Home and Away Tane star almost quit acting after welcoming daughter at 16

 Home and Away Tane Parata star Ethan Browne almost quit acting after he welcomed a daughter at the age of 16, admitting the career choice was "frowned upon" in his hometown.

Home and Away's Ethan Browne quit acting after welcoming a child at 16.

The actor has played Tane Parata since 2020, but his career path almost looked very different. After his daughter Aaylah was born, Ethan decided not to pursue acting and went down the civil engineer route.

Around a decade later, the soap star left New Zealand and moved to Australia to study acting. He spent time in Brisbane before joining Sydney’s National Institute Of Dramatic Arts.

Shortly after he graduated, Ethan signed a three-year contract with Home and Away, his first major acting credit. While he achieved his dream of becoming an actor, relocating to Australia meant he was separated from Aaylah, 15, during Covid-19.

With restrictions meaning he couldn't travel, Ethan didn't see his daughter in person for around one year. In December 2020, he was finally able to catch his flight and documented their reunion on Instagram.

In the emotional video, Ethan hugged his daughter and kissed her on the head as he expressed how difficult the distance was for them in the caption.

He began: "Surprising my daughter after almost a year apart. A moment I have dreamed and fantasised about for so long.

"I can’t articulate how tough this stretch has been. It’s indescribable and incomprehensible. COVID has taken away our ability to travel freely, and physically be with our loved ones."

Ethan went on to share his gratitude at being able to reunite with his child, adding: "But love transcends the physical, and the distance and lost time has only strengthened our bond. We’re here and now, and our hearts are full again.

“To the parents who have been separated from their children because of this year’s events, and to those who can’t see their loved ones at Christmas, I send you all my love and strength. To my daughter, you are my entire heart. #Myangel #mylove #mylife."

Ethan was initially sceptical about revisiting his dream of acting, admitting it wasn't a career that was pursued by those in his hometown of Wairoa, New Zealand. "I grew up in a small country town that was dominated by rugby culture. Acting wasn’t the thing a man would do," he previously told the Daily Telegraph.

He added: "I wanted to do it in high school but it was frowned upon by the boys, that sort of culture, it wasn’t the tough masculine thing to do. I waited until I was in Australia and no one knew me to actually give it a go just quietly."