Shocking: Home And Away actor River Boy was arrested for illegal drug use. What is the truth behind it?

YouTubeWhen Patrick O’Connor found out he was to play Dean Thompson, the new leader of Summer Bay’s River Boys, he knew he had big shoes to fill.

It was the role that propelled Steve Peacocke – who played the original gang leader Darryl Braxton – to international success in films such as Me Before You and cemented Peacocke’s position as one of the long-running drama’s most loved characters.

“Before I went on air there was a bit of heat about Brax is pretty much God in Home And Away and you can’t knock that too much,” says O’Connor, who admits his first acting job out of drama school came with high expectations from fans.

“I think when people heard the River Boys were coming back there was a bit of, ‘You can’t replace Brax’, but I think the goal is to try to make it different but to keep the essence there.

” READ MORE:  * Home And Away teen rebel returns as a man with a heartbreaking story * Emily Symons clocks 30 years on Home And Away * Home And Away star meets future husband on set Following his debut in January last year, it quickly became apparent that O’Connor was on track to become as big a fan favourite as Peacocke and he sees his success as auguring well for his acting future.

“The bad boys on Home And Away seem to go all right with their lives after the show,” he says in a nod to Peacocke and the actors who played his brothers – Heath (Dan Ewing), Casey (Lincoln Younes) and Kyle (Nic Westaway) – on the series.

Since being dragged to the Bay by Ash (Kiwi George Mason) to join the hunt for Robbo (Jake Ryan) in the wake of the death of Constable Kat Chapman (Pia Miller), Dean has bounced from one crisis to the next.

“It’s an exciting life to play, being a River Boy – the storylines are always exciting and generally pretty interesting,” O’Connor says.

“I love them.” However, the character has a harrowing backstory. His mother Karen (Georgia Adamson) has mental health issues and is an alcoholic while it has been revealed his hither-to-unknown father, Rick (Mark Lee), is a former AFL star who pays him to stay out of his life.

As a result, he considers River Boy-turned-cop Colby Thorne (Tim Franklin) and one-time girlfriend Willow Harris (Sarah Roberts) his family.  O’Connor says Dean’s upbringing was the polar opposite of his own. “I have been pretty fortunate in how I grew up,” he says.

“My parents are still together, and I love them more than I can say, and they encouraged me to do whatever I wanted when I was growing up.

“It was difficult (to play) Dean because I had absolutely no idea what it’s like to have a parent with a mental illness and I know my dad. He didn’t leave me when I was really young.

“I spoke to a couple of my mates who only had one parent, or whose parents were divorced when they were growing up, and they always spoke about how at times it could really be lonely and there were moments when you really had to back yourself.

“You’ve got to tell yourself that you’re going to get through the next day and it’s going to be fine,

YouTubeWhen Patrick O’Connor found out he was to play Dean Thompson, the new leader of Summer Bay’s River Boys, he knew he had big shoes to fill.

It was the role that propelled Steve Peacocke – who played the original gang leader Darryl Braxton – to international success in films such as Me Before You and cemented Peacocke’s position as one of the long-running drama’s most loved characters.

“Before I went on air there was a bit of heat about Brax is pretty much God in Home And Away and you can’t knock that too much,” says O’Connor, who admits his first acting job out of drama school came with high expectations from fans.

“I think when people heard the River Boys were coming back there was a bit of, ‘You can’t replace Brax’, but I think the goal is to try to make it different but to keep the essence there.

” READ MORE:  * Home And Away teen rebel returns as a man with a heartbreaking story * Emily Symons clocks 30 years on Home And Away * Home And Away star meets future husband on set Following his debut in January last year, it quickly became apparent that O’Connor was on track to become as big a fan favourite as Peacocke and he sees his success as auguring well for his acting future.

“The bad boys on Home And Away seem to go all right with their lives after the show,” he says in a nod to Peacocke and the actors who played his brothers – Heath (Dan Ewing), Casey (Lincoln Younes) and Kyle (Nic Westaway) – on the series.

Since being dragged to the Bay by Ash (Kiwi George Mason) to join the hunt for Robbo (Jake Ryan) in the wake of the death of Constable Kat Chapman (Pia Miller), Dean has bounced from one crisis to the next.

“It’s an exciting life to play, being a River Boy – the storylines are always exciting and generally pretty interesting,” O’Connor says.

“I love them.” However, the character has a harrowing backstory. His mother Karen (Georgia Adamson) has mental health issues and is an alcoholic while it has been revealed his hither-to-unknown father, Rick (Mark Lee), is a former AFL star who pays him to stay out of his life.

As a result, he considers River Boy-turned-cop Colby Thorne (Tim Franklin) and one-time girlfriend Willow Harris (Sarah Roberts) his family.  O’Connor says Dean’s upbringing was the polar opposite of his own. “I have been pretty fortunate in how I grew up,” he says.

“My parents are still together, and I love them more than I can say, and they encouraged me to do whatever I wanted when I was growing up.

“It was difficult (to play) Dean because I had absolutely no idea what it’s like to have a parent with a mental illness and I know my dad. He didn’t leave me when I was really young.

“I spoke to a couple of my mates who only had one parent, or whose parents were divorced when they were growing up, and they always spoke about how at times it could really be lonely and there were moments when you really had to back yourself.

“You’ve got to tell yourself that you’re going to get through the next day and it’s going to be fine,