Former Neighbours star reveals what the stars are really like
What are the Neighbour stars really like when the cameras stop rolling, and why everyone knew Margot Robbie was destined for Hollywood stardom
Zoe Markos spills the real secrets of life in Erinsborough
Neighbours was more than just a soap – it was a television institution. First airing in 1985 and initially wrapping in 2022, the show was later revived by Amazon before its final cancellation in 2025.
Over its long history, Neighbours launched the careers of global stars like Margot Robbie, Kylie Minogue, Russell Crowe, and Liam Hemsworth.
But what is it actually like to be on the set of Erinsborough?
Zoe Markos first joined Neighbours in 2012 as an extra before eventually landing a speaking role in 2025.
Speaking to JoeFortune, she reflects on the show’s future, shares fun behind-the-scenes secrets that viewers might not know, and reveals the clear signs that Margot Robbie was always destined for stardom.
Tell us about your time on Neighbours?
I first worked on Neighbours as an extra in 2012, initially just for a day, playing a schoolgirl. In 2013, I became a regular extra, appearing every couple of weeks as a worker at Sonya’s nursery, which I did until around 2014 or 2015. After that, I drifted away and went to film school, where I later returned to Neighbours for an internship and got to learn how the production worked behind the scenes. Then, the day before Christmas 2024, my agent finally got through to me after trying repeatedly, and I was offered a speaking role on the show without even auditioning for that specific character. That’s when I ended up playing Louisa Palamountain and filmed my scenes in early 2025.
What was your character like?
They had a competition on the show, I’m pretty sure it was a baking competition, and my character was the one deciding the winner. It was only a couple of lines, but honestly, it felt like a dream come true. I think I’ve manifested being on Neighbours since I was really young. Shows like Neighbours and Home and Away were hugely influential for me growing up.
What made you decide to work on the show back in 2012 and what was the application process like?
With extra work, once you have an agent, you can opt in to be submitted for those roles. Your agent sends your headshot to the casting director, and they decide who will be the extras for a particular episode or filming block. So it’s not really an application process. It’s more that your agent puts you forward and the casting team chooses from there. It was such a great experience.
At the time I was definitely more starstruck because I suddenly found myself on set with actors I’d looked up to for years. I was younger then and everything felt new. Walking around the sets and creating little background characters in my head, even though you’re technically just there to help fill out the scene and make the world feel real. It was an amazing environment to be part of, and I loved just sitting back and watching how everything worked behind the scenes.
Which big stars did you get to work alongside of?
I worked alongside Stefan Dennis, Jackie Woodburne, Alan Fletcher and Ryan Moloney. All the big names. They were all so wonderful and normal. You could just have a chat with them and even when the cameras were setting up for the next shot, they were willing to chat and get to know you.
Did the cast get along?
From my experience doing extra work, I was there quite a lot, so I got to observe them closely. It really felt like a family environment. The cast and crew were very supportive of each other. Sometimes, you’d even see them hanging out around Melbourne when we weren’t filming.
Who was the biggest joker on set?
Scott Major, who played Lucas on Neighbours, was actually my director. He’s very playful and has a great sense of humour, so he keeps things light on set and never takes things too seriously. That really helps create a comfortable environment where you can relax and enjoy what you’re doing. For me, that meant a lot. Even though I only had two lines, getting that opportunity is a big deal for an actor, and it can easily become stressful. But Scott was so welcoming, funny, and encouraging that it took the pressure off. He made it feel okay to just have fun with the role. I think that’s what makes good television, too. When the actors aren’t stressed, and the director isn’t stressed, everyone can relax, be themselves, and just focus on delivering the scene naturally. It makes the whole process feel much easier and more enjoyable.
You worked on the show shortly after Margot Robbie had left her role as Donna Freedman. Did the cast talk about her?
After she left, there was definitely talk on set about how well she was doing and how she had gone on to Hollywood and become such a huge star. From what I remember, it came up in conversations quite a bit. I think I also heard it mentioned in an acting class I was taking with Kym Valentine, who had played Libby Kennedy on the show. She spoke about how incredible it was to see that success, but also that it wasn’t really a surprise to anyone who had worked with her.
People around the set of Neighbours often said the same thing; that Margot’s success was something they had always expected. She was known for working incredibly hard while she was there. She didn’t just show up, do her scenes, and leave. From what people said, she made the effort to understand everything happening on set. She would learn about different roles both in front of the camera and behind the scenes, and she really put the time into improving her craft.
Because of that, people felt her career path made complete sense. She didn’t just spend her time on Neighbours and move on, she used those years to learn as much as she could about the industry. That work ethic is why many people who knew her back then say they expected her to achieve exactly the level of success she has today.
What’s the most surprising thing about the set?
The studio is literally Erinsborough, built to feel like a real town. Walking around, you genuinely feel like you’re in an actual town because of how well it’s been designed. The sets are much smaller than they look on TV. For example, when you’re pretending to make juice or cook something, none of the utensils actually work, but it doesn’t matter because the illusion is perfect. What really blows me away is how much history is packed into those sets. Especially when I was involved on the production side, I got to see props, furniture, and chairs dating back to the 1980s, all carefully preserved. They even have old VHS tapes of episodes that haven’t been digitised yet. It’s incredible. I think most people don’t realise just how much history was made in that studio and on that show. It’s truly remarkable.
How long does filming take?
I would probably say a typical day on set is anywhere from 10 to 16 hours. As an extra, though, a lot of that time is spent just sitting around. I remember some days when I was booked for an eight-hour call but only actually worked about four hours. Sometimes you have to stay just in case, and other times they will let you go home and still pay you for the full eight hours. For actors, a normal day is probably around 10 to 12 hours, maybe a bit more. The crew, of course, start much earlier than the actors, so it is an intense day all around. But it is also so much fun. As an actor, getting that time on set is what keeps you going. Even if you are not constantly booking jobs, just having that taste of being on set is almost addictive.
Are there any weird rules?
Yeah, you can’t actually talk, so you have to mime. For example, if you’re opposite someone or asked to have a conversation on set, you just can’t speak. It’s probably common on all shows, but in party scenes, for instance, they don’t play the music, so you have to dance without it. It can feel a bit awkward. Another thing is that you really have to be very quiet and not make any noise, which is kind of funny when you think about it. Those would probably be some of the little “secrets” about being on set that people don’t usually notice.
How about clothing?
As an extra, it depends on your role. If you are part of the main background, like a work guard or a specific set role, they usually provide your costume. If you are just a regular member of the community in a scene, they might give you clothes or accessories. If not, they will send a brief to your manager or directly to you if you do not have one, explaining what you can and cannot wear. Generally, they avoid patterns like polka dots or anything too busy. They prefer plain clothing with no logos, and you definitely cannot wear anything that could be copyrighted.
How far in advance do you shoot episodes and is that a challenge with the weather?
I think it’s about three months between filming and airing. Seasonally, it’s quite challenging. It was easier for me because I was filming during summer and it was actually hot. But in Melbourne, when you have to pretend it’s summer while it’s winter, it’s so hard because it’s freezing! You just have to adjust, breathe, and try to warm up if you get goosebumps. They often give little warming props for your hands, which helps.
Have you worked on any other shows?
I’ve done a lot of extra work, but Neighbours was actually the first role I booked. I thought I would land a commercial before that, but it’s kind of cool to say that Neighbours was my first role.
What do they think of the show being axed?
I actually sobbed when the initial finale aired in 2022. I thought it was really beautiful, but it was also emotional for me because, at that point, I hadn’t achieved what I’d hoped, which was getting a speaking role on the show. When I did eventually get my speaking part in 2025, I did sense this feeling in the air that things weren’t going well for the show. It was just a sense, I can’t explain it. Then two weeks later, the news broke that it wasn’t coming back. It’s so sad to see the show go. It could have evolved and it did need to. Soap operas can sometimes feel a bit old-fashioned, and fewer people watch free-to-air TV now, but Neighbours was such an institution. It created opportunities at every level, for extras, crew, and actors.
Along with Home and Away, it’s one of the only real platforms in Australia that nurtures actors. Being on a soap gives you steady work and an incredible training ground, as you’re learning scripts quickly, developing characters, and performing under pressure, sometimes with only a couple of days to prepare.
If they think it will return?
I still think it has the legs to come back. Neighbours was actually ahead of the curve when it came to diversity and casting a wider range of people, much more so than shows like Home and Away. That’s one of the things that really set it apart. But if it were to return, it couldn’t come back exactly the way it was over the past decade. It would need to be reshaped and updated to reflect where the world is now. Like any long-running soap, it has to adapt to stay relevant.