Tane Parata
Tane Parata is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Home and Away, played by Ethan Browne. The character made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 10 February 2020. Tane is Browne's first television acting role after graduating from drama school. The character was introduced as a part of the first Māori family to feature in the show. The family consists of his brother, Ari Parata, his nephew Nikau Parata and his sister-in-law, Gemma Parata. The family arrive in the town of Summer Bay to begin a new life, despite their tragic past. As the show's first Māori family, the actors involved strived to make them an authentic representation of the culture. Tane is characterised as a "cheeky" and "mischievous" man, he is "family-orientated" but often rebels against his brother, Ari. Writers have developed Tane from being a thief to a more responsible character, making him the owner of the local gym and head of the Parata family. Tane passes on his Māori warrior traditions to Nikau via the Taiaha, a traditional fighting staff. Browne and Fox-Reo thoroughly researched the storyline. Browne continued to praise the show throughout his duration for their commitment to providing an authentic portrayal of Māori culture. Episodes also feature the Te reo Māori language, haka's and a Tangihanga for Ari's death.
Tane has been given numerous dramatic storylines in his short tenure; he has survived being nearly beaten to death, poisoned, stalked and two stabbings. He has also been threatened into committing crimes by a drug gang, been held hostage amidst a chemical attack and has even worked with the police to bring down a biker gang. He has romanced both Mackenzie Booth and Ziggy Astoni. He has endured a failed wedding and a failed marriage - both via his relationship with Felicity Newman. Writers developed Tane and Felicity's relationship for nearly three years. They explored their marriage plans and Felicity's reluctance to commit to Tane. They centred the 2022 series finale on their first failed wedding, which was ruined by a car explosion. Their second wedding occurred during Episode 8000 and featured various Māori traditions. Writers portrayed the marriage as problematic due to Felicity's sexual assault and her reluctance to have children with Tane, the latter which caused their final break-up.
In 2024, writers rejuvenated Tane by exploring his need for children. He finds an abandoned baby, Maia, who he attempts to foster. Forbidden from fostering her, Tane steals her from the hospital, which results in him nearly being incarcerated. Writers created a pregnancy storyline with his friend, Harper Matheson and explored Tane's mentorship of Perri Hayes, who he becomes a "father figure" to. Tane has been well received by critics of the genre, partly due to his appearance and "bad boy" persona. He has also been praised as a reformed character, due to his journey to becoming head of the Parata family. His relationship with Felicity was favoured by viewers and some critics. Others noted that Tane received a large number of storylines during his tenure and endured many traumas.
Casting
Browne had just completed his studies at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, when he decided to audition for Home and Away. Browne originally auditioned for the role of Tane's brother, Ari Parata, who is played by Rob Kipa-Williams. Browne received a call back from casting directors who asked him to read for part of Tane instead. He described the experience and securing the role as "surreal". Browne's casting and character details were announced on 29 December 2019. Home and Away marked Browne's first television role. He admitted that his family are fans of Home and Away, saying "Grandma Minna is a massive fan and she couldn't believe I got the job." Browne told Ira Heyder of Gisborne Herald that he could not think of a better way to start his television career than playing a Whānau. Ari was introduced first, at the end of 2019. Ari, Tane and their nephew Nikau Parata, form the serial's first Māori family. Browne, like the other actors introduced, is New Zealand born with a Māori background. Browne auditioned alongside the actors, who began filming the following week. Browne began filming 2 months later because writers introduced Tane into the series last. Holly Byrnes of The Daily Telegraph reported that Tane's character brief was "a saucy one, with notes like 'most likely to be drunk and disorderly' and 'most likely to bring home a different partner every week.'" Browne told a reporter from Who that when he watched his debut episodes, he realised how "nervous and unrelaxed" he looked.Development
Characterisation
Personality and characteristics
Tane is characterised as "cheeky" and a fun-loving guy. Despite having a "mischievous" and "cocky" persona, Tane just wants to take care of his family. Browne described his character as "a mischief maker, the cheeky brother and quite free-spirited." Tane is Ari's youngest brother and a "lovable larrikin". Browne told Tamara Cullen from TV Week that he is "very similar" to Tane; they are both "cheeky" and "family-orientated" but Browne thought Tane was irresponsible. In an interview with Jackie Brygel of New Idea, Browne described Tane as "quite rebellious". He dislikes being told what to do especially by Ari. He added "deep down, he means well. All he wants is the best for his family." He told Kerry Harvey from Stuff that Tane "does all this bad stuff" because he wants to take care of Ari and Gemma. Browne revealed Tane sees Gemma as "more like a mother than a sister" because they are close. Writers placed Tane "about 10 years younger" than Ari and Mikaere, Browne told Johnathon Hughes that Tane watched his siblings "live a life of crime and Tane naturally followed in their footsteps" and "is making good living out of criminal activity". Tane is sometimes portrayed as impolite and Browne believed he has more respect for others than Tane does. Browne mentioned that he added some of his own "cheekiness" and "sarcasm" into Tane's characterisation. Browne told a Who writer that Tane "does put on a bit of a front" because he feels responsible for his brother, Mikaere's death. He added that Tane wants Ari's approval and that's when writers developed his "more sensitive side".The actor told Sarah Ellis that Tane is a "determined young man" who rebels against Ari, but "really kind and loving deep down." Tane displays the stereotypical "tough guy persona" but he is actually a "very broken" character. When he is introduced, writers played Tane "eyeing up potential girlfriends" which "spiced up" scenes. Tane is also one of the show's "hunky" characters, a trait which requires Browne to film topless scenes showing off his body. He told TV Week's Tamara Cullen that it was easy to film such scenes, despite receiving attention from fans during location filming. He was also content because "if I can justify why I have my shirt off, then it's fine." In another interview via Who, Browne defended his scenes again stating that "it's not like I'm trying to show off my guns - they're just there." Browne included more cardio workouts in his fitness regime because of Tane's numerous shirtless scenes.
When the Paratas are introduced, they are portrayed as "bad boys", with Tane being a thief. Browne revealed that he was concerned the Paratas could play into stereotypes of "the brown person who is the criminal". Writers reassured Browne that this was not their intention and they wanted to portray them changing their trajectory and storylining their journey "changing from the bad guy to the good guy". Writers transformed Tane into a more responsible character by making the head of the Parata family in Ari's absence. Browne called it a new direction for the character. He told Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy that Tane is "quietly uncomfortable" but knows it is his duty to be "the pillar for his family". He concluded "I really embraced it. I think it's the natural step for Tane's progression and personal development, and really changes who he is." Browne told Stephen Patterson from Metro that the storyline is "very hard" for Tane, he dislikes being the head but "he must remain strong for the family." He told Stuff's Harvey that Tane "has to man up and become more of a leader in the family."
Māori culture
The collective form the show's first ever Māori family. Aside from their different accents, writers incorporated the difference in their cultural behaviour. Kipa-Williams told Rachel Lucas from What's on TV that "we do things slightly differently and our humour is slightly different. You’ll notice a bit of a different vibe, which I think is nice. Every family brings a new vibe but we’ll be bringing a piece of culture with us." Browne told Maddison Hockey that "we're bringing a whole new culture to the show - something that hasn't really been seen before on an Australian show." All three actors worked with the script writers to make sure the family were authentic. While interviewed by Harvey, Bree Peters who plays Gemma Parata, stated that the actors fought hard to get a true representation of their culture on-screen. She added that authenticity was important because Māori, Pacific Islanders and other minorities would be able to better identify with the characters. Kipa-Williams revealed that one example of their efforts was adding in Māori words into scenes, which directors approved and included in episodes. Browne told Ira Heyder of Gisborne Herald that they were adding "Kiwi humour people back home will connect with." Browne felt at ease working with fellow Māori actors who originated from New Zealand because they understood each other's humour, which helped the authenticity of the characters. This was important to Browne because he wanted the show's New Zealand audience to view the family as authentic. Browne added that they convinced writers to work their own Māori humour into scripts.Producers also employed Scotty and Stacey Morrison to work as Te reo Māori language experts and tikanga advisers for the show. Browne told Pierra Willix of the Kalgoorlie Miner that he felt pressured to get the representation of Māori culture correct. Browne revealed Māori pronunciation was an important aspect of the Parata's inclusion on the show. He educated others on-set to say the names correctly. Browne also revealed that other people struggled to pronounce Tane correctly. Another Māori tradition displayed on-screen is Tane removing his shoes before entering houses. Browne said the ritual was done out of respect and he had become accustomed to it growing-up in New Zealand.
In a February 2022 storyline, writers explored further Māori tradition via the Paratas. Tane is portrayed as a supportive figure to Nikau who fears losing Ari, who has been sent to prison. Tane gifts Nikau a Taiaha, which is a traditional Māori fighting staff and begins training him traditional warrior techniques. Fox-Reo explained that the Taiaha sequence reminds Nikau about the "values" that are "very empowering" with this part of their culture. In another interview he noted the Taiaha "is a way for us Māori to reconnect with our ancestors and ground us." Browne had not practised using a Taiaha before and researched techniques by watching YouTube videos and receiving training from Fox-Reo's cousin who is a Taiaha teacher. Browne also connected with the leader of kapa haka group on Facebook and Browne demonstrated his moves over FaceTime and he received feedback. It took them between fifteen and twenty hours of training to learn the movements. Browne told a reporter from Yahoo Australia that "a lot of it we had to do on our own" and it was "very special" to show the "warrior side of the Māori culture." Browne revealed that the storyline received a positive response from Australian viewers. Browne told Kilkelly that he was "blown away by the reaction" and it was "heart-warming" to know the scenes had a "positive effect" on all cultures.
When Ari was killed, writers included a traditional Māori funeral, called a Tangihanga. A cultural adviser was hired help writers and directors perform a realistic tangi. Browne and Fox-Reo also advised them using their own experiences. Browne offered production one of his dead uncle's songs, which they used in the episode. He recalled that its inclusion was "fitting" and the scenes "felt so real". He also called it a "hard time" because there was "pressure" to make the tangi culturally correct.