Finn Warner

Last updated
Finn Warner
Shortland Street character
Finn Connelly Shortland Street.jpg
Portrayed byUncredited actor (1993)
Lukas Whiting (2016–22)
Duration1993, 2016–18, 2022
First appearance11 October 1993
Last appearance11 May 2022
Classification Former; regular
Introduced byBrian Lenanne (1993)
Simon Bennett (2016)
In-universe information
OccupationSurgeon
Father Chris Warner
Mother Carrie Burton-Connelly
Brothers Frank Warner
Sisters Sass Warner
Half-brothers Phoenix Raynor
Harry Warner
James Warner
Half-sisters Trinity Kwan
Wife Esther Samuels (2018–19)
Grandfathers Sir Bruce Warner
Grandmothers Margot, Lady Warner
Uncles Guy Warner
Aunts Amanda Warner
Nieces Amelie Warner
First cousins Tuesday Warner
Kelly Piper (possibly)
Other relatives Isaac Worthington
Joseph Worthington

Finbar "Finn" Warner (previously Burton and Connelly) is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street . Born onscreen, Finn was originally played by an uncredited baby actor in 1993 before Lukas Whiting took over the role in 2016.

Contents

Creation and casting

The character of Finn was introduced in 1993 during a plot in which "robo nurse" Carrie Burton (Lisa Crittenden) fell pregnant after receiving 3 different sperm donations from central characters. This was billed as a "whodunit" with nurse Steve Mills (Andrew Binns), Guy Warner (Craig Parker), Dr. Hone Ropata (Temuera Morrison) and Dr. Chris Warner (Michael Galvin) all potentially being the father. [1] The character made his first appearance on 11 October 1993, when Carrie gave birth to him and his triplet siblings. The birth was used as a storyline to write off the character of Carrie, [1] and she departed with her triplets on 11 November 1993. In 2015 producers contacted the agents of Australian actor, Lukas Whiting. Whiting was unaware of the show, "I had to do a whole lot of research quickly, I watched a couple of episodes on YouTube, shot what we call a 'self tape' and a couple of weeks later got a call from my agent saying you start in a couple of weeks!" [2] The character was reintroduced under a different name in 2016 in a storyline that saw him billed as "the new Dr. Love" and raised questions on his relation to Chris Warner. [3] Whiting began filming in late 2015. [3] [4] [5] [6] Whiting appreciated being able to work alongside Galvin (Chris Warner) and Angela Bloomfield (Rachel McKenna), noting his storylines allowed him to "make good friends with some of the younger cast as well as some of the older." [4] Finn made his reappearance on 28 March 2016. He made his final appearance on 1 October 2018. Four years later, In May 2022, Lukas Whiting returned for a cameo appearance for Shortland Street's 30th anniversary. Chris video calls Finn in Syria attempting to reconnect with him after years of no contact.

Storylines

Desperate to have children but with no stable partner in her life, Shortland Street clinic's head of nursing Carrie Burton (Lisa Crittenden) accepted sperm donations from nurse Steve Mills (Andrew Binns), Guy Warner (Craig Parker), Dr. Hone Ropata (Temuera Morrison) and Dr. Chris Warner (Michael Galvin); refusing to disclose whose sperm she used. She fell pregnant and married Steve's father Declan Kennedy (Kevin J. Wilson). Carrie gave birth to triplets during good friend Meredith Fleming's (Stephanie Wilkin) leaving party and named them, Finbar, Frank, and Sarah. Declan proved to be a useless father and ended up fleeing the country to escape criminal associates he had, leaving Steve to be a surrogate parent. It turned out Sarah had a hole in her heart and came close to death during surgery. Carrie decided to flee Ferndale after receiving threats from Declan's criminal past, taking her triplets with her and leaving Steve (who had decided the children were likely his) heart broken. Several months later Steve was devastated to realise Chris had discovered he was the father and had been visiting Carrie and the triplets in Australia. This caused a rivalry between the two that ultimately led to Steve driving off the road and dying in an explosion. In November 1995 Chris visited Carrie and the triplets so that he could introduce his father Bruce (Ken Blackburn) to them before he succumbed to terminal cancer.

Upon return, Shortland Street CEO Rachel McKenna (Angela Bloomfield) hired Finn Connelly as the newest surgeon at the hospital and he instantly turned heads for his playboy ways, landing the title "Dr. Love". On his first day on the job, Finn shockingly introduced himself to Chris as one of his long lost triplets. After his mother died, he had decided to get to know his father. After initially clashing with Rachel, Finn moved in with the Warner's and entered a love triangle, when he began to date Esther Samuels (Ngahuia Piripi) much to the annoyance of her recent ex-boyfriend Curtis Hannah (Jayden Daniels). Finn and Esther struggled due to her financial worries and ultimately she left him for Curtis. Finn's fellow triplets, Frank (Luke Patrick) and Sass (Lucy Lovegrove) arrived in Ferndale and joined him at Chris' house. Finn and Esther reunited following Curtis' incarceration and Finn found a job acting as a television doctor, winning admiration from fans. This led to the obsessed teenager Ashley Whitley (Ruby Lyon) to falsely claim he had inappropriate sexual interactions with her after he rejected her advances. Finn ended up quitting the television role when he began to be aggressively stalked, leading to the male stalker breaking into his house and touching him in his sleep. It would soon be revealed that the stalker was new orderly Jason Kirkpatrick (Thomas Sainsbury) who claimed to be madly in love with Finn. After Jason kidnapped Esther, he was arrested much to Finn's relief. Himself, Sass, and Frank decided to adopt the Warner last name moments before Chris Warner was officially tested cancer-free.

Finn and Esther married in early 2018 and planned to pursue new careers in Detroit but following Finn's decision to drink drive, he severely injured Head of Nursing Nicole (Sally Martin) and lost the opportunity alongside his job at Shortland Street and his friendships. Angry and increasingly violent due to the punishments, Finn began to physically abuse Esther. This continued to escalate and despite Esther's intention to fix the marriage, Finn removed himself from the relationship. Following investigation from the hospital into his actions, Finn began to work as a bartender and controversially realised a mutual love to Chris' pregnant partner Zoe (Holly Shervey). Desperate not to upset Chris, Finn did not pursue his feelings and eventually returned to his role as a doctor. Chris soon realised the mutual feelings and disowned Finn from the Warner family. Finn decided to pursue humanitarian work with Sass and departed Ferndale after a loving farewell to Zoe. In 2019 Chris visited Finn overseas and announced the two had reconciled.

Reception

The addition of Carrie's triplet storyline was praised for showing a "softer side" to the otherwise "stern matron". [7] The return of Finn and his siblings was said to "delight" Shortland Street fans. [2] Upon arrival in 2016, Finn was labelled a "heartthrob" and the show's "number one hunk". [3] [5] He quickly attained the title of "Dr. Love", [8] a label formerly associated with Chris. [9] [10] [11] Tara Ward from The Spinoff website announced that Finn's arrival had turned the show into "peak stud". [12] Whiting had not been aware of the level of popularity of the show but came to realise it quickly, "After the first week I started to get recognised - it's quite a lot of fun - you get your good fans and bad fans but it's always fun getting photos and having a chat on the streets." [2] Actor Michael Galvin (Dr. Chris Warner) named the triplet's returns in 2016 as his favourite storyline, noting Whiting's "amazing" acting and "fun" the co-stars have on set. He also aspired for the triplet's to remain on the show for a "long time to come". [13] Following Whiting's departure, Galvin called for the actor's return calling the 3 triplet actors "fantastic" and how he "loved working with them." [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Warner</span> Soap opera character

Christopher Alexander Warner is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who has been portrayed by Michael Galvin since the show's first episode, making him the longest running original character. Galvin quit the show in 1996, but returned to the show four years later when the show underwent a revamp. In total he has been with Shortland Street for 27 of its 31 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Warner</span> Fictional character

Guy Warner is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by Craig Parker in a guest role in 1992 before returning as core cast from 1993 to 1996. Guy returned for the shows 15th anniversary in May 2007 and again from December 2007 to April 2008.

Steve Mills (<i>Shortland Street</i>) Soap opera character

Steve Mills is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Andrew Binns and was part of the original core cast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toni Warner</span> Soap opera character

Antoinette "Toni" Warner is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by Laura Hill from 2001 until 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel McKenna</span> Soap opera character

Rachel McKenna is a fictional character from the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, played by Angela Bloomfield and who made her first appearance in early 1993. Bloomfield left the role in late 1999, before returning in early 2001 and departing in early 2003. She returned in a guest role in mid-2007 and again in a full-time role in late 2009 before departing once again in late 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darryl Neilson</span> Soap opera character

Darryl Neilson is a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. Appearing sporadically, Darryl made several recurring appearance from 1992 to the character's death in 1995. He was portrayed by Mark Ferguson.

Harry Warner (<i>Shortland Street</i>) Soap opera character

Harry Thompson is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who first appeared onscreen in May 2002. Being born on screen during the shows 10th anniversary, Harry has been portrayed by several child actors and by Xander Manktelow from 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominic Thompson (Shortland Street)</span> Soap opera character

Dominic "Dom" Thompson is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by Shane Cortese from 2003 to 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoenix Warner</span> Soap opera character

Phoenix Warner is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He has been portrayed by Geordie Holibar since his debut in the show's first ever 90 minute episode in August 2010. The character was introduced as the previously unknown son of long-standing character Chris Warner and ex-wife Alison Raynor. The character departed after dying of an overdose in the episode airing 23 October 2020. Phoenix later returned that December when Chris imagined him as a ghost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Kwan</span> Soap opera character

Dr. Grace Kwan is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, portrayed by Lynette Forday from 1994 to 1997. Forday reprised the role 16 years later in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donna Heka</span> Soap opera character

Donna Heka is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, who was portrayed by Stephanie Tauevihi from 1997 to mid-2004 and again for a two episode stint in December 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtis Hannah</span> Soap opera character

Curtis Maaka Hannah is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. Portrayed by Jayden Daniels since 2015, Curtis has appeared on the show in 2 stints in both regular and recurring appearances.

Frank Warner (<i>Shortland Street</i>) Soap opera character

Frank Warner is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. Born on-screen, Frank was originally played by an uncredited baby actor in 1993 before Luke Patrick took over the role in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sass Warner</span> Soap opera character

Sarah "Sass" Warner is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. Born onscreen, Sass was originally played by an uncredited baby actor in 1993 before Lucy Lovegrove took over the role in 2016. Her early storylines focused on her casual relationship with Hawks Logan and marrying Mason Coutts before the relationship turns disastrous and ultimately leading to his death. Sass proved popular amongst the viewers as a "beloved" character.

Lucy Rickman Soap opera character

Lucy Karim is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street portrayed by Grace Palmer. She made her first screen appearance on the episode broadcast on 25 August 2014. She was introduced as a mysterious person with an obsession to the hospital CEO Rachel McKenna. It was later revealed that her father had an affair with Rachel ultimately destroying her family. Her storylines have focused mainly on her short-lived relationships, marriage with Ali Karim, and her unsteady relationship with her father Glenn Rickman.

References

  1. 1 2 "Chris Warner's kids". tvnz.co.nz. Television New Zealand. October 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Winchester, Bree (26 January 2017). "The move to Shortland Street: two Canberrans score roles on NZ's number 1 night-time soap". The Canberra Times.
  3. 1 2 3 Sharpe, Keith (21 March 2016). "TV Guide's Top 5 of the Week". stuff.co.nz . Fairfax Media.
  4. 1 2 "Get to Know Lukas Whiting". tvnz.co.nz. Television New Zealand. 28 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 Loughrey, Charles (22 March 2016). "Who is the new Dr Love?". Otago Daily Times . Allied Press Limited.
  6. ↑ Smith, Ricardo (24 January 2016). "Meet Shortland Street's new arrivals". Spy. APN News & Media.
  7. ↑ Perkes, Melanie (28 March 2014). "BRING BACK NICK: SHORTLAND STREET RESURRECTIONS". Yahoo! New Zealand. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  8. ↑ "Quick fire questions with Shorty's Reuben Milner & Lukas Whiting". Womans Day. New Zealand Magazines. 15 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "Station to Station". Theatre Royal. August 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-03-17. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  10. ↑ Forbes, Katherine (12 June 2011). "Outrageous Star plays away". stuff.co.nz . Fairfax Media . Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  11. ↑ Bennett, Cath (5 July 2009). "Doctor Loves play time". stuff.co.nz . Fairfax Media . Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  12. ↑ Ward, Tara (4 April 2016). "Shortland Street Power Rankings: Has Ferndale reached peak stud?". The Spinoff.
  13. ↑ "Shortland Street: Inside an icon". Shortland Street . Television New Zealand. 25 May 2017.
  14. ↑ Harvey, Keary (5 December 2019). "Going out with a bang". New Zealand TV Guide.
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