Andrew Morley joins Neighbours

[pyrocanthus]

What a hunk!! Do we know what sort of a character he will be playing in Neighbours?

[Perdita]

What a hunk!! Do we know what sort of a character he will be playing in Neighbours?

His character, John Doe, does not have any family ties to the ensemble, but has a mysterious background, which Paige (Olympia Valance) will help him uncover.

[kmti234]

Here's a transcript from an actor who audtioned as John Doe.

A scene between Paige & John Doe. This will probably be shown in April. John Doe will be Paige's new love interest.

PAIGE: Hey there - remember me?
JOHN DOE: When do you think you'll get sick of that joke?
PAIGE: Never hurts to check.
JOHN DOE: Your name is Paige Smith, you go to uni. You work in Harold's Store. You got expelled from some posh private school in Adelaide. You like to box and when you laugh, your nose crinkles up, a little bit like an angry squirrel.
PAIGE: I told you all that?
JOHN DOE: Yeah. Except for the angry squirrel bit. That was an observation.
PAIGE: But all that other stuff?
JOHN DOE: You've paid me a few visits now. I think you talk more than you realise.
PAIGE: You've got a good memory. Sorry, I didn't mean -
JOHN DOE: No, no, it's okay. It's the truth - I do have a good memory. It just doesn't go back any more than two weeks.
PAIGE: Yeah but that's okay. Cos everything that happened more than two weeks ago was boring.
JOHN DOE: I'll have to take your word for it.
PAIGE: How could it not be boring? You hadn't met me yet. Must've been the most boring life ever.
JOHN DOE: Yeah, maybe but at least I would've known who I was.
PAIGE: I'm sorry.
JOHN DOE: No, it's alright.
PAIGE: No, it's not. I was trying to make you smile but it was thoughtless. Please, forgive me.
JOHN DOE: Of course. I mean, you are the only person that visits me aside from doctors, nurses, police and social workers.
PAIGE: No-one's come to see you yet?
JOHN DOE: No. Must be some great person, huh? I mean, I have been lying in this bed for two weeks. Police have circulated my information to the media; I've been photographed, fingerprinted, interviewed but no family's come looking for me; no friends. No-one's even chasing me for unpaid bills and I'm obviously Australian - I can't even use the excuse that I'm not from this country. What the hell did I do with my life, just to be so unnoticeable?
PAIGE: I don't know how or why you got here but I do know you're a good person, OK? You're nice and funny and brave and I'll not rest until I find out who you are.
JOHN DOE: You don't have to feel obligated to help me.
PAIGE: I'm doing it because I want to.
JOHN DOE: Paige...
PAIGE: Seriously - if you think you know me so well, then you ought to realise that once I put my mind to something, I do it.
JOHN DOE: Well, I guess I can believe that.
PAIGE: Good. Let's get some lunch. So I've got a nose like an angry squirrel, huh?
JOHN DOE: A cute squirrel. The cutest squirrel that ever lived.
PAIGE: I should hope so.

[lizann]

His character, John Doe, does not have any family ties to the ensemble, but has a mysterious background, which Paige (Olympia Valance) will help him uncover.

lets hope his visit is short and he leaves with paige

[lizann]

His character, John Doe, does not have any family ties to the ensemble, but has a mysterious background, which Paige (Olympia Valance) will help him uncover.

lets hope his visit is short and he leaves with paige

[kmti234]

lets hope his visit is short and he leaves with paige

Andrew Morley is a permanent cast member.

[Perdita]

This Neighbours newcomer might already be familiar to some viewers due to the fact he was in Home and Away, but new pictures reveal more about mysterious character John Doe.

Andrew Morley has joined the Neighbours cast having bowed out of his role as Summer Bay's Spencer Harrington last year. His first scenes as John will air amid the Lassiters explosion.

After coming across Paige during the explosion, John will find himself in a critical condition in hospital. However, an intrigued Paige later decides to learn more about the mysterious newcomer and pays him a visit.

Paige and Steph try and help John
© Channel 5

With little known about John and desperate to escape personal problems of her own, Paige soon becomes fascinated by the lonely, anonymous man and becomes determined to work out what is going on.

In the wake of her own pain, Paige vows to help John as long as he needs someone by his side, but who is he? And what has bought him to Ramsay Street?

John recovers in hospital
© Channel 5

Nene treats John
© Channel 5
Neighbours airs these scenes in the week commencing Monday, April 4.

Digital Spy

[Perdita]

Former Home & Away star Andrew Morley is joining Neighbours as a mysterious new arrival...
Hi, Andrew! Are you excited about joining Neighbours?
I’m really, really excited. I first found out about the role when I was doing a charity cycle around Cambodia and my manager said Neighbours wanted to see me. The day I flew home I went straight from the airport to the casting and it all fell into place.
We don’t know much about your character - even his name - but why has he come to Erinsborough?
I don’t think there is a definite reason. He arrives at Lassiters just before the explosion and crosses Paige’s path twice but viewers won’t necessarily think he’s of any signifcance. He’s on a mission and is a bit distracted but it’s not until after the explosion that the mystery of who this ‘John Doe’ guy is begins to unfold properly.
What was your first day of filming like? Was it fun?
Neighbours has a similar structure to Home and Away (Andrew played Spencer Harrington until last year), so I slotted in quite naturally. I was pretty lucky that my first day was filming something as massive as the explosion and to be part of this exciting storyline was great. As my character doesn’t have a background, people won’t have any preconceptions about him.
Were you briefed about the role before you started filming?
Not really but that makes it even more interesting for me to play. I’d spoken to the writers when I got the job but to be honest there was never much on paper. It’s all very mysterious! I think it’s going to be every bit of a surprise for the people watching as it’ll be for me!
Who does this guy interact with when he arrives in Erinsborough?
Paige is the first person he meets and that’s the start of what will become a crucial friendship that will unfold when we discover who he is. Olympia Valance is great to work with: she’s a beautiful person with this amazing energy. She’s extremely bubbly and confident, so having her as a co-star is lots of fun.
Have you made many friends amongst the cast yet?
Yeah, there are so many nice people on this show, they’re all so welcoming and one of the things I love about Neighbours is the interaction between the older and younger cast members. It’s really refreshing to be able to walk into the green room and have all these different conversations rolling. We’re like one big happy family.
What happens to your character after the Lassiters explosion?
He gets injured and is suffering from amnesia. No broken bones luckily! You wouldn’t believe how easy my first couple of weeks of filming were, just lying in a hospital bed for 9 or
10 scenes with a tube in my mouth. Paige keeps vigil as his bedside and the fact that she’s willing to stick by this guy - who saved her but has no history or identification - means a lot...
Which other characters would you like to have scenes with in the coming weeks?
I’m looking forward to interacting with the older, more experienced cast because as a teenager I grew up watching Neighbours and the likes of Carla Bonner (Steph), Jackie Woodburne (Susan) and Alan Fletcher (Karl). I’m also a big fan of Ryan Moloney (Toadie).
Which Ramsay Street residents will John be mates with?
As we learn more about him we will see him aligning with the Brennan brothers and Amy. I can’t say where he will end up living yet but he’s invited into a pretty big group when he gets out of hospital. You’ll just have to wait and see what happens next...
Did you know any of the cast before you joined the show?
There was a charity football match I was involved in and a couple of the players couldn’t tell the difference between me and Harley Bonner (Josh). They were calling me Harley and then the next time I met Harley I rocked up at his work! That was a bit strange!
Did you have to relocate when you got given this job?
My family are from Melbourne, so this has been like coming home. It’s good to be back and I’ve just bought myself a place near the studios. When I was filming Home and Away, I had to drive an hour and 10 minutes to the beach location, so it’s been nice to have longer in bed! I don’t miss the traffic jams, I can tell you that.
Do you still get recognised by Home and Away fans?
Oh, yeah. It’s pretty much daily if I’m in the supermarket. I still get the odd call of ‘Spencer’ down the street. It will be interesting when John Doe appears and we find out what his real name is - they won’t know what to call me!
The big reveal
Andrew has given us an exclusive teaser about his character. “There’s no way I would have predicted what he will end up to be,” the actor reveals. “It’s going to be a huge ‘wow’ moment and the reveal will throw up lots of questions. How? Why? I think my character is going to be influential and educational and he will change a lot of people’s opinions. It’ll be really interesting to see where it goes from here.”


All About Soap

[Perdita]

Who is John Doe? First look at Andrew Morley in Neighbours - but his character remains a mystery
This Neighbours newcomer might already be familiar to some viewers due to the fact he was in Home and Away, but new pictures reveal more about mysterious character John Doe.
Andrew Morley has joined the Neighbours cast having bowed out of his role as Summer Bay's Spencer Harrington last year. His first scenes as John will air amid the Lassiters explosion.
After coming across Paige during the explosion, John will find himself in a critical condition in hospital. However, an intrigued Paige later decides to learn more about the mysterious newcomer and pays him a visit.
With little known about John and desperate to escape personal problems of her own, Paige soon becomes fascinated by the lonely, anonymous man and becomes determined to work out what is going on.
In the wake of her own pain, Paige vows to help John as long as he needs someone by his side, but who is he? And what has brought him to Ramsay Street?
Neighbours airs these scenes in the week commencing Monday, April 4.

[Perdita]

Andrew Morley finds a new home on Ramsay Street.
While cycling across Cambodia for charity last year, actor Andrew Morley received a life-changing phone call. His manager was phoning to let him know about a possible role on Neighbours.
Initially, Andrew was reluctant to try out for the part. focused on his fundraising efforts for Project Futures - a charity that targets human trafficking - an audition was the furthest from his mind.
“My manager wanted me to do the audition in Cambodia. I said, ‘“There’s no chance I’m going to find time,”’ Andrew, 26, tells TV Week.
Only when he arrived back in Australia did he take the role seriously.
“I went into casting the day I flew back,” Andrew tells. “When I got the role, there was no bried, just that the character’s name would be John Doe.
“I was like, ‘What? Is he alive? Is he dead? Is this a dream?’”
Making an entrance
The mystery surrounding Andrew’s new character excited him.
“I read the script and felt like, ‘OK, I can take this anywhere,’” he explains. “There’s no anticipation, no expectectations of the character. I feel really lucky!”
When we meet “John Doe” this week on Neighbours, viewers will be abuzz with questions.
“He arrives, he interacts with Paige (Olympia Valance) and then he’s involved in the explosion, where he throws himself in front of Paige,” Andrew says. “John suffers an injury that starts his whole journey.”
Andrew loved how his Neighbours character was introduced. While we don’t want to give away any spoilers, he reveals that - on a personal level - it was rather an enjoyable way to start a new job.
“My first two weeks of work was spent lying in a hospital bed in a coma - it was the easiest work I’ve done!” Andrew laughs. “I didn’t have to do any acting.”
Having taken a break from acting since leaving Home and Away, Andrew appreciated the gentle transition.
“It worked out really well, just easing my way into TV again,” he says.
Still good friends
Andrew played Spencer Harrington on Home & Away for three years. When news he’d scored the role on Neighbours spread, his former H&A buddies were quick to reach out.
“Jake Speer, Kyle Pryor and Johnny Ruffo sent a text congraulating me,” Andrew remembers.
With the unique experience of working on two of Australia’s longest-running TV shows, Andrew has some interesting insights. It begs the question: how do the two compare?
“The main difference is Neighbours is shot in a lot, so everything is in that 10-acre block, whereas with Home and Away, you’re travelling to get to certain sets,” Andrew explains.
Of course, they are similarities.
“There ‘s a great family feel,” he says.
“If you’re filming on location or in the studio, you’re still interacting with the cast - even if you’re not working together.”
A new family
Andrew has wasted little time bonding with several of his Neighbours cast members and there was one person he connected with immediately.
“Ryan Moloney [who plays Toadie],” the actor says.
“I remember him when I was watching the show 15 or so years ago. Then, to meet him in real life... He’s such a kind soul.”
Andrew says he quickly found common ground with the long-time Ramsay Street favourite.
“We’re bonding more because Ryan has joined his local CFA brigade and I’ve been a member of my fire brigade for 10 years,” he explains. “I’ve been giving him tips and he just listens.”
Working closely with Olympia Valance, Andrew reveals she couldn’t be a better co-star.
“Olympia is so charismatic,” he says. “It’s so nice to work with someone that’s always up.”
Andrew also enthuses about another Neighbours stalwart, Alan Fletcher, who plays Dr. Karl Kennedy.
“Alan is such a funny guy,” he laughs.
“If only some of his lines made it to air! When we do our script read-throughs, he improvises beautifully.
“He bags out the crew, makes up jokes - he’s so quick.”


TV Week