NITV have announced the voice cast of animated children’s comedy series Eddie’s Lil Homies, which premieres on NITV and Netflix in early 2024.
The 10-part series stars Hunter Page-Lochard (Cleverman, The Newsreader, Barons) as Eddie, Miah Madden (Bali 2002, The Clearing, The Bureau of Magical Things) as Lottie, Andrew Dang as Tal and Billy Betts (Eddie Betts’ eight-year-old son) as Junior.
Supporting cast members include Leela Varghese (A Beginner’s Guide to Grief, Totally Wild) as Shanti, James Smith as Lachie and Crystal Nguyen (Erotic Stories) as Decks.
Eddie Betts spoke about the value of showcasing diverse voices and identities in Australian media.
"It has been wonderful to see our Eddie’s Lil’ Homies characters come to life in the hands of such a talented cast headed by Hunter and Miah, and a great experience for Billy to be a part of the series and learn from such a diverse group of actors."
Each of the cast members have brought so much fun to their character, we can’t wait for kids to laugh and rap along with them when they watch the series next year.
Inspired by former AFL star Eddie Betts’ popular book series, Eddie’s Lil’ Homies joins Eddie and his ragtag group of friends on their playground adventures as they navigate the fun and challenges of friendship.
Outside of home and away from school, their friends are family and the playground is their universe.
It’s a world of competition, imagination and fantasy, where anything and everything is possible, where imaginary friends can be real, games of rock paper scissors can take on stupendous importance, and kindness, empathy and a good rap can help put anything right.
Eddie’s Lil’ Homies is the first co-commission between Netflix and NITV, with major production investment from the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF). It's produced by Sophie Byrne (Scarygirl, The Lost Thing) of Highly Spirited, and Eddie Betts and Anna Scullie of Betts Promotions, along with Executive/Story Producer Mark O’Toole (Black Comedy).
NITV’s Head of Commissions Marissa McDowell said she is "thrilled to be working with brilliant and diverse actors".
"At NITV, our purpose is to create content made by, for and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This beautiful children’s series is the next step in that journey," she said.
"It’s so important for children to see themselves represented onscreen, and this exciting and humorous series does exactly that."
A sneak peek of Eddie’s Lil’ Homies will screen at Taronga Zoo in Sydney from 20 December to 2 February as part of Netflix’s collaboration with Taronga Conservation Society. Shown in the Centenary Theatre at Taronga Zoo, Eddie’s Lil Homies is part of a captivating line up of specially curated children’s titles shown during the summer holidays.
Eddie’s Lil’ Homies premieres on NITV, Netflix and SBS On Demand in early 2024.
