The Art of clean living GRANDDAD'S MY INSPIRATION

The reality star was never a party-hard bachelor thanks to a sobering family history that kept him off the bottle

- Rebekah Hebenton

It’s been six years since Art Green won the hearts of the nation as New Zealand’s first-ever Bachelor. And while some people’s families might have been hesitant about having their lives exposed on reality TV, Art’s family supported him fully – especially his grandpa Roger.

“I said to him, ‘Is there a Bachelor for grandfathers?’ I wish I’d been introduced to that 40 years ago!” Roger heartedly laughs.

It’s a sunny evening in lockdown Auckland when the Weekly speaks to Art and Roger over Zoom, and right from the start, it’s clear how much Roger loves his grandson. Sitting next to him on his desk is a frame filled with old family photos of Art, which he proudly holds up to the camera to show us.

Art – who is married to his Bachelor sweetheart Matilda, and is dad to Milo, two, and Autumn, five months – and Roger have always had a close relationship, but Roger shares it might not have been that way if he hadn’t become sober 43 years ago.

Sheep farmer Roger has packed a lot into his 84 years – he was a Junior All Black and then, during his wild OE in England, he tried his hand at acting, landing a part in the 1970 film Waterloo alongside Orson Welles.

He even auditioned to become the next James Bond, but missed his chance when Sean Connery decided to continue in the role.

But that time of Roger’s life is also marked by his addiction to alcohol, something that took him years to acknowledge.