefited greatly from the numbers, with Brown establishing a lucrative career in Hollywood and Chamberlain securing a new title as the undisputed king of TV series. He made appearances in “Cocktail” and “Gorillas in the Mist” due to his recent surge in fame.
Ward received more negative news from the broadcast than positive. She felt insecure because of the show’s scathing critiques, which severely chastised her for her performance. She spoke candidly about it, according to The Hollywood Reporter:
“I took it to heart when I was annihilated. After that, I never really regained my confidence.”
The Straits, Rake, My Place, Beautiful Kate, “Two Twisted,” and Martha’s New Coat are just a handful of the movies Wade has produced after making the decision to leave front of the camera.
Prior to her role on “The Thorn Birds,” Ward was a UK Vogue cover model, a Golden Globe contender, and one of the top ten most beautiful women in the world.
Ward has something lovely to show for her time on “The Thorn Birds,” despite her career being a failure. She walked away from the show with her spouse, to whom she had been wed for almost 40 years.
Despite having grown up in England, Ward wholeheartedly accepted her husband’s heritage. As a result, they quickly decided they did not want to settle in Hollywood after getting married. They got ready and departed for Australia.
Additionally, because Brown’s job is concentrated in Australia, Ward frequently scheduled her work and household responsibilities around those of her husband. She is still appreciative of her choice in husband and residence looking back. She uttered:
“I would most likely be married three times by now if I had married an American and resided in Hollywood. My family and marriage are very important to me, but they are not everything.”
The couple has successfully reared their three children, Rose, Matilda, and Joseph, despite Brown’s frequent business travel. Ward claimed that Brown was adamant about giving his young children a thick Australian accent.
Since their children have grown, Maltida has continued in her father’s footsteps, co-starring with him in the 2014 short film series “Lessons From The Grave” and the Ward-directed movie “Palm Beach.”
In 2019, Matilda and Scott Gooding welcomed their first child, Zan, making the illustrious pair grandparents for the first time. Scott Gooding was the love of Matilda’s life. Joseph, the son of Brown and Ward, has appeared in the movies “Let’s Talk About” and “Rake.”
Ward adores watching the famous couple continue to live happy, fulfilling lives in “The Land Down Under.” Sydney is a lovely city, and the nation is a really comfortable place to live, even though the locals aren’t too happy with my presence, she remarked of her birthplace.
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