Shortland St star Sara Wiseman on returning to the show: 'I've had to rethink my life'

Sara Wiseman returns as head of surgery Francesca Telford. Photo / Supplied

It has been 10 years since Sara Wiseman ended her run as Dr Jennifer Mason on Shortland Street. So, when she made her grand return to our longest-running soap, she was expecting a warm welcome from her old friends.

But coming back to Ferndale, this time as head of surgery Francesca Telford, during Auckland's level 3 lockdown, Sara was greeted by a very different reality.

"When I first arrived, we all had to be socially distanced both on screen and off. I had to sit in my own individual dressing room and wait to be called to set. It was very isolating," Sara recalls. "But as strange as it was, it felt safe, which is the best possible outcome."

So, like all Aucklanders, the 49-year-old is very happy with the arrival of loosened restrictions as she now finally gets to bond with her new castmates.

"Thanks to Kiwis doing their bit to protect each other and getting vaccinated, we've been able to be more familiar both in terms of the characters and with each other off-set. We still wear our masks, but we can hang out with our mates again, which is such a gift."

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Since arriving in Ferndale to take on the job as surgery boss at Shortland Street Hospital, Sara's character Francesca has had no problem challenging the male-dominated world of medicine.

While the Rake star doesn't specifically seek out roles where she is challenging society's outdated thinking around women, she admits she does relish the opportunity to bring them alive on the screen whenever they come her way.

"It's great to be able to play progressive women that are advocates for women's rights and issues. The more that it is seen in the public eye, the more standard it becomes," says Sara. "There's been a wonderful shift in terms of content, story and characters that seem to be a lot more complex on many levels."

It is also the second time Sara is playing a queer character on the show.

In the past, she has spoken candidly of her bisexuality and says, "Being part of the queer community myself, it's really important that there's visibility and that we're represented."

It's the second time Sara is playing a queer character on the show. Photo / Supplied

For the past 10 years, Sara and her husband, Head High star Craig Hall, 47, have called Sydney home, but when the world went into lockdown at the start of 2020, they dropped everything and returned to New Zealand. Almost two years later, the couple are still here.

They never imagined just how long the pandemic would rage on, but Sara admits the country's closed borders have given them the rare opportunity to spend some quality time together.

"We're very used to working in either different cities or different countries throughout our lives together. So, to have a lockdown together was a bit of a treat," she laughs.

"Living next to the ocean over both lockdowns meant most mornings started with a surf plunge, right through winter too. It did wonders for our mental health and focus for the day ahead. I can't recommend it enough."

While Sara has made the most of her time in New Zealand, appearing in a number of homegrown productions, she admits she's looking forward to heading back across the ditch when she can.

As she looks ahead to the new year, Sara already has some exciting projects in the pipeline. Photo / Supplied

"I feel so grateful to feel so safe in our country considering the state of things around the rest of the world. But once it feels like the borders are safe to deal with again, I'll be going back to Australia.

"Stepping back into my Sydney life, which has been on pause since lockdown, will feel pretty strange, I'm sure. I will miss not being able to see very important people in my life here."

As she looks ahead to the new year, Sara already has some exciting projects in the pipeline, including starring alongside fellow beloved Kiwi actor Rebecca Gibney in the new local series Under the Vines, coming to TVNZ early 2022.

She says the pandemic has made her reflect on what she wants out of her career moving forward.

"Hopefully, I can keep exploring and have the opportunity to expand with challenging roles. With Covid, my priorities have shifted in terms of wanting quality time. Spending time on quality projects with quality people and not sweating the small stuff, really. I want to make the most of it."