| Roxy Miller | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Home and Away character | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Lisa Lackey | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1992–1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 13 October 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 9 February 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Des Monaghan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former, regular | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Teacher | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Home | Greece | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Roxanne "Roxy" Miller is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away , played by Lisa Lackey. She made her first screen appearance in the episode broadcast on 13 October 1992 and departed on 9 February 1995.
Lackey played Roxanne from 1992 until 1995. [1] Lackey was working as a model when she was approached by the producers of Home and Away to play Roxanne. [2] She was due to fly out to Japan when the offer came through. [2] Of her casting, Lackey told an Inside Soap writer "It literally came up out of the blue and I thought that acting is what I'd like to be doing in the next couple of years, so I just jumped at the chance." [2]
Lackey described her character as "independent and strong willed". [2] She stated further that Roxy does what she wants and is a bit of a matchmaker; she wants everyone she knows to be happy. [2]
After his relationship with Lucinda Croft (Dee Smart) ended, Nick Parrish (Bruce Roberts) fell for Roxy in "a big way". [3] Roxy believed Nick was still in love with Lucinda and she was wary of getting involved with him. [3] When Nick's ex-girlfriend Sandy (Claudia Black) turned up in the Bay, Roxy decided to put him to "a love test", which he passed. [3] Roberts commented that Nick fancied Roxy, but he did not want to get his heart broken again. [3] Roxy eventually shared a "passionate kiss" with Nick and they began a relationship. [3]
Roxy was the product of a brief marriage her parents Les (John Orcsik) and Carol had in their youth. Carol gave her up and she was subsequently adopted by David and Pauline Miller. When she was old enough, Roxy tried to track down her birth parents but Les sent word he wanted nothing to do with her. Roxy's long-lost half-brother Blake Dean (Les Hill) tracks her down. Blake tries to get her to take a job at their father's Restaurant in order for her to get to know Les without him knowing her true identity. The charade fails when Les fires Roxy and later hits her, warning her to stay away from him and his family. Blake takes Roxy back to Summer Bay with him to stay with his foster parents Alf (Ray Meagher) and Ailsa Stewart (Judy Nunn). Roxy begin receiving romantic overtures from local policeman Nick Parrish, but Blake warns her off him, since Nick has recently split from his fiance, Lucinda Croft. Nick's intentions are sincere but Roxy does not plan on staying in the Bay and puts some distance between them. As she is about to leave town, Nick races to the bus stop to persuade Roxy to stay. However, the relationship fizzles out almost immediately; After Nick's brother Shane (Dieter Brummer) is arrested and he and Roxy decide to be just friends.
Roxy meets her half-sister Karen (Belinda Jarrett) after she returns to the Bay on parole from juvenile detention but within a matter of weeks Karen and Blake leave for the city. Roxy, however, decides to settle in the Bay and teaches art at Summer Bay High. She befriends and later dates one of her new colleagues, Luke Cunningham (John Adam). She also takes Sarah Thompson (Laura Vasquez), who is staying with Alf and Ailsa, under her wing. Max McCarthy (Lloyd Morris), Roxy's ex-boyfriend begins badgering her constantly for money and threatens to have some swimsuit pictures of her published if she does not pay him. Roxy and Max try to double-cross each other but fail. The photos are published and Luke and Nick try to remove every copy of the magazine but Mangrove River resident Tug O'Neale (Tristan Bancks) manages to get hold of a copy and after clashing with Roxy at school, he plasters photocopies everywhere. Roxy, however, survives the scandal. Roxy's sister Imogen (Sofie Formica) visits and puts on a pleasant demeanor, masking her true intentions based on years of resentment for Roxy. Imogen then wages a campaign against Roxy after an attempt to seduce Luke fails. She hides Roxy's exam papers and sabotages her cakes. Ailsa quickly sees through this and Roxy realises her sister needs help but Imogen rejects her and leaves town, stating Roxy will never see her again.
Luke and Roxy's relationship suffers its biggest test when Luke is forced to care for his mentally disabled brother, Bill (Craig Beamer). They break up but find themselves getting closer again after working on the school musical together and renting the beach house from widower Greg Marshall (Ross Newton), also taking on effective responsibility for Tug, who had been living with Greg and his late wife Bobby (Nicolle Dickson). Roxy is stunned when Luke reveals he still has feelings for her and does her best to let him down gently. Soon after, Roxy begins seeing James Healy (Simon Baker), a new teacher who has taken over Luke's job. Suspecting they have little in common, James enlists Luke's help to persuade Roxy he is into the same books as her but Roxy quickly sees through his ruse. Although Luke manages to convince her James had meant well, James soon leaves town soon after being offered a better job. Roxy and James try to keep things going long distance but they soon fizzle out.
When a self-destructive Tug steals Roxy's car, she is forced to report him to the police and feels guilty when he is charged. She speaks in his defence in court, which enables to him escaping a custodial sentence. Roxy and Luke later learn Greg is selling the house and Roxy is horrified to learn Irene Roberts (Lynne McGranger) is an interested party and describes her as the landlady from hell, without realising her daughter Fin (Tina Thomsen) is in earshot. Irene responds by saying she will not keep Roxy on as a tenant so Roxy and Luke make plans to buy the beach house themselves. However, Roxy then decides to move back in with Sarah and the Stewarts.
Rob Storey (Matthew Lilley) returns to Summer Bay after some time away from the area, and is attracted to Roxy. She is unimpressed with him at first when he gets even with a driver who splashed his suit earlier, by putting a potato in the driver's exhaust pipe, but Roxy soon sees another dimension to Rob. After Roxy tells Rob of her feelings they begin a relationship, and are caught having sex on Donald Fisher's (Norman Coburn) kitchen floor by Irene. This soon becomes common knowledge much to the couple's embarrassment. While sharing a shower, Rob notices a lump in Roxy's breast and she is diagnosed with cancer. Rob supports her throughout and plans to propose until Roxy reveals she is not as serious about him. Roxy quietly leaves the Bay to undergo treatment. She later sends Alf and Ailsa a postcard and mentions she is living in Greece.
Leo Roberts of the Daily Mirror branded her "foxy Roxy". [4] Jason Herbison from Inside Soap opined that Roxy "ruffled a lot of feathers" during her time in the show. [5] A writer from All About Soap included the character in their "Hall of Fame" series and said that she and Rob were the "perfect couple". They opined that Roxy looked like the type of woman who "should wear a beret and a stripy T-shirt". Her painting style was described as "abstract" which did not "set the world on fire, but she used lots of bright colours and tried really hard". Roxy was "a hit" with the students of Summer Bay High because of her "mad creations" and the writer joked that Tracey Emin had better watch out. But they concluded that Roxy eventually became "disillusioned" by her art work. [6]
Alfred James "Alf" Stewart is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Ray Meagher. Alf was created as one of the show's eighteen original characters. Meagher originally auditioned for the role of Tom Fletcher, before being cast as Alf. He made his first appearance during the pilot episode broadcast on 17 January 1988. As of 2017, Meagher is the sole remaining original cast member and he holds a Guinness World Record for being the longest-serving actor in an Australian serial. For his portrayal of Alf, Meagher won the Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 2010.
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.
Ruth "Roo" Stewart is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Justine Clarke from 1988 to 1989. The character made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 January 1988. Clarke quit the role in 1989 and the character was written out. In August 2010, it was announced that Roo would return to Home and Away with Georgie Parker in the role. The character returned on 29 October 2010.
William Smith is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Zac Drayson. He made his first on-screen appearance on 13 February 1998. Will was a regular on the show from 1998 to 2002. He continued to make frequent guest appearances until 2005. In 2010, it was announced that the character and Drayson would be returning to the show. Will returned to the series as a guest with his daughter on 14 October 2010. On 7 February 2011, Will was finally revealed to have been the murderer of Penn Graham after a long running storyline. He left the series on 8 February 2011.
Nicholas Jasper "Nick" Parrish is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Bruce Roberts. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 4 March 1991 and departed on 10 June 1994.
Rob Storey is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Matthew Lilley. He appeared in the series from 13 July 1994 until 12 May 1995.
Sarah O'Neale is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Laura Vasquez. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 26 January 1993. Vasquez's screen-test for the role was one of her career highlights. Sarah is characterised as a "real good goody" female who is "very intelligent" and she arrives to study in Summer Bay. Sarah's main romance storyline is with Tug O'Neale. Subsequently Vasquez and Bancks became fixtures in the media, as interest increased about the nature of the actor's off-screen relationship. Mary Fletcher from Woman's Own wrote that Home and Away producers were infuriated by the reports because they felt it discredited the show's image. But the actors later denied any romance occurring off-screen.
Celia Stewart is a fictional original character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away played by Fiona Spence. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 26 January 1988. The character is portrayed as a gossiping busybody and spinster who occupies her time with the Presbyterian church. In her early appearances, she formed an alliance with Donald Fisher and, though she has conservative views, she is not malicious. After one year as Celia, Spence hoped that she would find romance and change her attire. Producers decided to implement change and added smart outfits to the character's wardrobe. Spence decided to leave the series in 1990 and Celia departed the same year. She has since reprised the role on four occasions. After carrying out missionary work in Africa she returned to Summer Bay in 2000, 2002 and 2005. In 2012, it was announced that Spence had agreed to return once again. Originally heralded as the chance for Celia to reconnect with her on-screen brother, Alf Stewart, it was later revealed that she was hiding a shameful secret.
Lucinda Claire "Lou" Croft is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Dee Smart. The character made her first screen appearance on 13 June 1991. Smart successfully auditioned for the role in her final year of drama studies and began filming in April 1991. Lucinda is characterised as a "tomboy" who rides a motorbike and has a self-assured persona. Lucinda arrives in Summer Bay to live with her uncle, Donald Fisher. Writers soon introduced her estranged brother David Croft and set up a romance with Nick Parrish.
Blake Dean is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Les Hill. Blake debuted on screen during the episode broadcast on 26 July 1990.
Simon Fitzgerald is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Home and Away, played by Richard Norton. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 25 September 1991. Norton was cast in the show after appearing in fellow soap opera Neighbours just a few months prior. Simon is characterised as a "joker" who enjoys playing pranks on his friends. Simon was introduced alongside his criminal father Bill Fitzgerald, who soon abandoned him. Writers paired Simon with Sophie Simpson for his first relationship story, despite the fact she is pregnant with another man's child. Producers decided to writer Norton out of the show after one year, which shocked Norton. This led him to accuse the show's production of promoting other cast members better in storylines. Simon departed during the episode broadcast on 24 July 1992.
Damian Roberts is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Matt Doran. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 6 November 1991. Ben Hamilton played a young Damian in flashbacks in 1997.
Finlay "Fin" Roberts is a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away, portrayed by Tina Thomsen. She made her first appearance during the episode airing on 18 September 1991 and departed on 20 May 1994. Thomsen made return guest appearances in 1996 and 1997. Jessie Bullions portrayed a young Finlay in a flashback in 1997.
Peter "Tug" O'Neale is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Tristan Bancks. The actor was selected from 200 people who had auditioned for the role and was contracted to appear for one month. Bancks soon joined the regular cast and Tug became a prominent character. Tug fills the role of the villain and is characterised by his "hardened, streetwise tough kid" image. The serial created a backstory consisting of a mother who abandoned him and an alcoholic father. Bancks has credited Tug's troubled childhood as the reason viewers were able to relate to him.
Shauna Bradley is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Home and Away, played by Kylie Watson. The actress received an audition for Home And Away in February 1999, but decided not to attend it as she did not think she would be successful. However, her agent persuaded her to go and she won the role of Shauna. As the part was her first acting job, Watson's agent booked her onto some acting classes and she began filming her first scenes in June. Watson made her first screen appearance as Shauna during the episode broadcast on 16 August 1999, Watson decided to leave Home and Away in 2001 and filmed her final scenes in June 2001, Shauna's final scenes aired on 5 October 2001. Watson returned for a brief stint in early 2002 and made her final appearance on 18 July 2002.