Theresa's family surprise 'MY SON WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS!'

Having another actor in the family was never the plan, but the actress concedes it's Zac's time to shine

- Fleur Guthrie

If there's one thing Theresa Healey not-so secretly wished for, it was that her two sons wouldn't become actors. As kids, she refused to let them take drama classes or sign with a talent agent.

But the 58-year-old has recently admitted defeat, with her eldest son Zac destined to follow in his famous mother's footsteps.

He's just finished filming his first independent movie Mysterious Ways and in recent years, shared several scenes with Theresa in local drama Head High.

"She played my school principal and there was this great scene where she got to say to me, 'Put a sock in it, Sam!' I loved that because Mum did not need to act," laughs Zac, 21.

"That first day driving into work with my son, I was going, 'Okay, this is so lovely!"" adds Theresa.

"Zac has always been a performer. At three years old, he'd walk into kindy and sit down on the little round table and then dramatically fall off to make the other kids laugh.

"But I was adamant he wouldn't be an actor. I just know how hard it is. I've had to fight to make a living all of my life and I wanted my boys to have something more secure.

"Being an actor can be so powerless," she continues. "You're told what to do, what to wear, what to say and then you might be told you're not good enough or you're too old. Acting is addictive though and I'll never give it up, but boy, it's a tough profession."

Growing up, Zac says whenever he was asked, "What are you going to do when you leave school?' he'd reply, "Something like what my mum and dad do." His father Steven O'Meagher has enjoyed a successful career as a television producer.

"But they never let me do acting classes," he tells. "Mum put me in dancing lessons though, which I sooo resisted, and then I started to get lead roles in school productions."