‘Wentworth’ star Pamela Rabe talks last season’s emotional scenes

“Wentworth” season 4 has seen Pamela Rabe’s character (Joan “The Freak” Ferguson) stabbing Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack) to death until the latter was seen lying in a pool of her own blood. The lead character has endured a total of 15 stabs and has been confirmed by the show producer to be dead. While eyes are on Ferguson, who will inherit Smith’s post as top dog, Rabe has shared about the challenges of portraying emotional scenes in “Wentworth” season 4.

During the season finale, Ferguson was seen killing Smith, one of the highlights of the season. Another worthy of note is the scene showing Ferguson being assaulted by Juicy Lucy and her fellow inmates in the shower.

Rabe has confessed that doing the violent bashing scene with Joan's inmates was quite a challenge. She attributed it to experience and age that she knew how to protect herself to tell the story well. "I tend to protect myself the same way Joan would protect herself, which is to exit my body, go to another place in your mind, whereas they were being called upon to do things that were really quite violent and brutal, terrible, and I think that takes a toll," Rabe said.

Despite the challenge, the actress felt grateful she had the opportunity to surprise audiences and her co-stars in portraying the role truthfully. “I really relish that,” she told Female First.

Rabe is recognised as one of Australia’s most awarded actresses. Some of her awards include Best Actress in the Stockholm International Film Festival for her 1997 performance in “The Well.” She has also won a 2015 Helpmann Award as Best Female Actor in a Play for “The Glass Menagerie.” She also appeared in the film, “Sirens” (1994). She won at the 2015 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTA) for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama for “Wentworth.”

Meanwhile, Katrina Milosevic (Boomer) has spoken up about the chances of Smith being alive in “Wentworth” season 5. That, the actress said, is impossible.

During her interview in “Kyle & Jackie O Show,” Milosevic has pointed out that the beloved character has received multiple stabs and anyone who has been stabbed 15 times would find it pretty hard to survive. She has also shared the reaction of other cast members regarding the demise of Cormack’s character, saying it is certainly a loss for them.

Milosevic’s remarks only confirm that Cormack’s character is really dead. There are reports, however, that Smith will still appear in “Wentworth” season 5 in a flashback, but this matter has not been officially confirmed yet.

The first season of the crime drama TV series originally aired on SoHo in Australia. Filming for the next instalment is already underway. Official air date for “Wentworth” season 5 is yet to be announced.