
Former Home and Away actress Kristy Wright has shared a tribute to her late castmate Ben Unwin.
Unwin, who played Jesse McGregor on the long-running Aussie soap, passed away last week aged 41. A NSW police statement released to Yahoo Lifestyle said police responded to a welfare call on August 14 when they found his body. His death is not being treated as suspicious.
Wright posted a heartfelt message on her Instagram account on Wednesday, saying she is “completely lost for words, heartbroken and shattered”.
“In 1992, I met you for the first time and immediately fell into a crazy school girl crush. Watching you sing Tom Jones ‘If I only knew’ in your tight white pants is one of my favorite memories of you and just the first of so many. We were kids with the same dream and pretty quickly we became friends. My crush disappeared but my love for you was just beginning,” the actress known for playing Chloe Richards on Home and Away wrote.
“Years later, we both found ourselves working on that little show Home and Away and our friendship grew deeper. You harassed the writers to create a love story between our characters and when it finally happened we laughed our way through it and were just so happy to have the chance to work so closely with each other. I sit here, with tears, as I look through old photos of us on our magical journey into adulthood.”
The 41-year-old went on to express her regret over losing touch with Unwin, describing the late actor turned solicitor as “one of the kindest, smartest and funniest” people with a “beautiful soul”.
“We haven’t spoken in a few years and I can not express in this moment how sorry I am for that. I can’t believe you’re not looking at the same sky as me right now. I miss you now that I know I will never see you again. I will forever regret not reaching out more.”
“Beautiful Benny, Unners, Dingers… I’m so sorry. I love you. RIP my old friend… see you on the next magical journey. Love, Bubs.”