| Ben Atkins | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Neighbours character | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Brett Cousins | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1997–1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 9 April 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 26 June 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Stanley Walsh | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Ben Atkins is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours , played by Brett Cousins. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 9 April 1997. He departed on 22 May 1998, before making a two-episode guest appearance the following month.
Upon graduating from Deakin University with a BA degree in Drama, Cousins took on a 50-word guest role on Neighbours as an Attendant in a scene where established character Billy Kennedy went bungee jumping. When the producers rang Cousins several months later to offer him the more substantial role of Ben Atkins he accepted. Cousins in an interview with TV Week, "I could hardly believe it when they rang and said I had the part, "It’s a big jolt, I’ve been used to leading a student’s life until now. But I enjoy it so much. I can get up at 5 am with a smile on my face, and sail into work every morning". [1]
Cousins became "a local hero" following his casting, as the show is filmed in his home city of Melbourne. [2] Cousins developed a close bond with Ailsa Piper, who plays Ben's mother Ruth Wilkinson, and he described her as his surrogate mother. He explained, "When I got the part, everyone told me how vicious and cut-throat the TV industry was. But when I arrived at the studio on my first day, Ailsa ran up to me, gave me this huge hug and said 'Welcome!'. It was definitely a great start!" [2]
In a 1998 interview with The Weekly News , Cousins detailed how winning the role of Ben left him feeling under constant pressure. He found it difficult to cope with the fame and recognition. [3]
Following his arrival, Ben moves into Number 30 Ramsay Street and he hides a secret, which has something to do with Ruth Wilkinson (Piper). [4] It was later revealed that Ruth was Ben's biological mother. Piper was surprised by the development, saying "I'll never forget the time they told me I was going to have a 21-year-old son and I'd been pregnant at 16. I'd been hiding it all this time." Piper liked that the storyline led to some "meaty scenes" between Ruth and Ben, and that another side to her character was finally shown. [5]
Cousins later explained that Ben's introductory storyline inspired a young female fan to get in contact with her real mother. [3] He said, "It was very sobering to me to know that as an actor you can have that sort of impact on people's lives. I'm really moved by this girl's letters. They're a reminder to me that for every difficult thing that Neighbours brings you as a cast member, it brings 10 times more rewards." [3]
Ben's younger sister Caitlin Atkins (Emily Milburn) was later introduced to show. [2] Caitlin causes various problems for Ben with her troublesome behaviour, such as making up stories about his childhood and spending a number of nights "out on the town." [2] Cousins sympathised with his character, as he has two younger sisters himself. He used his experiences to aid his research for the scenes with Milburn. He also admitted there were "quite a few similarities to the Caitlin thing", but his sisters were not as bad as her. [2]
The last episode to air in Australia before the show's annual Christmas break saw Ben involved in "a horrific car smash" during a motor race. [6] The stunt was the most expensive scene in the show's history at the time. [7] Cousins thought it was a great end to the year, and was grateful that his stunt double took over during filming. [7] As viewers were left with a cliffhanger, Cousins had to deal with people asking him what the outcome for Ben would be. He later visited the UK just as the same episode aired there, and had to deal with the same questions for a second time. [6] Ben is left in a coma following the accident. After he wakes up, Ben is discharged from the hospital, but it takes time for him to fully recover and "piece his shattered life back together." [6]
While he was in the hospital, Ben was visited by a stranger, who Ruth realises is his father Geoff Burke (Andrew McKaige), the man who left her when she fell pregnant. Piper commented that Ruth wants to hit him, as he has never taken an interest in Ben until now. Ruth refuses to let Geoff tell Ben who he is, as she thinks Ben will relapse. [8] The storyline marked Ben's departure from the show, as Cousins filmed his final scenes in April 1998. [6] He leaves for Sydney with Geoff, but later returns to Erinsborough for Ruth and Philip Martin's (Ian Rawlings) wedding. [9] Of his departure, Cousins stated "I was sad to leave the show. I've made some great friends, who I think I will stay close to for the rest of my life." [9]
Ben grows up in Adelaide with his parents and siblings Nick (Jason Crewes) and Caitlin. His interest in cars leads him to pursue a career as a mechanic. When Ben discovers he is adopted, he decides to try to find his real mother and leaves Adelaide for Erinsborough. Ben arrives in Ramsay Street after responding to an advertisement for the spare room at Number 30. He encounters his birth mother Ruth, when she literally runs into him after practising rollerblading. Ben soon discovers Ruth has two more children, his half-siblings Anne (Brooke Satchwell) and Lance Wilkinson (Andrew Bibby). After settling in, Ben makes several friends in the area.
When Anne develops a crush on Ben, it puts a strain on her relationship with Billy Kennedy (Jesse Spencer). Ben realises he has to tell her the truth about being her half-brother even if it means hurting her. Anne refuses to believe it when Ben confesses. After Ben reveals the truth about his identity to Ruth, she explains that she was fifteen when she gave birth to him. She wanted to keep him, but her parents forced her to give him up for adoption. Ben understands this and Ruth and Lance are generally accepting of him, Anne however is slower to come around to idea and is still hurt by Ruth keeping the secret. Anne later relents after plans to move in with her father Bill (Ian Stanley Pearce) and his girlfriend fall through.
Ben later takes a job working for Lou Carpenter (Tom Oliver), who buys an old bus to use as a mobile restaurant. This is short-lived as the bus is later burned out by Jamie-Lee Duggan (Josephine Clark) leaving Ben out of work. However, Lou buys a local garage and asks Ben if he wants a partnership in the business. Ben accepts but later has seconds thoughts when Lou begins treating him more like an employee than a partner. Lou's friend, Philip, who is dating Ruth, comes up with a solution that sees Lou and Ben have a 49% share apiece and he looks after the other 2%.
After Ben overhears a telephone conversation between housemate Lisa Elliot (Kate Straub) and her mother, he mistakenly believes she is in love with him and on the night of her leaving party, he kisses her, much to her surprise. Lisa, flattered, explains she was referring to his mechanical skills and tells him she would be interested in a relationship, if she was not about to leave. Ben then falls for Angela Quinton (Fiona McGregor), whom he met at a night club. Within days, he fixes Angela's car for free and offers her Lisa's old room. But just before she moves in, Ben's other housemate Sarah Beaumont (Nicola Charles) breaks the news to him that Angela had got back together with her ex-boyfriend.
Ben and Sarah continue searching for potential tenants but none are suitable until policeman Matt Compton (Jonathon Kovac) applies for the spare room. Ben is hesitant at first but Sarah manages to persuade him to let Matt move in. Within days of moving, things are strained between when the guys when Matt pulls Ben up for failure to renew his driving license on time. Things get even worse between the two when Matt suspects Ben of having dodgy cars in the garage, and begins dating Sarah, making Ben feel like a gooseberry in his own home. However, their mutual love of motor racing brings Ben and Matt together and they become friends just before Matt leaves for a new post in Port Campbell.
When Ben's adoptive parents move to the Middle East temporarily, he is left to care for his younger sister, Caitlin. Ben struggles to act in the role of guardian as Caitlin finds it difficult to settle in and is used to having things done for her, as opposed to living in a share house environment. Ben takes his interest in motor racing for the next level and begins spending more and more time at the race track. Lou offers his support but Ben finds it difficult to be competitive, even when goaded by rival racer Steve Van Eck (Daniel Tobias). After Barry Sheene has a few words of encouragement to Ben, he gets the motivation he needs.
The day of the big race arrives, and many of the Ramsay Street residents show up at Calder Park Raceway to support Ben. As the race begins, Ben begins doing well and manages to hold his place, but is preoccupied with spotting where Steve is in the line-up. Ben fails to notice a car pull out from the pits right in front of him and they collide. The car flips over and bursts into flames. Ben is cut free from the wreck and rushed to hospital. Ben's family await news all night. Ben's operation is a success but he remains comatose.
A mysterious stranger visits Ben, sitting by his bedside and talking to him. The stranger is Geoff Burke, Ben's biological father who read about the incident in the newspaper. Geoff admits his identity to a comatose Ben. After waking up, Ben has no memory of this and Ruth wants it kept that way. Ben is irate when finds out that Geoff was in fact his father, and not a hospital worker as he had believed and he rejects him. However, he realises how lucky he is to be alive and have the chance to get to know both of his natural parents. When Ben is discharged from hospital, He agrees to stay with his family next door after he realizes he would be too much of a burden for his housemates. Geoff decides to stay on and help take care of his son, while getting to know him. Ben finds life challenging when he has to adjust to using a zimmer frame. One day, he falls when getting out of the bath and is forced to wait for Anne to come home to assist him. However, he manages to maintain a positive attitude. Ben's recovery takes a setback when Geoff shows him a video of the crash. When Ben begins to make progress, Geoff decides to return to his family in Sydney and tells Ben he is welcome there any time.
After Ben recovers, he returns to Number 30 which is overcrowded with his older brother, Nick (who came to help with Caitlin) and Toadfish Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney) having moved in during his absence. Ben tries to adjust to sharing a room with Nick, but is unable due to his brother's snoring. Geoff later offers Ben a job running his garage in Sydney and he takes him up on it. Ben is worried about leaving Ruth, but she assures him he needs to get to know Geoff. Ben leaves after a farewell Barbecue. The following month, Ben returns for Ruth's wedding to Philip. In early 1999, Ben later phones Anne and Lance to congratulate them on their exam results.
For his portrayal of Ben, Cousins earned a nomination for Best Newcomer at the 1998 Inside Soap Awards. [10] The episode featuring Ben's confession about his identity won Best Episode in a Television Drama Serial at the 1997 Australian Film Institute Awards. The award was given to the director of the episode, Peter Dodds. [11]
After his arrival, a Daily Record reporter observed the female characters at Number 30 were "bowled over by their new flatmate". [4] A writer for the same publication noted that Angela's departure "plunges Ben into deep despair". [12] Stephen Murphy of Inside Soap wrote, "You've got to feel sorry for Ben Atkins. Once a happy-go-lucky chap, the likeable mechanic has become a shadow of his former self since his sister Caitlin arrived in town." [2] A writer for the BBC's official Neighbours website stated that Ben's most memorable moment was "Being in a coma after a car accident." [13]
Ramsay Street is the fictional cul-de-sac in which the characters of the Australian soap opera Neighbours live. The street is set in the equally fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. Neighbours storylines primarily centre on the residents of the street, which was named after Jack Ramsay, the grandfather of original character Max Ramsay. A blackjack game between Jack and Sam Robinson determined whom the street would be named after. Only six houses on the street are featured on a regular basis; numbers 22 to 32. Number 34 was featured for the only time in 2018. The cul-de-sac is at the end of a long street and the rest of the houses are on the other side of the main road which bisects it. The street behind Ramsay Street is named Mirrabooka Drive. A storyline within the show saw the name of the street nearly changed to Ramsbottom Street. Harold Bishop led a protest against it and won.
Philip Gordon Martin is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Rawlings. Originally played by Christopher Milne during the character's first appearance in 1985, Rawlings took over the role when the character returned to the show in 1992 and remained until 1999. He briefly returned in 2005 for several episodes, and later in 2017 for the web series Neighbours vs Time Travel, and in 2022 for the show's then finale. Rawlings reprised the role in 2023.
Michael Martin is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Troy Beckwith. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 8 October 1985. The character was originally played by Samuel Hammington. Beckwith took over the role in 1992 and appeared on a regular basis until 1994, but continued to make guest appearances until 1998.
Lance Wilkinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Andrew Bibby. He made his first on-screen appearance on 9 August 1995. Bibby was cast in the recurring role of Lance after an audition. After a year, Bibby auditioned for another character called Jon and the writers chose to turn him into Lance. Lance was a bookish, paranoid boy, with a kind heart and keen wit. Lance departed on 29 March 2001, but Bibby reprised his role in July 2005 for the show's 20th anniversary, in 2018 and also for the final episode in 2022. Bibby reprised his role in a flashback sequence the following year.
Anne Wilkinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Brooke Satchwell. She made her first on screen appearance on 19 November 1996. Satchwell quit the role in 1999 and the character departed on 5 April 2000
Billy Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jesse Spencer. He made his first appearance on 27 September 1994, arriving in Ramsay Street with his family. He departed on 5 April 2000, but made a small cameo for the show's 20th anniversary episode broadcast on 27 July 2005, and for the show's then final episode on 28 July 2022.
Andrew "Drew" Kirk is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Dan Paris. Following his decision to move into acting, Paris won the role of Drew after attending his first ever audition. He admitted that he initially found filming difficult, as he was not sure what he was doing. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 27 March 1998.
Ruth Wilkinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ailsa Piper. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 3 October 1996. Ruth was introduced as Helen Daniels' physiotherapist. She was a divorced single mother, who later established a relationship with Philip Martin, which attracted some opposition from their children. The relationship was later tested by the introduction of Ruth's long lost son, Ben Atkins and his father Geoff Burke. Philip and Ruth marry in 1998, amid a breast cancer scare for Ruth. The Martin family were written out of Neighbours and they departed together on 20 October 1999. Piper reprised her role for the show's 20th anniversary episode, which aired on 27 July 2005.
Lauren Turner is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kate Kendall. The role was originally played by Sarah Vandenbergh, and she made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 16 February 1993. Lauren was introduced as the "vivacious" daughter of Lou Carpenter. Vandenbergh described her as being happy, headstrong and into horses. She also thought that just by looking at the character you knew she was a girl next door type. Lauren's major storylines during her first stint in the show saw her have an affair with Brad Willis, join a religious cult and begin a casual relationship with Wayne Duncan. Vandenbergh decided to leave the serial when she was told that Lauren would not feature prominently in storylines anymore. She departed on 2 March 1994.
Caitlin Atkins is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Emily Milburn. The actress originally auditioned for the role of Anne Wilkinson and received the part of Caitlin six months later. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 29 September 1997. Caitlin is introduced as the younger sister of series regular Ben Atkins. She is portrayed as being strong willed and manipulative, yet vulnerable. Milburn said Caitlin was very different from her, but she enjoyed cutting loose for the role. Caitlin is a talented swimmer and she falls for her training partner, Billy Kennedy, whom she pursues despite knowing he is in a relationship. Producers decided to write the character out of the show in April 1998. Caitlin departed alongside her older brother, Nicholas Atkins on 24 June 1998.
Ailsa Stewart is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Home and Away, played by Judy Nunn. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 17 January 1988. Ailsa was married to Alf Stewart and had a son Duncan. When Nunn decided to leave to devote more time with her novels, she was one of only four original cast members. The role of Ailsa was briefly played by theatre star Nancye Hayes whilst Nunn was taking leave due to illness in 2000.
Duncan Stewart is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 14 June 1989. He was initially portrayed by Allana Ellis, with actor Lewis Devaney taking over the role from 1990 to 1998. Brendan McKensy assumed the role in 1998 until Duncan's departure in 2001. McKensy later reprised the role in 2004 and 2005 and made his last appearance on 13 July 2005. The character was reintroduced on 19 July 2016, with Benedict Wall cast in the role. Duncan is the son of Ailsa and Alf Stewart. His 2016 reappearance marked the first time in 27 years that he, Alf and his half-sister Roo Stewart had been on-screen together. During his time in Summer Bay, Duncan befriends Tori Morgan, becoming a love rival for Nate Cooper.
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