After his character’s final exit on Home and Away on Monday night, outspoken actor Rob Kipa Williams said an emotional farewell.
‘Thank you to the fans,’ he wrote on Instagram, ‘for all the love and incredible amounts of messages and support.’
On Channel Seven’s hit soap, Williams’ character Ari died tragically after developing a rare form of cancer.
Ari chose to die on his own terms, surrounded by family and friends, rather than face harsh treatments.
Williams, 31, complimented Home and Away in his greeting to fans, cast, and crew, stating, ‘This famous Ozzie TV show took risks.’
‘It’s an honour to have co-created Maori cultural narratives, and I’ll always be proud of the scenes that made it to the movie,’ says the actor.
Williams shared a video on Instagram earlier this week, which was a walk-through tour of the Home and Away set, with the caption: ‘One more walk down memory lane…’ Tomorrow is going to smack you in the face.’
After making his debut in the season finale in 2019, the New Zealand actor made news last year when he complained about the writing for his character, an ex-con trying to go straight, stating he was “less rough.”
‘Remember when Ari used to dwell on the grumpy side of life?’ Williams commented beside a photo of Ari looking sad at the beach.
‘Ari, I miss you.’ ‘Seriously,’ one fan said, and the actor responded, ‘Me too.’
Williams appears to have made peace with prior conflicts in his farewell speech on Monday night, describing the programme as “pure cooperation” and thanking his character: ‘Thank you, Ariki Wiremu Parata, for everything you’ve taught me.
‘I’m going to miss you,’ she says.
‘Thank you to everyone who makes the wheels turn, including the cast, crew, camera, directors, production, writing, makeup, art department, and everyone else in between.’
