Romance is at its most powerful when it’s rooted in reality, and Take My Hand, the latest Aussie flick from Bronte Pictures, nails that perfect blend
Based on the true love story of writer-director John Raftopoulos and his wife, Claire Jensz, this film is set to be a tearjerker for the ages.
We caught up with two of its breakout stars, Meg Fraser and Xavier Molyneux, to chat about their roles, the magic of true stories, and the curveballs of working with horses.
Starring Adam Demos (Michael) and Radha Mitchell (Laura), Take My Hand isn’t just any love story; it’s a cinematic tribute to resilience and true love. Fraser, who steps into the shoes of young Laura, transports us back to 1997, just before Laura’s world is turned upside down.
“We meet her in 1997 on the cusp of adulthood, heading with big plans to move to London. The beginning of the story is really just seeing her in her youth and how vivacious she was so that when we do jump 20 years you can feel that loss and sympathy for someone who really has so much going for them,”
Fraser explains. And then the bombshell: MS. Fraser adds, “My role in that was to show her in her youth, show her on the cusp of all these amazing things so that we see the impact later on.”
Shot against the stunning backdrop of Byron Bay, the opening scenes are a visual feast. Fraser recalls, “Being in that beautiful place, and being present with the location I was in. Obviously, getting used to working with a horse on camera is interesting. I definitely told a fib before I signed on to the project that I was a good horse rider and we had some very quick turnaround into making me look a little bit more natural on a horse, which I think it came off okay. But yeah, I just had the best time.”
And horses? “Gosh, beautiful beasts. Don’t mess with them. You really get a confidence about you, I think it unlocked a new character for me in my head where I was like, oh, cool. Okay, I can be bossy. I can manoeuvre myself through situations that can be scary.”
Working alongside the legendary Radha Mitchell, who plays the older Laura, was another highlight for Fraser. “We only met briefly, but she’s amazing. It felt really cool to play the younger version of someone I admire so much.”
Fraser’s connection with her equine co-star was just as deep. “Honestly, I talk about my horse, Didi, more than I probably should,” she jokes. “She became my scene partner, and I think about her all the time. It was unexpected, bonding with an animal like that, but it added a whole new layer to my performance.”
For Xavier Molyneux, making the leap from reality TV (Big Brother) to his feature film debut was both thrilling and nerve-wracking, and as proof of his talent, he even landed the role of Byron in the current Neighbours reboot during filming. “I’ve only really been an actor since the start of this film. So a lot of imposter syndrome and, you know, very nervous, but excited.” Discussing his role and chemistry with Fraser, he shares, “We didn’t have much time for pre-production, so Meg and I just met for coffee, and we clicked instantly.”
His character, young Michael, represents John Raftopoulos at 17, and Molyneux adds, “My part revolves around that sort of youthful spark between the two at the beginning. And he had a bit of a rough life, you know, losing his mum and managing his family business. And yeah, that all ties into it.”
The film’s nostalgic appeal is something Molyneux found especially compelling. “The film captures the energy of a golden era, of something so beautiful.”
Molyneux also reflects on the pressure of filming a true story. “Because this story meant so much to John and Claire, there was a lot of pressure to get it right and, you know, give them what they asked for. They were very open to us, dissecting their relationship and, and being so open with their characters.
It’s not often that some random person is going to ask you a thousand questions about your younger self, and some bits aren’t as clean as the other bits. So, we got to ask a lot of questions. And with John, you know, his family dynamic was something that he was very open with me about, and I was very grateful because that sort of leans into his sort of stoic behaviours and, you know, his family connections as well as his culture, his Greek culture.
They’re so open with it, it made it a lot easier, but yeah, definitely felt that pressure, but I’m glad. ”
Working on location in Byron Bay and handling the stunning soundtrack were highlights for Molyneux. “With the locations up there in Byron and, you know, not only do they have the locations, they had the weather and, and the horses and yeah, it was just a mixture of all that.”
And horses? “I’m terrified of them to be honest. For me, I, you know, some people have connections with horses and I look at them as something that people shouldn’t be riding because they’re so, so intimidating to myself.”
Meg on the other hand makes it look like she has been riding horses forever.
“Yeah. She really leans into it. She had a great time and I think we had totally polar opposite reactions to the horses. I was like, you can chuck a stunt double on that or do you really want me out there? But Meg was just up there straight away. I was on Big Pam and it was very intimidating. Big Pam was the big white horse that you see me riding. So yeah, they gave me the really big one. “
If your character had to survive a zombie apocalypse, what would their strategy be?
“Young Michael. I think the way he’d get through it would be caring for the people that he loves.
You know, he’s the 1% guy. He cares a lot and he does the 1%. He’s not the guy at the front. He’s doing the 1%. I don’t know about, you know, attacking. I think he’s more of a run and hide and keep everybody safe type of guy. So yeah, run and hide.”
Take My Hand is more than just another film; it’s a beautifully crafted love story with an important message. Molyneux sums it up best: “We see a lot of films coming out these days that are sequels and books and stuff like that, that we have all seen the tropes. This one is a homegrown, true story, and it’s got such an important message of MS. We see the effect of MS through a lot of stages and to get that perspective, which we see in this movie, I think you’ve never seen it done and you’ve never seen that representation before. So not only that, it’s a beautiful love story.”
His work, and his home is very much grounded in happiness “There’s a lot that makes me happy. Family and friends, and no time wasted, and spending quality time with them, wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
Would Fraser dive into another true story? “In a heartbeat,” she says. “I love diving into research, talking to the real people, and using that to fuel my performance. It’s my favourite thing.”
As our chat winds down, Fraser sums up her experience on Take My Hand with two words: “Beautiful beasts.” And with that, the film’s spirit is perfectly captured—wild, majestic, and deeply moving.
If the buzz is anything to go by Take My Hand is set to be a love story for the ages, and we can’t wait to see it light up the big screen.
Take My Hand releases in Australian cinemas August 22.
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