rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
Home and Away star Ada Nicodemou is well known in Australia as an actress — but she’s just added a new string to her career bow.
On Wednesday, the beloved TV favourite announced the launch of her first-ever children’s book, called Mia Megastar.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Ada Nicodemou announces major new career move.
Watch Home & Away on Channel 7 and stream it for free on 7plus >>
“I’m very excited to announce my brand new book, Mia Megastar! 📚” she captioned a new Instagram video.
“It’s all about family, food, friendship & fun and is the perfect junior fiction novel for all the young people out there (aimed at 8-year-old girls and above) who want to be megastars ⭐️.
“You can pre-order it now via the link in my bio.”
In the accompanying video, Ada went into a little more detail about the book.
“It’s loosely based on my life growing up and what inspired me to become an actor,” she explained.
“And Mia does this through creating her own drama club with her friends.
“It’s funny, warm, and it’s all about the crazy Greek culture.
“You’re gonna love it!”
Ada’s followers were delighted by her foray into a new area.
“Congratulations, Ada on your very first book!” one fan wrote.
“Amazing — love it and awesome work!” said another.
“Bet it will be a fun story and message — go you!”
“This is awesome!” wrote a third.
A blurb published by Penguin reveals a little bit more about the character of Mia.
“I’m the only kid in my class who lives above a shop. And not just any shop — everyone knows Costa’s is the best place for fresh fruit and pastries and dips and bread,” Mia says.
“Anyway, I wanted to tell you about what happened at school yesterday. Well, not AT school, but on a school trip.
“We saw the play Leaving … and it’s all I can think about.
“The lights, the heavy red velvet curtains, the music, but mostly the sad girl with tears streaming down her face as she waves goodbye to her best friend.
“Our buses pull up at the kerb and the teachers herd us on. And while we’re on our long trip back to Summerdale, I realise something.
“I want to be her. The girl in the play. I want to be up there on the stage with the lights and the curtains and the music.
“I WANT TO BE AN ACTOR.”
Breakthrough moment
Last year, Ada reflected on a breakthrough moment in her own acting career when she appeared in the hit 1999 sci-fi film The Matrix.
Ada was cast in the movie one year before she took up the role of Leah Patterson in Home and Away.
Her character, Dujour, visited Neo (Keanu Reeves) with her boyfriend Choi (Marc Gray) at his apartment to pick illegal software that Neo wrote in his spare time for extra money.
She sported a tattoo of a white rabbit on her left shoulder.
“Throwback to when I had a cameo in #TheMatrix and played the White Rabbit Girl 🐇 🎬,” Ada wrote on Instagram in November.
While some fans remembered Ada from the film, most had no idea.
“That’s so cool!” one fan wrote, while another dropped a shocked-face emoji.
“OMG I love this film franchise, and now you just tell me about this now!” one fan said.
“What a cool experience to have had!”
“From humble beginnings to present day success story. You’ve come a very long way,” noted another.
The Home and Away favourite’s acting career had kicked off five years before The Matrix in 1994, when she was cast as Katerina Ioannou in Heartbreak High.
After roles in Police Rescue and Breakers, she landed The Matrix role, which was filmed in Sydney.
It featured other Australian actors, including Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith and Matthew Doran, who played The Mouse.
For more engaging celebrity content, visit 7Life on Facebook.