Gaby Willis
Encyclopedia
Gabrielle "Gaby" Willis is a fictional character
from the Australian soap opera Neighbours
, played by Rachel Blakely
. She made her first on-screen appearance 12 August 1991. The character departed in 1994. Blakely reprised her role in 2005 for the show's 20th anniversary.
(Brad Willis). Of their casting, James Cockington of The Sydney Morning Herald
said "Despite some roller-coaster ratings of late, Ten still believes there is life in Ramsay Street and is introducing some new, young residents this week. Rachel Blakely, 23, and Scott Michaelson, 20, conform to the teen hunk/spunk category that has made E Street such a fun place to visit. Gaby and Brad, as they will become better known, appear as a boutique owner and her brother."
In April 2005, it was announced that Blakely had reprised her role of Gaby for Neighbours' 20th anniversary in July of that year.
after completing a business course over there. She poses as the family's lawyer in order to trick one of her father Doug's (Terence Donovan
) debtors into paying off a $10,000 debt in order for the family to bail her brother, Brad out of an Asian jail. After settling into the area, Gaby puts her fashion skills to good use and opens up her own Boutique called Gabrielle's. She goes into partneship with Caroline Alessi
(Gillian Blakeney). Guy Carpenter (Ian Williams) and Glen Donnelly
(Richard Huggett
) both express in a interest in Gaby but she prefers Glen and they become a couple. Gaby and Glen split up and she uses Guy to make Glen jealous and a shouting match begins when Glen arrives at Number 24 where Guy lives. When Gaby confronts Glen about his behaviour, he proposes and she accepts. The engagement does not last as Glen suffers a fall from the roof of Lassiter's on Christmas Day and is left paraplegic as a result. He later flees Erinsborough.
Gaby's problems are not helped when her aunt Faye Hudson (Lorraine Bayly
) accidentally leaves on a fan heater, causing the boutique to burn. After a rebellious phase, Gaby decides to take stock of her life after she sees Brad score a job at The Waterhole as head barman. Gaby then becomes secretary at The Robinson corporation office at the Lassiter's complex.
When Simon Hunter (Fred Whitlock), a client of Lassiter's meets Gaby, she is smitten with him and they go away to hotel in the country for the weekend. Simon attempts to rape Gaby but she flees and returns to Erinsborough to press charges. Doug finds out and is enraged. Doug and Brad confront Simon, resulting in Doug beating him up. Simon then blackmails Gaby into dropping the attempted rape charges by threatening to sue Doug, who is more than willing to wear the punishment. Gaby ultimately wants to put the matter behind her and decides not to press charges.
Wayne Duncan
(Jonathon Sammy-Lee) arrives in Erinsborough and immediately makes an enemy of Gaby when he tries to get her attention in the bar and she accuses him of groping her and promptly pours beer all over him. Gaby's grandfather, Bert (Bud Tingwell) soon figures there
is an obvious attraction between the two and soon sets about matchmaking. Gaby and Wayne's relationship is a rocky one as Wayne does not get on with Gaby's mother, Pam (Sue Jones) and Gaby being jealous of his close friendship with housemate Annalise Hartman
(Kimberly Davies). The final straw comes when Wayne is accused of murdering Cactus, a biker who beat him up in a case of mistaken identity and Gaby doubts his innocence as Wayne is known to keep a gun in the garage. After Wayne is cleared, he breaks up with Gaby as he feels hurt by her suspicions.
Gaby later takes flying lessons and falls for her instructor Jack Flynn (Mark Pennell). Jack tells Gaby he is a virgin and she is sympathetic until a former student reveals he used the same line to get her into bed several years earlier. Jack tells Gaby that the student was bitter that he refused to sleep with her. Jack's true colours emerge when he begins making advances on Lauren Carpenter
(Sarah Vandebergh) and Gaby's younger sister, Cody (Peta Brady
) and she dumps him. To get over this, Gaby and Annalise go on a pre-christmas flight but suffer a crash landing which they both survive.
After her family overhear a telephone conversation, Gaby admits she is pregnant and Jack is the father. Gaby refuses to let Jack have anything to do with the baby at first, but eventually agrees to let him support the child financially. One weekend at a resort with the family, Gaby discovers she is bleeding and convinced she will lose the baby, but is relieved when she discovers the bleeding is from the placenta and she is required to rest in order to heal. Gaby eventually goes into labour and gives birth to a son. She plans to name the baby Shannon but neighbour Cheryl Stark
(Caroline Gillmer
) has the same idea for using the name for her daughter born on the same day. In the end, both women give their children the respective names of Zac and Louise.
Rosemary Daniels
(Joy Chambers
) offers Gaby the opportunity to become manager of the Darwin branch of Lassiter's and she accepts. During this time, Gaby becomes closer to Jack again and he agrees to move up North nearby. Gaby and Zac then leave Erinsborough. Annalise and her fiance Mark Gottlieb (Bruce Samazan
) later visit while on a Varitey Club bash road tour. Doug and Pam later sell up and move to Darwin near Gaby. Gaby then offers Rick Alessi
(Dan Falzon
) a job working for her and he accepts. In 1996, Cody is killed during a shootout and she is buried with the family attending the funeral in Darwin.
When Annalise makes a documentary film about Ramsay Street feautring past residents, Gaby appears in the film outside talking of her experiences and how driven she was to climb any corporate ladder and mentions she is still managing Lassiter's in Darwin.
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".
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Australian soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, played by Rachel Blakely
Rachel Blakely
Rachel Blakely is an Australian actress. Her works include films such as Love Until, Young Hercules and Counterstrike, as well as guest appearances on television shows such as Xena: Warrior Princess, State Coroner and Flipper; from 2006 to 2007 she starred as Glenda Fry in the Australian...
. She made her first on-screen appearance 12 August 1991. The character departed in 1994. Blakely reprised her role in 2005 for the show's 20th anniversary.
Casting
Blakely was introduced to the cast as Gaby in August 1991, alongside Scott MichaelsonScott Michaelson
Scott Michaelson is an Australian actor and manager who is most famous for playing Brad Willis in Neighbours...
(Brad Willis). Of their casting, James Cockington of The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
said "Despite some roller-coaster ratings of late, Ten still believes there is life in Ramsay Street and is introducing some new, young residents this week. Rachel Blakely, 23, and Scott Michaelson, 20, conform to the teen hunk/spunk category that has made E Street such a fun place to visit. Gaby and Brad, as they will become better known, appear as a boutique owner and her brother."
In April 2005, it was announced that Blakely had reprised her role of Gaby for Neighbours
Storylines
Gaby arrives home from JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
after completing a business course over there. She poses as the family's lawyer in order to trick one of her father Doug's (Terence Donovan
Terence Donovan (actor)
Terence Donovan , also known as Terry Donovan, is an English-born Australian actor and the father of fellow actor and entertainer Jason Donovan...
) debtors into paying off a $10,000 debt in order for the family to bail her brother, Brad out of an Asian jail. After settling into the area, Gaby puts her fashion skills to good use and opens up her own Boutique called Gabrielle's. She goes into partneship with Caroline Alessi
Caroline Alessi
Caroline Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Gillian Blakeney. She made her first on-screen appearance on 18 January 1990 and remained until 11 May 1992.-Characterisation:...
(Gillian Blakeney). Guy Carpenter (Ian Williams) and Glen Donnelly
Glen Donnelly
Glen Donnelly is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Richard Huggett. He made his first on-screen appearance on 7 December 1990. Glen was the secret son of Jim Robinson. He arrives in Ramsay Street to meet his father and to ask for money to pay for his...
(Richard Huggett
Richard Huggett
Richard John Huggett is a British citizen noted for standing in a variety of elections using descriptions which were similar, but not identical, to those of established political parties, leading to this practice being outlawed under the Registration of Political Parties Act 1998.Most notably he...
) both express in a interest in Gaby but she prefers Glen and they become a couple. Gaby and Glen split up and she uses Guy to make Glen jealous and a shouting match begins when Glen arrives at Number 24 where Guy lives. When Gaby confronts Glen about his behaviour, he proposes and she accepts. The engagement does not last as Glen suffers a fall from the roof of Lassiter's on Christmas Day and is left paraplegic as a result. He later flees Erinsborough.
Gaby's problems are not helped when her aunt Faye Hudson (Lorraine Bayly
Lorraine Bayly
Lorraine Daphne Bayly AM is an Australian actress.She is best known to television audiences for her portrayal of Grace Sullivan, the dignified, warm-hearted mother figure in the drama series The Sullivans 1976-1979, dealing with life for an ordinary Australian family during the Second World...
) accidentally leaves on a fan heater, causing the boutique to burn. After a rebellious phase, Gaby decides to take stock of her life after she sees Brad score a job at The Waterhole as head barman. Gaby then becomes secretary at The Robinson corporation office at the Lassiter's complex.
When Simon Hunter (Fred Whitlock), a client of Lassiter's meets Gaby, she is smitten with him and they go away to hotel in the country for the weekend. Simon attempts to rape Gaby but she flees and returns to Erinsborough to press charges. Doug finds out and is enraged. Doug and Brad confront Simon, resulting in Doug beating him up. Simon then blackmails Gaby into dropping the attempted rape charges by threatening to sue Doug, who is more than willing to wear the punishment. Gaby ultimately wants to put the matter behind her and decides not to press charges.
Wayne Duncan
Wayne Duncan
Wayne Duncan is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jonathon Sammy-Lee. He made his first on-screen appearance on 4 February 1993. Wayne became a teacher at Erinsborough High...
(Jonathon Sammy-Lee) arrives in Erinsborough and immediately makes an enemy of Gaby when he tries to get her attention in the bar and she accuses him of groping her and promptly pours beer all over him. Gaby's grandfather, Bert (Bud Tingwell) soon figures there
is an obvious attraction between the two and soon sets about matchmaking. Gaby and Wayne's relationship is a rocky one as Wayne does not get on with Gaby's mother, Pam (Sue Jones) and Gaby being jealous of his close friendship with housemate Annalise Hartman
Annalise Hartman
Annalise Kratz is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Kimberley Davies. She debuted on-screen in the episode airing on 15 January 1993 and departed in 1996, and a brief return in 2005. Annalise has often been portrayed as having a conniving persona...
(Kimberly Davies). The final straw comes when Wayne is accused of murdering Cactus, a biker who beat him up in a case of mistaken identity and Gaby doubts his innocence as Wayne is known to keep a gun in the garage. After Wayne is cleared, he breaks up with Gaby as he feels hurt by her suspicions.
Gaby later takes flying lessons and falls for her instructor Jack Flynn (Mark Pennell). Jack tells Gaby he is a virgin and she is sympathetic until a former student reveals he used the same line to get her into bed several years earlier. Jack tells Gaby that the student was bitter that he refused to sleep with her. Jack's true colours emerge when he begins making advances on Lauren Carpenter
Lauren Carpenter
Lauren Carpenter is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Sarah Vandenbergh. She made her first on-screen appearance on 18 February 1993. Lauren is the youngest child of Kathy and Lou Carpenter and sister to Guy...
(Sarah Vandebergh) and Gaby's younger sister, Cody (Peta Brady
Peta Brady
Peta Brady is an Australian actress. She is best known for playing Cody Willis in the TV soap opera Neighbours. Since she left the show, Brady has appeared in the film Mullet, the TV sitcom Kath & Kim and the SBS series RAN ...
) and she dumps him. To get over this, Gaby and Annalise go on a pre-christmas flight but suffer a crash landing which they both survive.
After her family overhear a telephone conversation, Gaby admits she is pregnant and Jack is the father. Gaby refuses to let Jack have anything to do with the baby at first, but eventually agrees to let him support the child financially. One weekend at a resort with the family, Gaby discovers she is bleeding and convinced she will lose the baby, but is relieved when she discovers the bleeding is from the placenta and she is required to rest in order to heal. Gaby eventually goes into labour and gives birth to a son. She plans to name the baby Shannon but neighbour Cheryl Stark
Cheryl Stark
Cheryl Stark is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Caroline Gillmer. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 26 July 1993. Colette Mann took over the role for eight weeks from late 1995 to early 1996 whilst Gillmer was ill...
(Caroline Gillmer
Caroline Gillmer
Caroline Gillmer is an Australian actress, best known for her roles in various television series, such as Prisoner as Helen Smart and Neighbours as Cheryl Stark....
) has the same idea for using the name for her daughter born on the same day. In the end, both women give their children the respective names of Zac and Louise.
Rosemary Daniels
Rosemary Daniels
Rosemary Daniels is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Joy Chambers. She made her first on-screen appearance on 20 February 1986 and appeared intermittently. Rosemary is the adoptive daughter of Helen Daniels and the sister of Anne Robinson....
(Joy Chambers
Joy Chambers
Joy Chambers is an Australian actress and author. She is best known for such television soap opera roles as Rita Merrick in The Restless Years, Dr Robyn Porter in The Young Doctors, and Rosemary Daniels in Neighbours. Chambers has played Rosemary since 1986. Rosemary is the only character who has...
) offers Gaby the opportunity to become manager of the Darwin branch of Lassiter's and she accepts. During this time, Gaby becomes closer to Jack again and he agrees to move up North nearby. Gaby and Zac then leave Erinsborough. Annalise and her fiance Mark Gottlieb (Bruce Samazan
Bruce Samazan
Bruce Samazan is an Australian actor who appeared in several soap operas and drama series on Australian television, the only actor to have played regular roles in Australia's "Big Three" soap operas of the 1990s .-E Street:Samazan was a brickie's labourer, until 1989 when he accompanied his...
) later visit while on a Varitey Club bash road tour. Doug and Pam later sell up and move to Darwin near Gaby. Gaby then offers Rick Alessi
Rick Alessi
Riccardo "Rick" Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Dan Falzon. He made his first on-screen appearance on 8 June 1992 and he remained until his departure on 9 March 1995.-Casting:...
(Dan Falzon
Dan Falzon
Dan Falzon is an Australian actor of Maltese descent, best known for his role as Rick Alessi on the television soap opera Neighbours. He also appeared in the Channel Nine drama The Alice, as a park ranger. He also formed the short lived pop group Milk with his brother, releasing the single...
) a job working for her and he accepts. In 1996, Cody is killed during a shootout and she is buried with the family attending the funeral in Darwin.
When Annalise makes a documentary film about Ramsay Street feautring past residents, Gaby appears in the film outside talking of her experiences and how driven she was to climb any corporate ladder and mentions she is still managing Lassiter's in Darwin.
Reception
The BBC said Gaby's most notable moment was "Surviving a plane crash with Annalise".During a feature on Neighbours, Anna Pickard of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
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".
External links
- Character profile at the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...