Playing For Keeps' Ethan Panizza: ‘Paula Duncan Is My Showbiz Mum!'

THE RISING STAR HAS WORKED HARD TO LAND THE GIG

- Craig Bennett

Right now Ethan Panizza is one of TV’s hottest young stars, and the Playing For Keeps actor says he’s forever grateful to his mentors – former TV power couple Paula Duncan and John Orcsik.

“They are my ‘showbiz parents’. I call them my second mum and dad, and they treat me like their adopted son. Without John and Paula’s extraordinary support, I doubt I’d be where I am today,” smiles the 28-year-old hunk.

Ethan grew up in Western Australia playing football under the watchful eye of his father Darrell Panizza, a WAFL Hall of Fame legend.

Ethan notes the irony of his first major TV role seeing him pulling on the footy boots as Rusty O’Reilly.

“I love the role, and I’ve made some great friends of co-stars like Jackson Gallagher, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, George Pullar, Annie Maynard, CeCe Peters and Isabella Giovinazzo. Madeleine West is full of energy and Olympia Valance never fails to put a smile on my face.”