Rebecca's date with Downton 'DESTINY BROUGHT US TOGETHER'

The stars of kiwi rom-com Under The Vines aren't faking their special bond!

- Elisabeth Easther

Charlie is a divine human. He’s like my brother from another mother. I’ve brought him home, and he loves the dogs, my husband and my son. He’s like family now and it happened so quickly.”

So says acclaimed Kiwi actress Rebecca Gibney of her Under The Vines co-star Charles Edwards, the dashing British actor famous for his roles on The Crown and Downton Abbey.

When Woman’s Day catches up with these two talents via Zoom, Rebecca, 57, is snug at home in Dunedin, while Charles, 52, is in London, where he’s received rave reviews for his new play Best Of Enemies.

A case of COVID in the cast has put the show on ice – “It’s all over London,” sighs the star – yet Charles is thrilled to be talking about his time spent filming the rom-com Under The Vines, where he and Rebecca play unlikely city slickers who inherit a failing vineyard in Central Otago.

It starts screening on TVNZ 1 on Wednesday, but already it’s been so popular around the world, there’s a second series in the works. “We’re so excited about season two and right now I’m working on scripts, making sure they’re absolutely perfect before we send them to Charlie,” Rebecca smiles.

“I won’t accept anything less than perfect,” Charles jokes. “I’ve made that absolutely clear!”

With a cheeky chortle, Rebecca retorts, “One great thing about being the executive producer is I also get to have a say in the casting. I’m deciding who’ll be Charlie’s love interest and I get to veto them.”