| Ari Parata | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Home and Away character | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Rob Kipa-Williams | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2019–2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 27 November 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 15 March 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Lucy Addario | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Ari Parata is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Home and Away, played by Rob Kipa-Williams. The actor had given up acting and was training for a new career as an insurance adviser when he was given the character brief for Ari. He was initially unsure about returning to acting, but he felt like the character was a good fit for him and he auditioned for the role. After winning the part, Kipa-Williams realised that he would have to relocate to Sydney for filming. He had doubts about the move, but later admitted that he was happy he went through with it, as Home and Away helped him regain his love of acting. Kipa-Williams signed a three-year contract and he began filming around May 2019. He made his first appearance during the serial's season finale on 27 November 2019.
Ari was introduced along with his brother Tane Parata (Ethan Browne), their nephew Nikau Parata (Kawakawa Fox-Reo), and sister-in-law Gemma Parata (Bree Peters). They were the serial's first Māori and indigenous family to join the main cast of Home and Away. The actors wanted to include as much of the Māori culture in the show as possible and worked with the producers and scriptwriters to achieve a high level of authenticity. Ari is portrayed as being very protective of his family, but he dislikes confrontation and struggles to express his emotions. Kipa-Williams believed he was "a little bit lost", which he could relate to. It quickly emerges that Ari has spent time in prison and he is frequently frustrated about the limited opportunities available to him because of his record. Ari is first seen among a number of hostages during a siege at the local hospital, which formed the show's season finale. Kipa-Williams likened the filming of the storyline to a feature film. Ari seeks a quieter life and his family soon move to Summer Bay, where initial scenes between them show that Nikau blames Ari for something that happened in their past, while Ari thinks Tane is a bad influence on Nikau.
The Paratas feud with Constable Colby Thorne (Tim Franklin), who has their passports blocked when they plan a trip to New Zealand to scatter the ashes of their brother, father and husband, Mikaere. The Parata men honour Mikaere by performing a Haka on the beach. The scenes were a first for Home and Away and involved multiple takes. Kipa-Williams dedicated his performance to a family member and admitted to feeling the weight of responsibility with the storyline. Ari soon establishes a relationship with restaurateur Mackenzie Booth (Emily Weir). A love triangle develops when Mac finds herself attracted to Tane, but she realises that she has serious feelings for Ari, who soon commits to her. Weir believed Ari was the best match for her character, as Tane would likely bring chaos to her life. The relationship ends shortly after the introductions of Ari's stepdaughter Chloe Anderson (Sam Barrett) and her mother Mia Anderson (Anna Samson). Kipa-Williams admitted he was disappointed with Mac and Ari's break-up, as he wanted the characters to become a solid, long term couple.
With the arrival of Mia and Chloe, producers took the opportunity to explore Ari's fictional backstory further, which Kipa-Williams relished. He thought Ari and Mia were "star-crossed lovers" and believed that Ari had never stopped loving her. The pair soon reconcile, but their relationship is tested by his involvement with a criminal gang and a targeted hit-and-run, which leaves him with serious injuries. Writers scripted a pregnancy for the couple, however, Mia is involved in a car accident during the 2021 mid-season finale, and she has a miscarriage. At the end of the year, Chloe's biological father Matthew Montgomery (James Sweeny) was introduced and Ari takes the blame for his death when Chloe accidentally kills him while protecting Mia.
Kipa-Williams quit Home and Away and producers decided to kill-off his character. Ari is admitted to hospital with cancer of the appendix and he opts not to have surgery to remove the tumours, as he wants to die on his terms. Ari and Mia marry shortly before he dies. He made his final appearance on 15 March 2022. Kipa-Williams received a nomination for Best Daytime Star at the Inside Soap Awards in 2020. Ari and the Parata family received a positive response from critics and viewers, with some branding them New Zealand's answer to the River Boys, a popular group of characters introduced in 2011. The character's break-up with Mac was not well received, with Digital Spy's Susannah Alexander and Daniel Kilkelly saying the show had "lost a solid couple". Ari's death was branded "heart wrenching" and shocking, and left some viewers questioning why Home and Away killed-off one of its most popular characters.