Matilda Hunter
Matilda Hunter | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Fictional character |
| Years active | 2004–2008 |
| Known for | Home and Away |
Matilda Hunter is a character from the Australian soap Home and Away, played by Indiana Evans. She made her first appearance on 21 January 2004. Matilda is the daughter of Beth and Jack Hunter, and has siblings named Scott, Kit, Robbie, and Henry. Her departure from the show occurred on 24 July 2008 when she left to pursue university studies.
Casting
While working on Snobs, Evans was invited to audition for the role of Matilda on Home and Away. Upon landing the part, she remarked that although the fast-paced environment was initially daunting, the atmosphere was also quite relaxed. In April 2008, Evans chose not to renew her contract with the producers, which resulted in her exit from the series.
Characterisation
Matilda is depicted as somewhat of a "snobby brat" and occasionally a "drama queen," though not intentionally malicious. She displays anger when her mother begins dating shortly after her father Jack Hunter (Ian Lind) passes away. Once settled in Summer Bay, Matilda experiences several intense crushes, each serving as significant moments of growth for her character.
Kidnap
Matilda forms a friendship with Callan Sherman (Kain O'Keeffe) and starts attending parties, which leads to her hospitalization after being struck by a vehicle. At one event, Callan secretly drugs her drink with a date rape substance, but Ric Dalby (Mark Furze) intervenes. During their altercation, a drugged Matilda leaves and unknowingly enters a stranger’s car. Ric is wrongly suspected of causing her disappearance and joins the search efforts despite being accused by Matilda’s mother of having a negative influence. Matilda wakes up confined in a remote shed by kidnapper Terry Rawlings (Laurence Coy), but she eventually manages to escape and is rescued.
Bulimia
In 2006, Matilda’s storyline tackled bulimia nervosa, illustrating episodes of binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting, which ultimately leads to hospitalization. The writers collaborated with medical professionals and eating disorder specialists to portray the condition accurately. This storyline resulted in increased calls to the Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria’s helpline from young viewers who related to Matilda’s experience.
Experts emphasized the necessity of portraying this issue responsibly to promote seeking help, although some expressed concerns about the relatively swift resolution given the chronic nature of eating disorders. The narrative succeeded in raising public awareness about bulimia as a serious health concern. While there were fears it might unintentionally encourage harmful behavior, overall it was regarded as an important plot that helped normalize the disorder and underscored the importance of support.
Storylines
Matilda arrives alongside her twin brother Henry when they move back in with their mother Beth and soon-to-be stepfather Rhys Sutherland (Michael Beckley). Accustomed to an elite boarding school environment, Matilda initially looks down on Summer Bay and often behaves rudely towards Rhys' children and nephew Max (Sebastian Elmaloglou). After suffering an electric shock caused by her brother Robbie's (Jason Smith) invention that sends her to hospital, Matilda and Henry start deceiving others by pretending she has psychic abilities.
Attempting to catch the attention of the older Kim Hyde (Chris Hemsworth), Matilda even fakes drowning but is rejected after Kim rescues her, leaving her heartbroken. Following Beth and Rhys’ separation, the Hunters exchange houses with Flynn Saunders (Joel McIlroy) and Sally Fletcher (Kate Ritchie). Matilda mistakenly believes Kim has romantic feelings for her until realizing he is interested in her elder sister Kit (Amy Mizzi).
She becomes friends with Ric Dalby, who previously bullied Henry, and tries to start a relationship with him but is turned down as Ric begins dating Cassie Turner (Sharni Vinson). Feeling hurt, Matilda sneaks out to attend wild parties, culminating in an incident where Callan Sherman nearly sexually assaults her.
When the Holden family moves next door, Matilda develops a friendship with their youngest son Lucas (Rhys Wakefield). They play lead roles in Colleen Smart's (Lyn Collingwood) pantomime and become romantically involved after sharing their first kiss during the performance. Their relationship ends when their single parents Beth and Tony (Jon Sivewright) begin dating and move in together.
Matilda serves as bridesmaid at Martha MacKenzie's (Jodi Gordon) wedding to Lucas' brother Jack (Paul O'Brien), which is disrupted by an explosion caused by Eve Jacobsen (Emily Perry) that severely injures Matilda with burns. This trauma triggers bulimia linked to body image struggles. After collapsing, she attends a retreat addressing similar issues where she meets and starts dating Dean Silverman (Gary Brun). Lucas becomes suspicious upon discovering Dean embracing his ex-boyfriend Gareth Westwood (Benjamin Ronczka). Matilda is heartbroken upon learning this truth.
In 2007, following Ric's breakup with Cassie, Matilda begins dating him. Despite initial objections from Beth, she supports Ric during his wrongful imprisonment for murder until he is exonerated. After Beth dies in a car accident, Matilda feels abandoned as Kit also leaves Summer Bay. This affects her school performance; she fails her HSC exams and repeats Year 12.
Matilda uncovers Ric’s affair with Viv Anderson (Simone McAullay) and ends their relationship. They briefly reconcile before Matilda accepts a university offer in Perth and departs. Ric follows but discovers Nathan Cunningham (Andrew Lees) in her bed. After an honest conversation, they patch things up before Ric returns to Summer Bay.
Reception
For her portrayal of Matilda, Evans was nominated for "Best Young Actor" at the 2007 Inside Soap Awards. In 2008, she earned nominations in the categories of "Sexiest Female" and "Best Couple," the latter shared with co-star Mark Furze. Additionally, that year, Evans secured the "Queen of Teen" title at the Dolly Teen Choice Awards.