The Willis family are a fictional family from the Australian soap opera Neighbours. They were introduced by Don Battye in 1989, but left screens in 1996, before being reintroduced in 2013. The first family member to be seen on-screen was Brad Willis, who appeared in a guest capacity from October 1989, and then his sister Cody from November. The family became a more permanent fixture with the arrival of patriarch Doug Willis and his wife Pam, who moved onto Ramsay Street the following year. Cody was the last family member to regularly appear in the show until her on-screen death in 1996, which brought Pam back briefly to bury her daughter.
In 2013 Richard Jasek reintroduced a grown-up Brad with a new family; wife Terese, and twin teenagers Josh and Imogen. Doug and Pam returned in guest capacities, while Brad's long lost child Paige Smith joined the family a year later, and Brad and Terese's youngest daughter Piper arriving in 2015. The family was completed by Brad's eldest son Ned Willis in 2016, who arrived the same week that both Josh and Doug were killed off in "Hotel Death Trap Week", in which Lassiter's Hotel exploded.
Bradley "Brad" Willis made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 31 October 1989. He was initially played by Benjamin Mitchell, before Scott Michaelson took over the role two years later.[1] Brad was re-introduced alongside his sister, Gaby (Rachel Blakely), during a period of roller coaster ratings for the show.[1] A reporter for the Herald Sun called Brad "one of the show's most popular characters" and commented that Michaelson had a huge following because of his "blonde surfer looks."[2] For his portrayal of Brad, Michaelson earned a nomination for Most Popular Actor at the 1993 Logie Awards.[3]Kip Gamblin took over the role in June 2013 when Brad and his family returned to the show.[4]
Cody Willis, played by Amelia Frid, made her first on-screen appearance on 24 November 1989. Frid successfully auditioned for the role of Cody and she called the experience a "right time, right place thing", she also added that "it was all kind of surreal."[5] Cody became the second member of the Willis family to arrive in Ramsay Street and she dates both Josh Anderson (Jeremy Angerson) and Todd Landers' (Kristian Schmid).[6] Cody is described as a "studious girl".[6]
Douglas "Doug" Willis , played by Terence Donovan, made his first screen appearance on 1 August 1990. Doug is described as being a "bit of a Regular Joe who didn't like rocking the boat or standing out from the crowd." He is also "a man's man" who is not afraid of using his fists and takes great pleasure from making home-brewed beer with Lou Carpenter (Tom Oliver).[7] A writer for the BBC said Doug's most notable moment was "Having an affair with Jill Weir."[8] Donovan made a brief return for the show's 20th anniversary celebrations in July 2005.[9]
Pamela "Pam" Willis (previously Beresford), played by Sue Jones, made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 6 August 1990. Jones was cast in the role following a screen test.[10] Pam is characterised by her helpful personality, she loves her four children and continually tries to help them out. Pam extended her caring nature through her time on the show working as a nurse.[11] Josephine Monroe praised Pam in her book Neighbours: The first 10 years stating: "A real salt-of-the-earth-type. Pam could always be relied on to help out, especially if it benefited one of her four children."[11] The BBC said Pam's most notable moment was "Kicking Doug out of the house after having he told her about his affair with Jill Weir."[12]
Adam Willis, played by Ian Williams, made his first appearance on 9 August 1990. Williams was invited to play the role of Adam shortly after he appeared in Bony, another Grundy production.[13] Williams said the part appealed to him as it was flexible and Adam's humour kept him "fired up."[13] Williams explained that he felt similar to his character as they both loved their families, but he was not impressed with Adam's naivety.[13] The BBC said Adam's most notable moment was "Chauffeuring a Lassiter's client while wearing a toga."[14]
Gabrielle "Gaby" Willis, played by Rachel Blakely made her first on-screen appearance 12 August 1991. A highly ambitious woman who works in the Robinson Corporation, though her aggressive nature is somewhat tempered after she gives birth to son Zac. Gaby becomes the proprietor of the upmarket boutique "Gabrielle's" until her departure in 1994. In 2005, Blakely was one of over twenty ex-cast members who returned to Neighbours to appear in Annalise Hartman's documentary film about Ramsay Street.[9]
Cameron Hudson, played by Benjamin Grant Mitchell, made his first appearance on 24 March 1992.[15] Mitchell had recently finished appearing in the Victorian State Opera's production of The Wizard of Oz.[15] Cameron is the son of Faye Hudson (Lorraine Bayly), who arrives in Ramsay Street in to defend his aunt Pam Willis (Sue Jones) who is accused of murdering Garth Kirby (Roy Baldwin).[15] Cameron is able to prove Pam's innocence successfully. Cameron repairs his fraught relationship with Faye and moves in with her at Number 32. After Faye moves out, Cameron invites Beth Brennan (Natalie Imbruglia) to move in with him. Cameron becomes involved with Jacqueline Summers (Tiffany Lamb) after he helps her on a case but the relationship ends when he finds that he could be facing legal proceedings for becoming involved with a client and when Jacqueline realises he is not completely convinced of her innocence in the case.
Cameron later finds himself offside with the Martin family when he defends Raymond Chambers (Greg Parker) who is accused of trying to abduct Hannah (Rebecca Ritters). Despite Chambers' ex-wife mentioning that he had previously tried to kidnap their daughter in Hong Kong and eyewitness testimony from Toby Mangel (Ben Geurens), Chambers is acquitted, furthering Cameron's stress and he begins to doubt himself as a lawyer. When Cameron intervenes in a confrontation between Chambers and Toby, He is even more convinced of Chambers' guilt and when Cameron arrives home, he finds Chambers' waiting for him in the dark and he blames Cameron for his life being ruined. Cameron forces Chambers to get help and after he breaks down in tears, Chambers hands himself in to the police and confesses to the abduction. The Martins apologise for their treatment of Cameron.
After Helen Daniels (Anne Haddy) wants to rent Number 32 to the Martins, Cameron and Beth move in with Lou Carpenter (Tom Oliver). During this, Cameron does some investigating and discovers Gavin Heywood (Peter Hosking) is involved in some shady business. When Heywood catches Cameron, He has him roughed up by some thugs and is about to have him thrown down a lift shaft. Cameron offers to work for Heywood to prevent being killed and uses this to gain more information. Heywood then begins involving members of Cameron's family in his business.
Cameron's life is endangered again when he overhears Heywood and his associate Noddy (Richard Piper) plot to kill him but he engineers a plan which results in Heywood's downfall. Cameron then changes career track and becomes a journalist for the Erinsborough news but is frustrated and surprises everyone with his next career choice, stand-up comedy.
When Lou's daughter, Lauren (Sarah Vandenbergh) arrives from Queensland, Cameron is smitten with her but does not know she is having an affair with Cameron's cousin, Brad (Scott Michaelson). In order to ward off Cameron's suspicions, Lauren agrees to go out with him. The truth later emerges and Cameron leaves Erinsborough in disgust.
Bert Willis, played by Bud Tingwell, made his first screen appearance on 18 February 1993.[16] Bert is Doug (Terence Donovan) and Faye's (Lorraine Bayly) father.[17] He walked out on his wife and children when they were young, leading to a falling out with Doug that lasted for many years.[17] Bert's granddaughter, Gaby (Rachel Blakely), got in touch with him and they began a correspondence. She and her mother later invited Bert to stay with them, although Doug was against the idea.[17] An Inside Soap writer commented "He won't tell them what the problem is, and they think that whatever it is, they can re-build the relationship. But they've got to work fast because times's not on their side."[17]
Bert is asked to come and stay with his family in Erinsborough by his granddaughter Gaby. Bert tries to explain and apologise to his son, Doug, for walking out on him and the family. However, Doug is unable to forgive him and asks that he leave. While speaking to Wayne Duncan (Jonathan Sammy Lee), Bert reveals that he is dying and Wayne realises that he came to make amends before he died. He eventually tells Doug about Bert's condition and Doug manages to stop his father from leaving on a boat, before making up with him. Bert is grateful to Wayne for his part in the reunion with Doug. He tells Gaby that his dying wish is to see her and Wayne get together as a couple.
The episode featuring Bert's revelation about his terminal cancer was nominated for the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Episode in a Television Drama Serial in 1993.[18]
Terese Willis, played by Rebekah Elmaloglou, made her first screen appearance on 14 May 2013.[19] The character and Elmaloglou's casting was announced on 7 February 2013.[4] The actress and her family relocated to Melbourne to be closer to the set.[20] Shortly before she began filming her first scenes, Elmaloglou had to ask the producers to change the pronunciation of her character's name.[21] Terese was introduced as the second wife of Brad Willis (Kip Gamblin). The couple were joined by their teenage twins; Josh (Harley Bonner) and Imogen (Ariel Kaplan).[4] Elmaloglou thought Terese was the kind of person she would be friends with and thought they were similar in terms of how organised they both were.[22] Terese first comes to Erinsborough to meet with Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis), who believes he is interviewing her for a job at Lassiter's Hotel.[20]
Imogen Willis, played by Ariel Kaplan, made her first screen appearance on 20 May 2013.[4][23][24] The character was announced on 7 February 2013, while Kaplan's casting was revealed on 18 February.[25] Kaplan was studying at the 16th Street Actors Studio in Melbourne in 2012 when she was offered the role of Imogen.[26] Imogen is Joshua's (Harley Bonner) twin sister and the teenage daughter of Brad (Kip Gamblin) and Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou).[23] Kaplan commented "I love the character, she is outwardly confident and very comfortable in her own skin, and doesn't feel she has to impress anyone by doing things she might regret. I think she is a great role model for young girls."[26] Imogen often feels sidelined by her family and resents things being organised around Joshua's potential swimming career.[26] While Bonner commented that Joshua and Imogen have a love-hate relationship.[27]
Joshua "Josh" Willis, played by Harley Bonner, made his first screen appearance on 20 May 2013.[4][24] The character was announced on 7 February 2013, while Bonner's casting was revealed on 18 February.[25] The actor was persuaded to attend the audition for the role by his agent.[27] Bonner said that he was nervous on his first day on set because he and his on-screen family had only just met and had to pretend to be a family unit straight away.[27] Josh is the teenage son of Brad (Kip Gamblin) and Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou).[25] Bonner stated that Josh is driven and does not let anything get in his way. He gets on well with his parents, but has a love-hate relationship with his twin sister Imogen (Ariel Kaplan).[27] Josh was also an elite swimmer, which means Bonner had to embrace his character's hobby and spend a lot of time in a local pool during filming.[28]
Paige Smith (previously Novak), played by Olympia Valance, made her first screen appearance on 2 June 2014.[29] The character and casting was announced on 9 March 2014.[29] Paige marks Valance's first acting role and she won the part after a lengthy audition process, which included multiple call-backs.[29] Valance described her character as being "cool and sexy and a bit edgy". She thought viewers would love Paige, especially as she is not mean.[29] Series producer Jason Herbison thought Valance was "the perfect fit for Paige" and called the character "fiery".[29] Paige was revealed to be the daughter of Lauren Carpenter (Kate Kendall) and Brad Willis (Kip Gamblin).[30] When Paige learned that her biological parents were looking for her, her curiosity was piqued and she decided to go to Erinsborough to learn more about them. Paige initially decided to keep her identity a secret.[30]
Piper Willis, played by Mavournee Hazel, made her first screen appearance on 16 September 2015.[31] The character has often been mentioned since the arrival of her on-screen family in May 2013, while Hazel's casting was announced on 18 August 2015.[32] The actress relocated to Melbourne for filming and commented "It's a great feeling to be rewarded with the role of Piper after years of hard work, especially when I fell in love with the character after my first audition."[31] Ahead of her first appearance, the character was featured in a series of webisodes titled Hey Piper, which see her talking to her family via online video calls.[33] Piper is the youngest daughter of Brad (Kip Gamblin) and Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou). She has been away studying in Canada.[32] Hazel stated that she and the producers had a similar idea of how they wanted the character to be, and she was billed as being "feisty" and "quirky".[31]
Ned Willis, played by Ben Hall, made his first screen appearance on 6 April 2016.[23] Hall's casting was announced on 11 March 2016, while the character has been referred to for several years following his off-screen birth.[23] Following his initial guest stint, Hall later returned to filming and Ned returned on 10 August.[34][35] Ned is the son of Brad Willis (Kip Gamblin) and Beth Brennan (Natalie Imbruglia).[23] His introduction united all of Brad's children on-screen for the first time.[23] Hall explained that Ned has been living with his grandparents in Darwin.[36] Ned is a tattoo artist and Hall commented that it would lead to some "mischief".[36] He also described Ned as being "very complex" and "quite manipulative", adding "he has had a bit to deal with and it's really interesting how his story line pans out."[23] The character was reintroduced as a regular on 20 June 2018.[37]
Roxy Willis, played by Zima Anderson, made her first appearance on 29 April 2019. The character and Anderson's casting details were announced on 14 April 2019.[38] Anderson had wanted to secure a role on Neighbours since she moved to Melbourne, where it is filmed, two years prior.[39] Of joining the cast, Anderson stated "I've been so lucky with the role of Roxy, I've already found myself in a wide range of crazy situations from virtually the first scene which has been so much fun and really challenged me, I'm constantly learning."[38] Roxy is introduced as "a wild girl from the Northern Territory" and the niece of regular character Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou), although Anderson pointed out that she is not actually related to Terese by blood.[39] She is the daughter of Adam Willis (Ian Williams) and Gemma Ramsay (Beth Buchanan).[40][41] Gemma hopes Terese can sort out Roxy's rebellious ways using her own experiences.[41] Anderson described Roxy as being "very fun and very naughty". She is also "full of heart", "bubbly", "sporadic and does whatever she wants."[39] Roxy's older boyfriend Vance Abernethy (Conrad Coleby) was also introduced shortly after her arrival.[41]
Reception
During a feature on Neighbours, Anna Pickard of The Guardian tried to choose the characters she would be most starstruck by if she met them. She said "It would have to be the Willis family. All of them. Pam, Doug, Adam, Gaby, Brad and Cody".[42]
Related Research Articles
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.
Pam Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Sue Jones. Pam was introduced by executive producer Don Battye as the matriarch of the newly introduced Willis family. Jones initially turned down an offer to appear in the show, before changing her mind. She was cast as Pam after a screen test. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 6 August 1990.
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.
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.
Douglas "Doug" Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Terence Donovan. Doug was introduced by executive producer Don Battye as the patriarch of the newly introduced Willis family. Donovan explained that being part of "a loving family" was one of the main reasons he accepted the role. He said he was happy to stay around for as long as the producers wanted him. Donovan made his first screen appearance as Doug during the episode broadcast on 18 July 1990.
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.
Joshua "Josh" Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Harley Bonner. The actor was cast in the role after being persuaded to attend the audition by his agent. He began filming his first scenes in early February 2013. Bonner's character and his 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. He made his first screen appearance during "Episode 6646", which was first broadcast on 20 May 2013. Bonner left Neighbours to pursue new acting opportunities, and Josh was killed off during the episode broadcast on 5 April 2016.
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.
Matt Turner is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Josef Brown. The actor was cast shortly after he completed a guest stint on rival soap opera Home and Away. Brown relocated to Melbourne for filming and he shot his first scenes as Matt in October 2012. The character was created and introduced to Neighbours as the husband of Lauren Carpenter, who was reintroduced after nineteen years as part of a major overhaul of the show's cast. Matt made his first screen appearance alongside his family during the episode broadcast on 7 February 2013. Brown departed Neighbours on 25 March 2015, following Matt's death. Brown reprised the role for one episode on 9 August 2016.
Paige Carpenter-Smith is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Olympia Valance. The actress was cast in February 2014 after a lengthy audition process, which included four call-backs. Series producer Jason Herbison said Valance was cast in the role as she was "the perfect fit" for the character. Valance had been a successful model prior to her casting and Paige marked her first acting role. Valance's half-sister Holly Valance previously appeared in the show as Felicity Scully. Valance was initially contracted for three years. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 2 June 2014. Valance filmed her final scenes in November 2017 and Paige's departure aired on 30 March 2018. Valance returned on 24 February 2020, as part of the serial's 35th anniversary celebrations. On 4 May 2022, Valance confirmed that she was returning for the show's final episodes and Paige returned on 20 July 2022 until the show's final episode on 28 July 2022.
Tyler Brennan is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Travis Burns. The actor was asked to audition for the role in 2014, while he was working in the United States. After winning the role, Burns relocated to Australia. Neighbours marks Burns' first Australian television acting job. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 6 February 2015. Burns left the cast in late 2017, and Tyler made his on-screen departure on 27 February 2018. He made a brief return from 16 October 2018, and again on 3 April 2019.
"Episode 7202" is the 7202nd episode of the Australian soap opera Neighbours. It premiered on Eleven on 1 September 2015. The episode was written by series producer Jason Herbison and directed by Declan Eames. It is Neighbours' first three-hander in its thirty-year history. Typically episodes of the show feature the ensemble cast and multiple on-going storylines. Episode 7202 focuses on the conclusion to a long-running love triangle between Lauren Turner, Brad Willis and Terese Willis. Herbison hoped the episode would be memorable for viewers, while Gamblin was grateful that he, Elmaloglou and Kendall were trusted enough with it.
Piper Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Mavournee Hazel. The actress went through a long casting process, which involved her travelling to Melbourne to audition three times. Months later, she was offered the role. Hazel then relocated to the city from Sydney within three days, so she was available for fittings and filming the following week. Ahead of her first episode, Piper was introduced to viewers in a four-part webisode series called Hey Piper. She made her first appearance in the main show during the episode broadcast on 16 September 2015. Hazel chose to leave her role to pursue further acting opportunities, and her final scenes aired on 3 April 2019.
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.
The "Erinsborough High Fire" is a storyline from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours that ran on 20 and 21 October 2015, airing over episodes 7237 and 7238. These episodes were broadcast on 4 and 5 November 2015 in the United Kingdom. The storyline sees the fictional Erinsborough High School engulf in a deliberately-lit fire, which leads to a long arson mystery. Involving half the cast, the storyline was Neighbours' big stunt event of the year and came about when Paul Robinson sells the school to Eden Hills Grammar for it to be closed, causing the staff and the students to protest in a school sleep-out. Many characters' have their storylines climaxed whilst being trapped in the fire, including the love triangle between Brad Willis, Lauren Turner and Terese Willis when Brad chooses to save Lauren over Terese. Expecting mother Amber Turner and Susan Kennedy are trapped in a classroom during the fire when Amber goes into labour and the two are forced to decide whether to "fight or flight" in "genuinely frightening" scenes.
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