Australian actress and model Maddison Brown recently opened up about her journey back home, her experience joining Home and Away, and the personal talismans she keeps close as her life continues to evolve. Speaking ahead of her debut at the prestigious Fashion Awards, Brown reflected on the long, winding path that has shaped her since she first stepped into the industry at just five years old.
Over the years, she has worked across nearly every corner of entertainment—films, television dramas, editorial shoots, ad campaigns, and beauty projects. So, in her mind, it felt only natural that she would eventually find herself involved in a quintessential Australian staple: Home and Away. “Being on the show feels like a rite of passage,” she explained with a laugh. “Everyone who’s anyone back home seems to have been through it at some point.”
Brown officially joined the cast in June, taking on the role of Jo Langham, one of the show’s central new characters. From day one, she was swept straight into the fast-paced world of the production. With roughly 100 scenes filmed every week, the workload was unlike anything she had experienced before. She noted that in the United States—where she played Kirby Anders on Dynasty—a typical shoot involved only 25 to 30 scenes weekly. The contrast was startling, but Brown found comfort in the grounded energy of Australian sets. “There’s such humility,” she said. “No egos, just people who love the work.”
Returning to Australia after more than a decade living between West Hollywood and Atlanta was both emotional and rejuvenating. It wasn’t a move she viewed as final, but rather a choice that aligned with her priorities at this stage of her life. Her family is rooted in Sydney. Her SPF-focused beauty brand Outside Beauty & Skincare, co-run with her sister Allison, is headquartered there as well. And, as she noted fondly, coming back placed her closer to her fiancé, New Zealand actor Simon Mead. “I really was a homesick puppy,” she admitted.
Now, as she settles into this new chapter, Brown feels her world expanding instead of shrinking. When she sat down for the interview, she was in the lavish dining room of The Laverie in London’s Kensington district, sipping tea shortly after attending Pandora’s pre-Fashion Awards luncheon. The following day, she would walk the Fashion Awards red carpet for the first time, wearing an elegant dark, robe-like gown from Amber Keating’s artisanal label Common Hours—and adorned in shimmering lab-grown diamonds from Pandora.
Looking back, Brown expressed gratitude for the extraordinary experiences she has collected so far. “I’ve had an incredible life,” she said. “But I’ve realized that life is long. Just because I’ve worked in one field doesn’t mean that’s all I’m supposed to do forever.” Launching her beauty brand in January 2023 sparked a creative fire in her she hadn’t expected. She fell in love with the process: solving problems, developing ideas, and turning concepts into real products. This new passion has even inspired her to explore producing in the future—contributing to film not only as an actress, but behind the scenes as well.
For now, her focus remains on scaling Outside, which has grown steadily since its launch. The brand is preparing for major expansions, including retail opportunities and multiple new product releases, all firmly anchored in its SPF-centered philosophy. “We’ve grown so much,” Brown said with pride. “Next year is going to be big.”
In addition to her business ventures, Brown recently embraced another milestone: becoming Pandora’s first ambassador for Australia and New Zealand. She fronted the campaign for the brand’s talisman collection—a jewelry line inspired by ancient coins and mythic symbols—shot locally by photographer Manolo Campion. Brown loves the accessibility of the brand, calling it a joy to work with something her friends and colleagues can easily buy and enjoy. She also shared that Pandora has been special to her since she was a teenager, remembering the many charms she collected in her youth. “Pandora has grown so much,” she said. “There really is something for everyone now.”
With new opportunities unfolding across acting, business, and fashion, Maddison Brown stands at the beginning of an exciting chapter—one shaped by homecoming, reinvention, and a future she’s crafting on her own terms.