Mortlake brothers rock Ramsay Street

The boys, together with friends Ben Callaghan and Sam Walsh, are part of an indie band William and the Tells which has been renamed Red Cotton for their role in the TV soapie Neighbours.

“You walk in there (on to the set) and there’s Toadie, but he’s Ryan Maloney. They’re just normal people with normal lives,” William said.

“It was a bit of a laugh going to work and seeing Harold, Lou and the Toadfish. They’re all really lovely.”

Their first episode aired last week which William, 22, said the band and some friends watched at a pub in Fitzroy.

The brothers are two of 10 children and grew up on a sheep farm in Mortlake.

“I went to boarding school in Hamilton and then had a year off,” he said.

“I get back home quite frequently. It’s nice to get back.

“I finished my final year at the National Theatre Acting School last year.”

Their roles on the international soap came along by chance when a friend told them Neighbours was looking for a band.

“We were told they’d auditioned 70 bands but none of them could act,” he said. “They got onto us and my brother said ‘William can act’ and six weeks later we had it.”

William said he had done film classes at acting school but nothing prepared him for filming on set. “Nothing really prepares you for four cameras and a large crew,” he said.

“It was quite daunting but I’ve warmed to it.”

His contract with Neighbours is for six months and unless it’s not renewed William is ready for whatever comes along.

“There is so much to do,” he said.

“I’d love to do an Aussie feature film and do our own stories, there’s also the option of music.”