Chris Pappas (James Mason)

[Serena Williams]

I don't think he's a 'bad' gay character, he's just a character that happens to be gay. I like it, it's not like gayness defines him. And I thought him and Aidan were quite a normal couple and I also thought it was good that they had their first broadcast kiss as them just kissing at a party, rather than making a big deal out of the whole thing. They had normal relationship problems rather than it being all about sex.

Soap operas are about love and romance and although Chris storylines shouldn't always be about his sexuality it is an important part of his life. The straight characters on neighbours get to kiss and have romance. So why can't Chris? Neighbours comes across as very homophobic, backwards and pedestrian.

The writers do everything in their power to AVOID giving Chris a proper love life. You mention Chris kissing Aidan of course it was to the side. I guess two gay men kissing is considered gross for the UK and Australian television audience. Chris and Aidan hardly kissed what's the point having a gay character on the show if he can't have a love life?

[Serena Williams]

Not all gay people are flaming queens, you know! I like Chris, I think they have portrayed him sensitively and accurately, and most importantly AS A NORMAL GUY. If he's at all reticent about his sexuality, 1. It's still early days and he's shy, 2. he lives in a small place - you don't go shouting your business out in places like that, 3. he's getting on with his life and hoping love comes his way, rather than going out and shagging a different guy every night, which is a negative stereotype and one that doiesn't need perpetuating. I have known people like Chris, that's why his character is so endearing.

Would you prefer it if he was a bleached, shaved, permatanned flamboyant hairdresser? Because that stereotype belongs back in the last century.

I am not talking about Chris mannerisms I am talking about his lack of a sex life and a relationship. The writers have done a good job not to stereotype Chris as a gay hairdresser he's a mechanic which is good. However, the writers at Neighbours are deliberately AVOIDING giving Chris a love life just like the straight characters. The double standards and the homophobia are disturbing.

[tammyy2j]

I like Chris

[Perdita]

'Chris wants to find love again'



Neighbours star James Mason has helped to break new ground for the Aussie soap with his portrayal of Chris Pappas, Ramsay Street's first ongoing gay character.

More than three years after he arrived on screen, Chris remains a firm favourite with fans and looks set to remain in the thick of things in the coming months.

With Chris now single again and his closest friends having left the Street, Digital Spy recently caught up with James to hear about the next chapter for his character.

You've now had over three years at Neighbours. Are you still enjoying it as much as when you first started?
"I am! It's been about three and a half years now and it's been amazing. I suppose in any other job you might get bored after that length of time, but Neighbours is so different and it's always going to be the place where my acting career first started.

"The thing that keeps it interesting is that we've probably had two major 'renovation' periods in the show during that time, in terms of cast coming in and out. There was a period when I first joined Neighbours where a lot of regular cast members left and a lot of new people came in, including myself. That always keeps things interesting and changes things up.

"More recently, we've had new producers and a new story team come in, so the show is always being renewed in some way. As a cast member, it's great to watch those changes unfold and it motivates you to keep going and be part of this new direction of Neighbours."

Chris was originally introduced as a guest character. Did you have any idea then that he'd be around three years later?
"I had absolutely no idea! When you come in as a guest character, you never know what your future will be on the show. I came in and for all I knew at that point, I'd be around for three or four weeks. I was really surprised when they kept calling me back.

"One funny thing is that when I was first cast, I knew right away that Chris was going to be a gay character, but in the first three weeks when I received my scripts, I noticed that there wasn't any mention of it. I wondered whether they'd decided to avoid it altogether, but much to my surprise, they were a bit sneaky and held onto the secret for a long while.

"It was nearly a year into my guest contract when the viewers found out that Chris was gay, so they drew it out, which was a fantastic thing for me because it gave me a journey on the show and we could see the response to Chris. A lot of guest cast have already gone by the time their episodes air, so I guess by dragging it out like that, I was able to get a response from the audience. That possibly led to the fact that I'm still on the show now!"

As Chris is the first ongoing gay character for Neighbours, do you still get a lot of feedback from fans?
"Yeah, I do. The fans have been fantastic with the way that they've backed Chris up. It's great that what we're doing with the character is being supported so much by the audience. I think that's because it's something that Neighbours has never done before and a lot of Australian shows have never done before. That's really why Chris was introduced, as there'd been a high demand from Neighbours viewers to see a character like him.

"It's also great that people can be so passionate and defensive about the character! I don't want to give away too much, but at the moment in Australia we're broadcasting a storyline where Amber Turner starts developing feelings for Chris. We're getting all these people saying, 'If Chris turns straight, I'm not watching it anymore!' It's great to see that people are really for the character - there a lot of people out there who really want to see a gay character that they can relate to."

As this had never really been done before on the main two Aussie soaps, were you nervous about the response?
"I guess it was a bit of a worry at the start. I wondered whether there'd be negative feedback, but in another sense, we approached this character very carefully.

"Susan Bower, who was the executive producer at the time, wanted the storyline to be as genuine, sensitive and as real as possible. We didn't want to sensationalise it by jumping straight into a kiss or anything like that, so it all unfolded very slowly. I think a lot of people could relate to that and we had a lot of faith that we were handling the story in the right way."


© Channel 5
Chris with first boyfriend Aidan Foster.


A lot of fans were sad to see Chris and Aidan split earlier this year. Would you like Chris to have another long-term boyfriend?
"I really loved working with Bob Morley who played Aidan. Right from when we first met, we had a friendship which seemed to translate well on screen. We have quite similar personalities and that just makes it so much easier to work with someone, especially when we're doing something which is very different to our own lives.

"We shot some scenes on Neighbours that have never been done on the show before, in particular the first male gay kiss. A lot of people really loved that relationship, so it just goes to show that if we want to deliver what the fans want, then another long-term boyfriend is certainly an option down the track."

What's coming up for Chris in the next few months?
"There are potential relationships coming up for Chris. There are a couple of different guys who come in and out, so I guess Chris is really just assessing his relationship status and how he wants to go about things.

"Chris is cautious of how his last relationship has ended, so he doesn't want to get hurt again. You'll see that Chris does want to find love, but he doesn't want to jump straight into it. He's willing to sit on the outer and assess things until he finds someone that he's really compatible with.

"Aside from that, there's a great bond between Chris and Amber - they form a really great friendship. With Mason working at the garage, Chris doesn't really trust him and the way he goes about things, because he's a little bit sneaky! There's a bit of stuff to work through with those two. We'll also see the Willis family come into the show, and Chris has quite a bit to do with them.

"I actually think Chris is a really interesting character because he's the only person on the street who's not related to anyone else at the moment. I think that makes him the link between a lot of people on the street, as he mingles in with everyone."

You worked very closely with Valentina Novakovic (Tash), Jordy Lucas (Summer) and Jordan Smith (Andrew), who've all left Neighbours. Are you missing having them around?
"Definitely. It's certainly a different dynamic because not only do they bring a spark to the scenes that they're in, they also bring something special to work every day because of their personalities off-camera. Every time somebody leaves, there's a personality missing in the room.

"But even though it's sad, you're also happy for them because you know they're going onto other things they want to pursue. It's an inevitable process when the show has been going on for so long. It does feel like a new generation now because Chris was part of the Tash/Summer/Andrew group, but he now gets a new friendship group with the new cast members coming in. He also steps up into the world and goes into the slightly older group. It's a new chapter of my time on the show."


© Channel 5
Chris with former characters Tash and Summer.


Do you share the same US ambitions as some of the departed cast members?
"I tend to keep my options pretty open. As long as I'm acting, I don't care where I am or what I'm doing - whether it's Australia, US or the UK - or even whether it's stage or TV. I just want to build a career around acting. I haven't really decided how long I want to stay at Neighbours - it's something that I'm going to take one step at a time. You can't really think 12 months or two years ahead, because things constantly change all the time.

"In terms of goals and aspirations, I would like to try my luck overseas at some point, take to the stage a little more, and get involved in different areas of the art. To me, it's about experience and adventure, and if I get to do that for the rest of my career, I'd be pretty grateful!"

Earlier this year, you swapped the screen for stage by starring in a play called Flame Trees. Does Neighbours give you time off to pursue other things?
"Well, in this case, the part was offered to me through a friend of mine who used to storyline at Neighbours. He wrote and produced the play. It was the perfect time of year and the perfect role. It was more of a supporting role, but it was still a significant part of the play.

"We were rehearsing at night and it was during the time of year where we don't do any night shoots on Neighbours, so that worked really well for me because I had the time to do it. It was great to experience something that I haven't dived into before.

"I have since spoken to the people at Neighbours and if you give enough notice, they will give you time off to pursue other things. Theatre is such an art and you can bring so much back to Neighbours after doing it.

"Through doing Flame Trees I've learned so much, not only about theatre but my acting in general. It helps to refresh the character of Chris and bring new skills back into the show. The producers at Neighbours can see that and are happy for the cast to develop their skills. There's never a point in your career where you know too much!"


© Channel 5
Chris with recently-departed character Sophie.


Away from Neighbours, you do a lot of charity work, including being an ambassador for mental health charity Headspace in Australia. How did you get on board?
"Headspace really got me involved in the homophobia side of their work, obviously based around my character. I haven't been through these experiences myself, but through Chris, I can get an understanding of how people who experience homophobia feel and how hard it must be for them.

"I was also bullied when I was at school so I'm very passionate about stopping bullying. It can have such an effect on people, especially young people who don't really know who to turn to or how to deal with it. If you keep it locked inside, it can really damage you.

"Having experienced that first hand, I can understand where homophobia victims are coming from because it's a form of bullying and it needs to be stopped. There are so many people who are damaged and suffering in their later lives from things that happened to them when they were younger. It's really disappointing to see that this is still going on in this day and age.

"Getting behind Headspace helps to get the word out there that help is available if you need it. People shouldn't be ashamed to come out and say they're being bullied or that someone is being homophobic."

You've also been doing the Live Below The Line charity challenge which has meant living on $2 a day for five days. How have you found it?
"I didn't expect it to be quite so hard, but it's been really good because it's been such a challenge. I've been living on nothing but oats for breakfast, pasta for lunch, rice for dinner and a bit of frozen veggies scattered around those meals! I also managed to get hold of a couple of bananas and a loaf of bread which fitted into my budget.

"I've been feeling a bit flat while I've been doing it, but I'm managing to survive! I love following through with a challenge, and it's also great to raise money and awareness for Live Below The Line. They're working to provide food, textbooks, education and scholarships for communities around the world who are in extreme poverty. I'm very lucky to only be doing it for five days, while people around the world experience this all the time."

Out of the established cast members at Neighbours, you're one of the only ones who hasn't been flown over to the UK for promo work and TV interviews. Would you like to come over?
"I would love to come to the UK - but unfortunately, I don't think it's in my control! I guess I just have to wait my turn! People are being sent over in sets of two by the Neighbours production and they've been doing that for about two years now. I'm waiting to get the nod, but I'd be over there in a flash.

"You guys over in the UK are pretty much our biggest audience, and you're probably the reason that we're still going. You provide us with a job and we provide you with a television show! The UK supports us so well, so the least we can do is provide you with a bit of time and a bit of thanks. I'd love to be over there, and if my time doesn't come soon, I might just have to make it soon!"

[Perdita]

Neighbours mechanic Chris Pappas takes a risk on UK screens later this month as he decides to make a go of things with his new love interest Hudson Walsh.

Chris (James Mason) had been enjoying getting to know the new guy in his life until he discovered that Hudson had been taking performance-enhancing drugs to help with his swimming.

Although Hudson (Remy Hii) starts to turn his life around in upcoming episodes, Chris thinks that it's far too early for him to be pursuing romance and insists that they should just be friends.

However, when Chris finds himself fiercely defending Hudson to an unforgiving Josh Willis at Charlie's, he starts to realise that perhaps his feelings run deeper.

Back at Number 26, Hudson is delighted when Chris admits that there could be a future for them after all.

As the pair share a kiss, are they finally back on track?


Chris and Hudson get to know each other.
© Channel 5
Chris and Hudson get to know each other.


Chris kisses Hudson.
© Channel 5
Chris kisses Hudson.


Chris and Hudson kiss.
© Channel 5
Chris and Hudson kiss.

Neighbours airs these scenes on Wednesday, August 21 at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5.

[Perdita]

Neighbours mechanic Chris Pappas shocks his loved ones on UK screens next month as he starts behaving completely out of character.

Chris, played by James Mason, shows a whole new side to his personality as he continues to struggle following Hudson Walsh's arrest for killing Robbo Slade.

Although Chris has been feeling bad for a while, he is pushed to breaking point when he discovers that Josh and Brad Willis have both been asked to provide character references for Hudson, while he hasn't been contacted at all.

Deciding that he needs to move on from his romance with Hudson once and for all, Chris has a one-night stand with a random guy, ignoring warnings from Kate Ramsay that he's making a mistake.

The next morning, Chris feels awkward as his new man insists on sticking around for breakfast. Chris quickly looks for a way to get rid of him, but it won't be the last time that he seeks comfort in the arms of a stranger…

Sheila meets Chris's 'new guy'
© Channel 5
Sheila meets Chris's 'new guy'


Chris's guy is shocked to see Sheila
© Channel 5
Chris's guy is shocked to see Sheila


Chris introduces Sheila to his 'new guy'
© Channel 5
Chris introduces Sheila to his 'new guy'

Neighbours airs these scenes on Friday, November 8 at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5.

[Perdita]

Neighbours mechanic Chris Pappas goes off the rails over the next few weeks, as he continues to struggle with his split from Hudson Walsh.

With Hudson (Remy Hii) facing a bleak future in jail, Chris feels downbeat and depressed until he starts indulging in self-destructive behaviour and one-night stands to cheer himself up.

Digital Spy recently caught up with James Mason, who plays Chris, for his thoughts on exploring a whole new side to his popular character.

What was this storyline like for you to film?
"It was really interesting. I think we all, every now and again, look for something a little bit different - and for me this was that storyline. It was a chance to find a side of Chris that isn't necessarily shown all that often, if ever. It's very refreshing to have these little episodes where Chris does show the other side of himself, which people might not have known was in him. I really enjoyed exploring it."

As Chris is clearly depressed in this story, we've heard that you drew on some of your experiences with Headspace, a charity you're an ambassador of.
"Yes, Headspace is a national youth mental health foundation here in Australia. Recently we've been working with people who are dealing with homophobia, depression and anxiety. It was great to use some of my knowledge of that in the storyline, as obviously by getting involved I'm learning more about these sorts of issues.

"It's actually really surprising to see the number of people out there who are suffering from this kind of thing. Our biggest aim right now is to create awareness, because I think people don't always understand that this is going on around them. You don't necessarily know when someone is going through depression - it can be something that just slips by you. The whole idea is just to create the awareness that it's not going to jump out at you and there may only be subtle signs.

"In terms of acting, every little bit of information I learn about people and the human mind is another thing that I can put towards my work. Acting really is just understanding people and emotions, so the more I understand the psychology of people, the better I can portray that."

Were any of the scenes challenging to film?
"I guess Chris's sleepwalking was in particular. I tried to portray it as best as I could. I've been known to have bouts of sleepwalking myself, but obviously in those cases you're not conscious enough to really know how it works! The next best thing is to try and research it, but unfortunately there wasn't a lot of information about sleepwalking that I could find.

"It was a big challenge and very different, because it's a different style of acting and there really is no standard or single way of looking at it. At the end of the day, it was just down to how I saw Chris's situation, so I kept it fairly basic, but I think I got across the reality of it too."

Did you know all along that Hudson would be Robbo's killer?
"For a certain amount of time, it was kept back from the cast as a surprise. The producers tend to tell us these things at the last minute, just to keep the suspense! Remy's total time on the show was about three months, so it was probably a good six weeks into it that he found out. He knew first, which was kind of fitting.

"Remy came to us in the green room one day with a big smile on his face and said, 'I know who killed Robbo!' We said, 'What? Come on, you've got to tell us!' Before that, it was nice to have a bit of a surprise and a few of us were even hoping that we'd be the killer.

"It was a big shock when we found out it was Remy, because there were people who were leaving the show at the time and we thought it could potentially be them. Like the audience, we were all guessing who was the killer, which was fun."

We haven't seen the last of Remy as some future scenes see Chris visit Hudson in prison. Can you tell us about those?
"Chris has gone off the rails by this point, so Kate, Sheila and Kyle have all had enough of his behaviour. He's not just destroying himself, but also destroying his relationships with everyone around him. His friends are all fed up, but they also care for him and want to do the best by him.

"Kate decides to take Chris to see Hudson. This is against his will of course, because Chris won't co-operate, but she forces him to go to the prison to get some closure. In the storyline, there's a letter that Hudson has left for Chris, but he is determined not to read it because he is scared of what it might say."

What happens next?
"When Chris finally sees Hudson, he finds out the truth behind why Hudson has been avoiding him and cutting him out of his life. Once he gets that closure, it changes the way Chris now feels about Hudson. He's no longer angry, but he's still pretty sad that Hudson is in jail.

"After a chat with Kyle, Chris suggests to Hudson that they should have a long-distance relationship while he's in prison. It takes a bit of persuading, because Hudson is looking out for Chris and doesn't want to put them both in a situation where they're going to get hurt again down the track. In the end, they agree and decide to see how it goes."

Are you missing working with Remy?
"Yeah, definitely. Remy is such a fantastic guy and we get along really well. Any on-screen relationship needs to also be based on a genuine connection in real life, otherwise it doesn't tend to come across very well. Lucky for us, it's not like we had to try.

"Remy and I are quite similar in our personalities, much like Bob Morley (Aidan) and myself were. We had that chemistry there already, which was really good and it made it really comfortable to do things that might not usually be so comfortable. When you trust and enjoy working with the person you're acting opposite, it makes it a lot easier and more fun.

"Remy is really talented and fun to work with, so I really hope that there's a bit more stuff coming up with us in the future. Whether it's on screen or off screen, we'll still be a part of each other's lives for a long time to come."

Neighbours' executive producer Richard Jasek recently promised some "big family stories" for Chris next year. Are you excited by what's coming up?
"We really don't know too much about what's coming up, unfortunately for us as we're always ever-interested to find out what's next! The reason we don't know too far ahead is that the story team and producers don't release information too soon, just in case there are potential changes which need to be made. There's a certain timeframe in place before they tell us things.

"In saying that, I have heard that Chris's parents will be coming back into the show at some point, which is fantastic as Chris is the only permanent character on the street who doesn't have any family on screen. It'll be great to have those guys in - Lliam [Amor] and Katerina [Kotsonis] who play Chris's parents were really great in the stuff they've done previously. As they're a family to me on screen, I feel like we've made a connection, which is nice.

"I'm not too sure what that storyline will involve yet, but I know that they'll hopefully be in for a while. I'm interested to find out a bit more about it myself!"

[Perdita]

Neighbours mechanic Chris Pappas takes his anger out on Josh Willis later this month, as he continues to behave out of character.

Josh, played by Harley Bonner, is horrified when he sees that an article that he was interviewed for has been turned into a salacious piece about Hudson and Chris.

Chris (James Mason) is already causing concern for his friends due to his erratic behaviour ever since Hudson was arrested for the hit and run incident that killed Robbo Slade.

Worried about how Chris will react to the article, Josh tries to put his fears aside as he joins the search for Rhiannon Bates's son Jackson, who has gone missing.

However, Chris is already in a foul mood after another run-in with his boss and when he catches Georgia reading the article online, he's enraged by the intrusion into his privacy.

He tracks down Josh for an explanation but when Josh tries to justify his actions, Chris snaps and punches him in the face...

Chris confronts Josh over the article.
© Channel 5
Chris confronts Josh over the article.


Chris is furious about the article.
© Channel 5
Chris is furious about the article.


Chris punches Josh.
© Channel 5
Chris punches Josh.

Neighbours airs these scenes on Friday, November 22 at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5.

[Perdita]

Neighbours mechanic Chris Pappas will find himself in further jeopardy on UK screens later this month as he is arrested for assaulting Josh Willis.

Kate, Kyle and Shelia are horrified to discover that Chris, played by James Mason, has lashed out at Josh after finding an offensive article in the newspaper about him and Hudson.

Although Chris does regret his act of violence, he shows no signs of giving up his destructive behaviour, and the police soon arrive to charge him with assault.

Chris is arrested for punching Josh.
© Channel 5
Chris is arrested for punching Josh.


Matt arrests Chris.
© Channel 5
Matt arrests Chris.


Chris is arrested.
© Channel 5
Chris is arrested.


Kyle (Christopher Milligan) is becoming increasingly fed up with Chris and warns him that if he doesn't change his ways soon, everyone will give up on him.

Kate isn't ready to give up, though, and tries to convince Brad to drop the assault charges against Chris. However, Josh refuses to let it go and remains anxious after being told that he can't train until he's had another CT scan as a result of his injury.

Later, Chris considers reading the letter Hudson sent to him, knowing that it could help him move on, but he eventually decides that he is still too angry and decides to burn the letter instead...

Neighbours airs these scenes on Monday, November 25 at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5.

[Serena Williams]

Not all gay people are flaming queens, you know! I like Chris, I think they have portrayed him sensitively and accurately, and most importantly AS A NORMAL GUY. If he's at all reticent about his sexuality, 1. It's still early days and he's shy, 2. he lives in a small place - you don't go shouting your business out in places like that, 3. he's getting on with his life and hoping love comes his way, rather than going out and shagging a different guy every night, which is a negative stereotype and one that doiesn't need perpetuating. I have known people like Chris, that's why his character is so endearing.

Would you prefer it if he was a bleached, shaved, permatanned flamboyant hairdresser? Because that stereotype belongs back in the last century.

I never said Chris had to be a queen to be gay work on your reading comprehension skills. My argument is, Chris is BORING he isn't allowed a REAL LOVE LIFE like the heterosexual characters on the show. Chris hardly kisses other men and he certainly doesn't get to have a passionate kissing either.