Gayle and Gillian Blakeney are Australian identical twins who performed together as actresses and as a dance/pop duo in the 1990s, releasing music under the monikers The Twins and Gayle and Gillian. Born in Brisbane on 9 July 1966, Gayle is older by nine minutes. They starred in the soap opera Neighbours, as twins Caroline and Christina Alessi.
Paul Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, a long-running serial drama about social life in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. He is played by Stefan Dennis. Paul was created by producer Reg Watson as one of Neighbours' original characters. He debuted in the first episode of the show broadcast on 18 March 1985 and is one of two remaining original cast members, alongside his sister Lucy. Paul appeared on a regular basis until 1992 when Dennis quit Neighbours to pursue work elsewhere. He reprised the role for a guest appearance in 1993. Dennis returned to the show full-time in 2004 and has since remained in the role. Dennis viewed his decision to leave Neighbours as a mistake.
Lucinda "Elle" Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Pippa Black. The character made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 19 September 2005. She was introduced as the daughter of established characters Paul and Gail Robinson.
Melanie Pearson is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Lucinda Cowden. She made her first appearance as Melanie during the episode broadcast on 30 July 1987. Cowden originally appeared in a guest role, with Melanie being introduced as a love interest of Henry Ramsay. Cowden returned as a regular cast member and the character was made a secretary working for Paul Robinson. Melanie is characterised as having a zany personality and wears wacky outfits. She also has a unique sounding laugh, which Cowden likened to sounds made by a seal or a donkey. Melanie's laugh became one of her defining features and television critics have discussed it in reviews.
Rick Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Dan Falzon. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 8 June 1992. Rick and his family were introduced to the show following several cast departures. The character remained on-screen until 9 March 1995.
Marco Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Felice Arena. He made his first screen appearance as Marco during the episode broadcast on 5 May 1992. Marco was the first character introduced from the show's new Alessi family. He joined cousins and established characters Caroline Alessi and Christina Robinson in Ramsay Street. His parents Benito and Cathy Alessi with sibling Rick Alessi soon followed. Arena was happy to portray an Italian character because it resembled himself - noting that characters of a different ethnicity were rare on the show.
Gaby Willis is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Rachel Blakely. The show's casting director spotted Blakely on the cover of a magazine and asked her to audition for the role of Gaby. Blakely received the part and she was introduced to the show during a period of roller-coaster ratings. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 12 August 1991. Gaby was introduced as the eldest daughter of Doug and Pam Willis. She comes to Erinsborough after taking a business course in Japan. Gaby is characterised as beautiful, intelligent and the apple of her father's eye. She also has a temper, leading Blakely to call her fiery.
Glen Donnelly is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Richard Huggett. The actor joined the cast shortly after leaving E Street, and he relocated from Sydney to Melbourne, where the show is filmed. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 7 December 1990. Glen was introduced as the secret son of series regular Jim Robinson. He came to Erinsborough to meet his father and to ask for money to pay for his mother's funeral.
Benito Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by George Spartels. Benito was introduced along with his wife and two sons, following the announcement of several cast departures. Spartels was glad to bring something different to the show as part of the first family with Italian heritage. He thought the introduction of the Alessis showed viewers "a broader picture" of Australia, after the show was criticised for not accurately representing suburban life. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 28 July 1992.
Andrew Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jordan Patrick Smith from 2009 to 2013 and in 2022. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 13 November 1991. Shannon Holmes played the role from the character's birth in 1991 until his departure the following year. Andrew's backstory was subject to retroactive continuity to explain Smith's Scottish accent, and he had his age reduced so that he would be a teenager on his return. Andrew is the only son of Christina Alessi and Paul Robinson. His storylines have included his return to Erinsborough, having an affair with Donna Freedman, fighting with his stepbrother and becoming involved in a love triangle with Natasha Williams and Summer Hoyland. In November 2012, it was announced Smith would be leaving Neighbours and Andrew made his screen departure on 29 March 2013. In 2022, Smith reprised the role for the show's final episode.
Christina Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Gayle Blakeney. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 18 January 1990, when she moved into Ramsay Street with her twin sister, Caroline Alessi, played by Gayle's real-life twin, Gillian Blakeney. Christina marries Paul Robinson and gives birth to their son, Andrew Robinson. Christina departed on 5 August 1992 with Paul and Andrew, following Paul's relocation to Hawaii. Blakeney reprised the role in June 2019 and made her on-screen return on 6 September, alongside her sister.
Adam Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Williams. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 9 August 1990. Williams was cast in the role in early 1990, but did not start filming until June because he had work commitments to another television project. News outlets claimed producers cast Williams to replace former fan-favourite cast members, a claim the actor found insulting.
Brad Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 31 October 1989. The character was initially played by Benjamin Mitchell, before Scott Michaelson took over the role two years later. Brad was re-introduced alongside his sister, Gaby, during a period of roller coaster ratings for the show. Michaelson revealed that as soon as he learnt he had won the role of Brad, he went surfing five days in a row, as he knew he was going to be busy over the upcoming months. Michaelson signed a new twelve-month contract with Neighbours in October 1992 and a year later, he announced he would be leaving the soap. Michaelson filmed his final scenes in November and departed on 15 December 1993.
Imogen Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ariel Kaplan. The actor was cast in the role after a quick process, in which she auditioned once and attended a screen test. She began filming her first scenes in early February 2013. Kaplan's character and her family were created and introduced to Neighbours, as part of an ongoing overhaul of the show's cast and renewed focus on family units within the show. She made her first screen appearance during "Episode 6646", which was broadcast on 20 May 2013. Kaplan returned in the first episode of the 2023 Neighbours revival.
Terese Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Rebekah Elmaloglou. The actress was cast in the role after attending an audition in late 2012. Before she began filming her first scenes in early February 2013, Elmaloglou had to ask the producers to change the pronunciation of her character's name. Elmaloglou's character and her family were created around the character of Brad Willis, who was reintroduced after twenty years as part of an ongoing overhaul of the show's cast and renewed focus on family units. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 14 May 2013.
Guy Carpenter is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Andrew Williams. The actor was initially hesitant about joining the show, as he had been about to secure a record contract. He made his first screen appearance on 10 September 1991. A few months later, Williams decided to leave Neighbours as he felt unfulfilled by the role. He also wanted more time to pursue his music career. Guy departed on 27 March 1992. Williams reprised his role for one episode as part of the show's 30th anniversary on 18 March 2015.
Amy Williams is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Zoe Cramond. The character was originally played by child actress Nicolette Minster in 1988, while Sheridan Compagnino took over the role for Amy's reappearance in 1992. In May 2015, it was announced Amy would be returning to Neighbours and Cramond was cast in the role. She made her first screen appearance as Amy on 2 June 2015. Amy is the eldest child of Paul Robinson.
Leo Tanaka is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Tim Kano. He made his first appearance in the main show during the episode broadcast on 22 September 2016. The character was introduced alongside his twin brother David Tanaka, and they arrive in Erinsborough to find their long-lost biological father. Both Kano and Honda auditioned for both Tanaka roles and were later awarded their respective parts. The show's producer Jason Herbison had planned their stories months in advance. The shows writing team meticulously researched the show's history to find a way to introduce the two characters into the show's long-standing Robinson family. Leo and David's search ended in the revelation that the show's villainous character, Paul Robinson was their father.
Ned Willis is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Ben Hall. The character was created in the early 1990s, but he was not seen on-screen. Over twenty years later, the show's UK broadcaster Channel 5 confirmed that Hall had been cast in the role and would make a short guest appearance. He made his debut in the episode broadcast on 6 April 2016. Series producer Jason Herbison had plans to promote Hall to the regular cast, but he was unsure about making a long-term commitment to the show. Following his initial guest stint, Hall returned twice in August and November 2016. Ned is often portrayed as a complex, manipulative character, but he is a good person at heart. He tries to do things for the right reasons, but often goes about it in the wrong way. Hall thought Ned was close to becoming a bad boy at times, a trait he enjoyed playing. The character was introduced during the Hotel Death Trap storyline, in which the boiler room at Lassiters Hotel explodes, killing his half-brother and grandfather.
