Kirsty Phillips
Encyclopedia
Kirsty Sutherland is a fictional character
from the Australian Channel Seven
soap opera
Home and Away
, played by Christie Hayes
between 2000 and 2005 and again from 2008 to 2009. Kirsty first debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 19 June 2000 and has been involved in one of the serial's most controversial storylines in which she knowingly started a relationship with a man who sexually assaulted her sister. Other notable plots include a baby swap plot, two miscarriages and a string of relationships including one with her supposed half-brother. Actress Hayes began playing the role at age thirteen and has quit the serial on two occasions.
In 2009, Hayes decided to leave the serial again and filmed her final scenes in August. She cited that the time felt right, but added she was happy she had come back for the time she had. Hayes later said that she is not planning to return in the future, but will not completely rule it out.
(Sam Atwell
) proved to be one of the serial's most controversial storylines in its history. The controversey stemmed from a previous storyline in which Kane sexually assaulted her sister Dani Sutherland (Tammin Sursok
), knowing this Kirsty pursues Kane. Atwell later departed and the storyline was fased out until the revalation that the storyline had actually proved so popular with viewers that producers brought back Atwell's character to resume their relationship. Producer's decided to capitalise on the pairing's popularity by making a tie in Book, CD and a DVD titled Home and Away: Hearts Divided.
(Josh Quong Tart
) which leads her to run away from Summer Bay without telling him. This was out of character for Kirsty to not tell Miles, Hayes branded the exit as selfish and during an interview why she did it, stating: "It's horrible! It's so selfish but I forgive it because I see Kirsty in her right mind wouldn't have actually done that. She's emotionally detached and I think she thought at the time she was doing the best thing [...] She thinks that if she talked about it with Miles, he'd try and talk her out of it and she might stay and then they'd be stuck going back and forth." However Hayes still disapproved of the way it was handled stating: "I don't agree with what she did or how she did it but Kirsty in her warped, grieving mind thinks it's best for everybody." Paula Forrest
also returned as her on-screen mother Shelley Sutherland
for her departure, Hayes was delighted by this and stated: "That was fantastic! We both know our characters back to front and, even though she hasn't played Shelley for a very long time, it was like no time had passed at all. Leaving Home and Away was really an emotional time for me, so I loved having a mother figure there." Hayes also praised her exit storyline citing it as realistic to just leave without being killed off or being part of a dramatic illness plot.
(Chris Egan), then Seb Miller
(Mitch Firth). She later falls in love with Dylan Russel (Brett Hicks-Maitland
), they begin a relationship but his mother Angie Russel (Laurie Foell
) claims he is fathered by Rhys Sutherland
(Michael Beckley
) meaning they are siblings. Disgusted they break things off, many months later it's revealed that Angie lied. She later falls in love with Kane even though he raped her sister Dani. This leaves Dani devastated and she tries to break them up on a nu7mber of occasions. Kirsty pretends that she is pregnant and keep the lie up for a while, unable to cover it up she then pretends to miscarry. Kirsty then shockingly discovers she is actually pregnant for real, she then has to tell everyone the news, after a few weeks in an ironic turn of events she miscarries for real. Dani accidentally runs Kane over and the she is sentenced to imprisonment, Kirsty also believed she did it on purpose. Everyone comes to accept her relationship in the end when they realise Kane's changed.
Kirsty and other members of her family later get trapped down a mine shaft, she and Jade Sutherland
(Kate Garven
) use their twin psychic powers to contact each other and get out alive. She later finds out her real twin isn't Jade after there was a mix up at birth and Laura DeGroot
(also played by Hayes) is her real twin. She later flee's summer bay with Kane for a life on the run, Kirsty is also pregnant. Three years later they return with the help of Irene Roberts
(Lynne McGranger
). Kane goes to prison after he blows the prom dance up. Kirsty starts working at the Diner, then she gets a job at the school where she falls for Miles, they begin a relationship. Martin Bartlett (Bobs Baines), the headmaster then falls for her and act creepy towards her. He threatens to sack her for not liking his advances, when that doesn't work he sacks Miles instead. Kirsty becomes pregnant, then miscarries. She and Miles break up but later try to patch things up, her mother Shelley returns to patch things up with her, she leaves with her son Ollie Phillips (Oliver Davis) without telling Miles.
branded her final episode as a real tear jerker. Holy soap also brand her wedding to Kane as "bizarre" because of the double wedding and stated "it's little wonder" that the pair had a private wedding.
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 Channel Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
, played by Christie Hayes
Christie Hayes
Christie Lynne Hayes is an Australian actress, best known for her work on the television series Home and Away as Kirsty Phillips who she played from June 2000 to February 2005 and again from May 2008 to October 2009. Hayes is the sister of actress Katherine Hayes.-Personal life:Hayes is the...
between 2000 and 2005 and again from 2008 to 2009. Kirsty first debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 19 June 2000 and has been involved in one of the serial's most controversial storylines in which she knowingly started a relationship with a man who sexually assaulted her sister. Other notable plots include a baby swap plot, two miscarriages and a string of relationships including one with her supposed half-brother. Actress Hayes began playing the role at age thirteen and has quit the serial on two occasions.
Casting
Actress Christie Hayes auditioned for the role when she was thirteen years old and secured it. In 2008 it was revealed that Hayes was returning to the serial and likened it to returning home when she stated: "It felt like coming home after I had moved out already, everything changed but was really still the same, it was refreshing and exciting."In 2009, Hayes decided to leave the serial again and filmed her final scenes in August. She cited that the time felt right, but added she was happy she had come back for the time she had. Hayes later said that she is not planning to return in the future, but will not completely rule it out.
Characterisation
On the subject of Kirsty's personality changes during her time away from Summer Bay, Hayes stated: "As a mum, she has become protective of her kids around her, but is still trying to figure herself out." Speaking of Kirsty overall development after Hayes finished filming, she stated: "I like how the character's been resolved and the way she's grown up - she was a little girl when she first arrived and now she's not only divorced but even had a storyline where she needed money and started working as an escort!"Relationship with Kane Phillips
Kirsty's relationship with Kane PhillipsKane Phillips
Kane Phillips is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Sam Atwell in 2001 and 2002, as a regular cast member from 2003 to 2005 and on a recurring basis again from 2008–2009-2001-05:...
(Sam Atwell
Sam Atwell
Samuel Atwell is an Australian television and movie actor perhaps best known for his role as Kane Phillips in the soap opera Home and Away. Born in Nambour, Queensland, he and his family lived in Indonesia for 6 years before returning to Queensland where he grew up in Brisbane...
) proved to be one of the serial's most controversial storylines in its history. The controversey stemmed from a previous storyline in which Kane sexually assaulted her sister Dani Sutherland (Tammin Sursok
Tammin Sursok
Tammin Pamela Sursok is an Australian actress and musician of South African origin. She is best known for the role of Dani Sutherland on Home and Away, as Colleen Carlton on The Young and the Restless and as Siena in Disney Channel's Hannah Montana...
), knowing this Kirsty pursues Kane. Atwell later departed and the storyline was fased out until the revalation that the storyline had actually proved so popular with viewers that producers brought back Atwell's character to resume their relationship. Producer's decided to capitalise on the pairing's popularity by making a tie in Book, CD and a DVD titled Home and Away: Hearts Divided.
Exit
Kirsty's exit storyline aired in 2009. One of her final storylines is her miscarriage and subsequent breakdown of her relationship with Miles CopelandMiles Copeland (Home and Away)
Miles Copeland is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Josh Quong Tart. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 30 November 2007. Ryley Mickle and Jackson Edwards played Miles in flashback sequences, showing him at ages three and...
(Josh Quong Tart
Josh Quong Tart
Josh Quong Tart is an Australian actor who has performed in several television, commercial and film roles.-Biography:...
) which leads her to run away from Summer Bay without telling him. This was out of character for Kirsty to not tell Miles, Hayes branded the exit as selfish and during an interview why she did it, stating: "It's horrible! It's so selfish but I forgive it because I see Kirsty in her right mind wouldn't have actually done that. She's emotionally detached and I think she thought at the time she was doing the best thing [...] She thinks that if she talked about it with Miles, he'd try and talk her out of it and she might stay and then they'd be stuck going back and forth." However Hayes still disapproved of the way it was handled stating: "I don't agree with what she did or how she did it but Kirsty in her warped, grieving mind thinks it's best for everybody." Paula Forrest
Paula Forrest
Paula Forrest is an Australian actress, best known for playing the role of Shelley Sutherland on the long-running Australian soap opera Home and Away...
also returned as her on-screen mother Shelley Sutherland
Shelley Sutherland
Michelle "Shelley" Sutherland is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, portrayed by actress Paula Forrest from 2000-2002, 2003, 2004, 2009....
for her departure, Hayes was delighted by this and stated: "That was fantastic! We both know our characters back to front and, even though she hasn't played Shelley for a very long time, it was like no time had passed at all. Leaving Home and Away was really an emotional time for me, so I loved having a mother figure there." Hayes also praised her exit storyline citing it as realistic to just leave without being killed off or being part of a dramatic illness plot.
Storylines
Kirsty arrives with the rest of her family and take over the caravan park. She finds love with Nick SmithNick Smith (Home and Away)
Nicholas "Nick" Smith is a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. He had a short guest stint on the show in 1999, played by Matt Guarez, and was then brought back as a regular in 2000 played by actor Chris Egan, staying with the show until 2003.- Background :Nick was the...
(Chris Egan), then Seb Miller
Seb Miller
Sebastian "Seb" Miller is a fictional character on the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by actor Mitch Firth between 2001 and 2004....
(Mitch Firth). She later falls in love with Dylan Russel (Brett Hicks-Maitland
Brett Hicks-Maitland
Brett Hicks-Maitland is an Australian actor. He is best known for his role in the hit Australian TV series Home & Away.-Training:...
), they begin a relationship but his mother Angie Russel (Laurie Foell
Laurie Foell
Laurie Foell is an Australian actress. She is best known for her portrayal of both Angela "Angie" Russell and her cousin Josie, on the successful Australian television soap opera Home and Away. Foell also starred as Dr...
) claims he is fathered by Rhys Sutherland
Rhys Sutherland
Rhys Sutherland is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, portrayed by actor Michael Beckley from 2000 to late 2004....
(Michael Beckley
Michael Beckley
Michael Beckley is an Australian actor. He played Rhys Sutherland in the Australian television soap opera Home and Away. He has also appeared in Water Rats, Farscape and A Country Practice. He appeared in Cabaret at the Lyric Theatre in London as Ernst Ludwig and as part of the Mamma Mia...
) meaning they are siblings. Disgusted they break things off, many months later it's revealed that Angie lied. She later falls in love with Kane even though he raped her sister Dani. This leaves Dani devastated and she tries to break them up on a nu7mber of occasions. Kirsty pretends that she is pregnant and keep the lie up for a while, unable to cover it up she then pretends to miscarry. Kirsty then shockingly discovers she is actually pregnant for real, she then has to tell everyone the news, after a few weeks in an ironic turn of events she miscarries for real. Dani accidentally runs Kane over and the she is sentenced to imprisonment, Kirsty also believed she did it on purpose. Everyone comes to accept her relationship in the end when they realise Kane's changed.
Kirsty and other members of her family later get trapped down a mine shaft, she and Jade Sutherland
Jade Sutherland
Jade Sutherland is a fictional character on the Australian soap opera Home and Away, portrayed by actress Kate Garven from 2000 to 2004....
(Kate Garven
Kate Garven
Kate Garven is an Australian actress best known as Jade Sutherland on the television series Home and Away, playing the role from 2000 to 2004.She grew up in the Hills Area with her family on an Acreage....
) use their twin psychic powers to contact each other and get out alive. She later finds out her real twin isn't Jade after there was a mix up at birth and Laura DeGroot
Laura DeGroot
Laura DeGroot was a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. Both Kirsty Sutherland and Laura DeGroot were played by actress Christie Hayes....
(also played by Hayes) is her real twin. She later flee's summer bay with Kane for a life on the run, Kirsty is also pregnant. Three years later they return with the help of Irene Roberts
Irene Roberts
Irene Roberts is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Lynne McGranger. She was previously played by actress Jacqui Phillips from 1991 until 1992 when McGranger took over the role. Irene was originally a recurring character, in 1993 McGranger...
(Lynne McGranger
Lynne McGranger
Lynne McGranger is an Australian actress best known for her role as Irene Roberts on soap opera Home and Away. She is the second-longest serving cast member as she joined in 1992 in the show at the moment, taking over from Jacqui Phillips.-Life and career:McGranger was originally a primary school...
). Kane goes to prison after he blows the prom dance up. Kirsty starts working at the Diner, then she gets a job at the school where she falls for Miles, they begin a relationship. Martin Bartlett (Bobs Baines), the headmaster then falls for her and act creepy towards her. He threatens to sack her for not liking his advances, when that doesn't work he sacks Miles instead. Kirsty becomes pregnant, then miscarries. She and Miles break up but later try to patch things up, her mother Shelley returns to patch things up with her, she leaves with her son Ollie Phillips (Oliver Davis) without telling Miles.
Reception
The Armidale Express commented on Kirsty's relationship with Kane stating: "The Romeo and Juliet love story between Kane and love interest Kirsty (played by Christie Hayes) still remains one of the greatest (if not most controversial) Home And Away love stories." Soap opera coverage website Holy SoapHoly Soap
Holy Soap is a UK television and entertainment website founded in June 2009 by the British television company Channel 5. The website is the official UK home of the Australian soap operas Home and Away and Neighbours, which are broadcast on the channel...
branded her final episode as a real tear jerker. Holy soap also brand her wedding to Kane as "bizarre" because of the double wedding and stated "it's little wonder" that the pair had a private wedding.