JUNE 2000

WHAT’S HOT DOWN UNDER

Want to know what’s going to happen in the world’s coolest street? Well, there’s no better way to find out than talking to the stars themselves! Every month, Neighbours.com catches up with your favourite Ramsay Streeter’s and asks them to reveal what’s coming up for their characters!

IN THE ARMS OF DANGER?

Tess Bell might be headstrong and intelligent, but when it comes to her estranged husband Brendan, the poor girl really doesn’t know which way to turn. In upcoming episodes, Brendan continues to sweet talk his way into her affections – despite the fact that he has a long history of mentally and physically abusing her. According to Krista Vendy, who plays the troubled school teacher, Tess’ stubborness is the thing that ultimately keeps her going back for more. “Tess has it in her head that she wants her marriage to work,” Krista says. “She doesn’t want to be seen as a failure, or to think she has failed herself. “She believes Brendan when he says that he has changed, because she wants to believe him. She doesn’t see any of the warning signs.” Nor does she listen to the advice of her neighbours. Stephanie Scully (Carla Bonner) and Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) are both alarmed when they learn Tess has allowed Brendan back into her life, and try to caution her. “The more people try to warn Tess about Brendan, the more Tess wants to be with him,” Krista says. “In fact, it gets to the point where Tess and Steph have a major falling out over it. Steph thinks Tess is walking into trouble, whereas Tess accuses Steph of trying to ruin her happiness.” Little does Tess know, Brendan is playing a double game. While he might be the picture of warmth and sincerity around her, he allows his good guy guard to drop when in the company of others. “I won’t say exactly what happens, but Brendan turns on a few people,” Krista says. “The viewers will see that he has a split personality, and is very good at manipulating people, especially Tess.” And where is this all leading? Krista is tight lipped, but she does admit that viewers have so far been very positive about the storyline. “I’m getting heaps of mail, especially from the UK,” she says. “People really seem to enjoy the storyline. A few even find it hard to separate me from my character, and try to tell me that I should leave him! That just goes to show how into the storyline they are!”

THE ROCKY ROAD TO THE ALTAR

It should be the happiest day of her life, but for Libby Kennedy, planning her wedding to the handsome Drew Kirk is becoming a total nightmare! According to Kym Valentine, who plays Libby, the trouble begins when her father, Karl, sees a rundown of the costs for the ceremony and reception. “Libby wants everything to be absolutely perfect, and chooses an expensive reception center,” Kym reveals. “When Karl finds out the price, he hits the roof and madly tries to find somewhere cheaper. “Of course, Libby is very upset when she learns what is going on. Under pressure from Susan, Karl ends up feeling really bad, and says ‘okay, I’ll pay for it’. “He realises Libby is only going to get married once – at least, that’s what they hope – and she deserves to have everything the way she wants it.” But money isn’t the only hiccup in the lead-up to the big day. As the guest list begins to grow bigger and bigger, Drew’s family voice their opinions on how the day should run. “The Kirk family put a lot of pressure on Drew and Libby, and they get to the point where they wonder if all the trouble is worth it,” Kym says. “That’s when Drew suggests they elope, and Libby seriously begins to consider the idea.” Does this mean we won’t be seeing an elaborate wedding in Erinsborough? Kym isn’t saying! “Well, all I can say is that whatever happens, it won’t go smoothly!” she teases. “No wedding ever does!”

ANDREW BIBBY INTERVIEW

We know him as nice guy Lance Wilkinson – but what is Andrew Bibby really like? Neighbours.com caught up with him, and yes, we discovered he’s a seriously nice guy too!

Neighbours.com: Do you come from a large family?

Andrew: Not really. I have two parents and a younger brother, that¹s all.

What were you like as a kid?

I was a show-off. I would do imitations of people doing imitations of other people, because I didn¹t really know who the people were at the time!

So you were always a natural born entertainer?

Yes, I think so. I was doing drama classes from the age of 8. I wasn¹t very co-ordinated, so I could never do sports! Drama school was right up my alley. Someone said I should get an agent, so I decided to give it a go. I was ten years old. I saw a few and one took me on, so that¹s when I started to take it all very seriously.

How old were you when you got your first job, and what was it?

I was thirteen, I think. It was a safety training video, the kind that gets sent around to schools. It was all about mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and that sort of thing. It was fun. I got to play the dork there, and got to jump into the Yarra River [in Melbourne] with my roller blades on.

How did combine acting with your school work?

I was pretty studious, and at that point I was just having a day off here and there, so it never became a big deal. I always made sure that school was my priority and I gave it the due attention.

What TV had you done before Neighbours?

I did a guest spot on A Country Practice, and also one on Blue Heelers. I also did a pilot for a TV show that didn¹t go ahead. Neighbours was my first big long-term role, though.

Do you recall your audition?

It was just a general audition - they had about five different parts, and I ended up getting the role of Lance. It was just a three month occasional role as Hannah¹s boyfriend. Then, about a year later, I went for the part of a character named John, who became Lance.

You had met Brooke Satchwell (Anne) before, right?

Yes, I went for a different job before Neighbours, which Brooke was also up for. It was another video, this time about youth suicide. I ended up getting it and she didn¹t. Then I was cast as John - or Lance - and I had to audition with other girls to see how we looked together as twins. When Brooke walked in we did the big ‘don¹t I know you from somewhere?¹, so it was really nice to catch up with her again. Then she got the part of Anne which was really cool, and we developed a great friendship.

Do you remember your first day of filming?

Yes, it was out on location. We were outside the coffee shop. I was with Rebecca Ritters, who played Hannah, and we were just drinking a milkshake while Jesse Spencer and Brett Blewitt did something in the foreground. We didn¹t have any lines, so it was a good way to start. But the next day I had to kiss Rebecca, which was a bit embarrassing! Fortunately, she¹s really nice.

As a newcomer, was there anyone on the show who was particularly helpful, or became a mentor to you?

Ailsa Piper was a big help to me. She¹d been acting in the theatre for twenty years, and had done just about everything. She took me under her wing, which was fantastic. She became like a second mum to me, and I felt that I could turn to her if I had any problems.

What about Brooke Satchwell? Why do you think you became such good friends?

Brooke and I went through the whole teething phase together - coping with the schedules, and the fame and notoriety and all that kind of thing. We bounced off each other really well, and could always pull each other up and say 'hey, your work is suffering because you are partying too much or whatever'. So that was great. We became really close amd still are, even though we don¹t see a lot of each other. It was our first job and we went through it all together, so I suppose that¹s something we will always look back and remember.

How do you think Lance has changed in the three and a half years you have been on the show?

He¹s changed a lot, and needless to say, has grown up a great deal. I suppose the biggest change for him was when his family left - his mum Ruth, and the inlaws, Phil and Hannah. That¹s when he had to move out of the nest and really grow up. Then, more recently, Anne leaving has also had a big effect on him. He¹s now on his own as far as family is concerned, so he¹s living with Joel and Toadie. They are not exactly the best influence on him! He¹s let loose and he¹s having fun, although he¹s still the same nervous and paranoid guy he was in the beginning!

Do you think audiences like Lance being the straight man all the time, or would they like him to become a bit more hip?

I think they like him the way he is. At the moment, I¹m working closely with Ryan Maloney (Toadie) and Daniel MacPherson (Joel), and we¹re all really different people and bring something new to the situation. Together, we have this dynamic and kind of compliment each other, I guess you could say. We bounce off each other and we know how each other works, yet were are constantly thrown into situations that we have to try and get ourselves out of. That¹s where the humour comes from.

Do you enjoy working with Ryan and Daniel?

Yes, we have a lot of fun together. I¹m glad Lance is doing storylines with them, because for a long time, he was always getting caught up in romantic entanglements. So it¹s good to be playing the sidekick to Toadie, and Joel is now doing all the romantic stuff.

Do you think you¹ve become more like Lance over the years, or visa versa?

If anything, we¹ve become more distinct from each other. I was fifteen and a half when I first got the role, and now I¹m nineteen. Through those years, any person does a lot of growing and self discovery. So I¹ve done a lot of growing up and I now have a better idea of who I am, and who Lance should be. I¹m more confident in general. I think the writers have also picked up on this.

What direction do you want to see Lance go in?

I just want to see him stay the way as he was when I was cast. I want him to be individual, and not get too hooked up with the other characters or their character traits. If you¹re not careful, that can happen really easily, and you all end up playing the same sort of interchangeable character.

How do you monitor this? Do you watch yourself on screen?

Yes. I also read the scripts really carefully and think 'how can I make this different' or 'how can I make this funny', so it¹s not the same as everyone else and what they are doing. I really enjoy exploring the character like that.

How did you become involved with CBMI (Christian Blind Mission International)?

I was doing a Christian radio show and that came to an end. So, a mate that I was working with on that, rang me up and invited me to lunch. Then, very sneakily over lunch, he started telling me about the charity and what they are doing. Suddenly, I found myself with time on my hands and I decided to become involved. I read up on it and learned all the statistics, and then toured around Australia and talked to kids about what was going on. Then I had the opportunity to go to the Philippines and see what was happening first hand, which was just amazing. It was great to be able to meet the people up close and see how it was changing their lives.

A lot of celebrities become involved in charities without really knowing much about them. Was it important to you to do the hard yards and experience things first hand?

I think so. For me, it¹s never been a cred thing or an ego thing. Some people even think that if you¹re a celebrity, then you should do something to give back to the community, but that¹s not the reason I became involved. I was genuinely interested. Also, it¹s not like world hunger where you think 'oh, the problem is so big, what can I do?'. I really saw that giving a small amount of money can help. When the people came out of the operations with their sight restored, it was such a great moment. They were hugging me and kissing me and I was saying 'well, I haven¹t really done anything'.

How did that experience change you as a person?

It changed me a lot. When I came back to the studios, I found muself sitting in the green room and listening to people worrying about what they were going to wear in the next photo shoot - that was the big stress of the day. It suddenly struck me that¹s it¹s not important. There are much more serious things happening out there. At the same time, I know we can¹t go around thinking that it¹s wrong to be the way we are, because we can¹t stop living our lives just because other people don¹t have it so good. But it sure makes you appreciate things more. I feel lucky and I don¹t take things for granted any more. I try not to be greedy about things.

Finally, what are you ambitions for the future?

I¹d like to go to drama school, and have a career on the stage. I¹m not ready for that yet, so training would be good. We have great drama schools in Australia, so I can do that here. I¹m also interested in working behind-the-scenes. I¹d probably be a director, because that¹s where the power is. When you think about it, actors are the bottom of the line!

 

Also coming up…

  • Stephanie finds herself a big hit on UNI-FM
  • A passionate kiss leads Joel and Dione to rekindle their romance
  • Paul finds himself attracted to Tad’s new girlfriend
  • Lou learns that you’re never too old to have your heart broken
  • Tad takes drastic action to get to know his real family
  • Joe is unable to accept Flick’s new boyfriend

LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!

Toadie Rebecchi (Ryan Maloney) and Lance Wilkinson (Andrew Bibby) might be the best of mates, but when it comes to matters of the heart, both are shaping up to be sworn enemies. You see, both Toadie and Lance are falling more and more in love with the same woman- Stephanie Scully. Sadly, for both boys, Stephanie does not feel the same way. “Steph sees Toadie and Lance as being mates,” says Carla Bonner, who plays the motorcycle riding tomboy. “She likes hanging out with them and having fun. From her point of view, there will never be anything more than friendship between them.” Looks like Stephanie will soon be nursing a pair of broken hearts…

NEXT MONTH
More of the usual News, Gossip and another cast interview to take you deeper into the lives of the people behind the characters.