Noah Parkin

[Perdita]

Neighbours bosses have announced the casting of Orpheus Pledger as a new student for Erinsborough High.

The 18-year-old actor has taken on the role of guest character Noah Parkin, a free-spirited senior at the school who has been tipped to cause mayhem for the life of one Ramsay Street resident.

Pledger filmed his first scenes on set with Kaiya Jones (Sophie Ramsay) last week and the soap's official website promises that Noah will "set some hearts on fire" as he begins to make his mark in the area.

Speaking of the new arrival, Neighbours' executive producer Susan Bower commented: "We are very excited about Noah, he is certainly different from our regular characters and Orpheus fits the role perfectly."

She added: "I can promise viewers they are going to love this storyline."

Pledger, whose first scenes will air in Australia in July, has been acting since he was a primary school student, appearing in a variety of television shows, films and commercials.

Neighbours recently revealed the casting of Ben Barber as a new Erinsborough doctor, while it has also been confirmed that Benjie McNair has returned to his role as Malcolm Kennedy for a four-month guest stint.

[Perdita]

Neighbours' new recruit Orpheus Pledger has revealed that his character takes a shine to Kate Ramsay when he arrives in Erinsborough.

The 18-year-old was recently cast in the role of Noah Parkin, a free-spirited student who is joining the Ramsay Street soap for a guest stint.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Pledger had been filming his first scenes with Kaiya Jones, who plays the role of Sophie Ramsay.

However, in a new interview with TV Week, the actor confirmed that Sophie's sister Kate is the local resident who really captures Noah's attention.

Pledger explained: "Noah doesn't realise Sophie's got the hots for him and he falls for Kate. He thinks Kate's beautiful and always wants to be around her. He thinks he's got a shot because she's really nice to him - but he takes her friendly gestures the wrong way."

The newcomer also insisted that his character has good intentions and will not be a bad boy.

"He's a nice person and has a good heart," he said. "He sort of stays in his own bubble and doesn't try hard to interact with anyone. He can manage on his own."

Noah's first scenes air in Australia next week and on Channel 5 in the UK later this year.

[Perdita]

This is what he looks like, looks a little young for Kate imo

[tammyy2j]

What age is Kate and Sophie suppose to be?

[Perdita]

What age is Kate and Sophie suppose to be?

Kate is only 19, she just looks older to me, the actress playing Sophie is 15, I am not sure how old she is meant to be as Sophie

[LostVoodoo]

i think sophie is supposed to be about 13. i think he seems young for Kate, but that's just because she's been with Mark who's a bit older than her.

[Perdita]

i think sophie is supposed to be about 13. i think he seems young for Kate, but that's just because she's been with Mark who's a bit older than her.

I think you are right, also the fact she has been like a single parent to them gives the impression she is older.

[lizann]

Too young for Kate and too old for Sophie

[alan45]

Neighbours' UK fans see newcomer Orpheus Pledger make his debut on the soap this week, taking on the role of free-spirited school student Noah Parkin.

Noah is introduced as a new senior at Erinsborough High, who immediately makes an impression on Sophie Ramsay (Kaiya Jones). When the music lover starts giving Sophie some tips on how to play the guitar, there's bound to be turbulence ahead as she develops a crush on him - unaware that he's more interested in her sister Kate…

To hear more about the storyline and the character of Noah, Digital Spy recently caught up with Orpheus for a quick chat.

How did you first hear about the role of Noah and what was the audition process like?
"My agent told me there was a great role coming up on Neighbours and asked me to read the character notes. I thought he was a really cool character and someone I'd really like to play. I was then asked to come in for a test with the Neighbours casting director, then there was a recall and then I was given the role!"

How did the Neighbours producers first describe the character of Noah to you?
"Basically he was a cool, guitar-playing dude - which sounded pretty good to me!"

You've appeared on a number of other Australian shows. Is this the longest stint that you've done as one character, and how does Neighbours compare to your past projects?
"Tyco in Silver Son, a kids' series, was longer than this. As for how Neighbours compares, it's incredibly organised - which it has to be, because of the pace it's turned around at. It's great!"

How welcoming have the cast been and who have you particularly enjoyed working with?
"The cast have been fantastic since day one, really welcoming and supportive. It's hard to go past Kaiya, she's great fun."

When we first see Noah, he seems to be quite a quiet character and he keeps himself to himself. Is he shy?
"He isn't shy. He just doesn't seek that popularity from other people - he wants to do his own thing! It's different from the introduction of other characters and I like it because it makes the audience want to learn more about him. Also, you think he is going in one direction because his appearances are so subtle, and then it shifts dramatically…"

Many of Noah's early scenes are with Sophie. How does he feel about her?
"There is no physical attraction. He connects with her because she's really into music and wants to learn, and that's how he was when he was younger. She's just a friend and another student who happens to be into the same thing. He just wants to help her."


Over time, Callum seems to get jealous over the time that Sophie is spending with Noah and her wish to pursue music. Does that mean Noah will clash with Callum?
"They don't clash because he is oblivious to the friendship that Sophie and Callum have - it's not on his radar. While Callum may be getting bent out of shape over it, Noah doesn't even realise - he's just not interested!"

When Noah agrees to help Sophie with her guitar lessons, what's his main motivation?
"At the start it's purely to help Sophie, but then he meets Kate and his motivation does change because he is attracted to Kate."

What is it that he likes about Kate?
"She's beautiful and she was also one of the few that were really nice to him from the start - she didn't judge him. He's a pretty deep thinker so he reads her natural friendliness as something more than what it is."

Will Noah act on his feelings for Kate or keep them a secret?
"Being a loner, it's easy for him to keep it to himself, however he does see an opportunity, he takes it and the consequences are pretty drastic. You'll have to watch and see how it unfolds…"

Are most of your scenes with Sophie and Kate or will we also see Noah interact with other characters over time?
"I do interact with other characters such as Summer and Andrew, but it's mostly with Sophie and Kate."

What's the tone of the material you're filming at the moment?
"I can't reveal too much, but it's pretty heavy! We're now filming the fall-out from his actions, so there's definitely not a lot of happy moments - but it's great drama."

How long will you be staying at Neighbours for?
"The role is for six months, so we'll see what happens after that!"

[alan45]

Neighbours newcomer Orpheus Pledger has warned that his love triangle storyline will have "drastic" consequences.

The actor was recently cast as new Erinsborough High student Noah Parkin, who starts helping Sophie Ramsay (Kaiya Jones) with her guitar lessons before falling for her older sister Kate (Ashleigh Brewer).

Noah's early episodes show him as quiet and reserved, but Pledger has confirmed that he will soon find himself at the centre of drama on the street.

Pledger told Digital Spy: "He isn't shy. He just doesn't seek that popularity from other people - he wants to do his own thing. It's different from the introduction of other characters and I like it because it makes the audience want to learn more about him.

"Also, you think he is going in one direction because his appearances are so subtle, and then it shifts dramatically."

Asked whether Noah will act on his feelings for Kate, he replied: "Being a loner, it's easy for him to keep it to himself, however he does see an opportunity, he takes it and the consequences are pretty drastic. You'll have to watch and see how it unfolds."

Meanwhile, discussing the material he is currently filming, Pledger teased: "I can't reveal too much, but it's pretty heavy! We're now filming the fall-out from his actions, so there's definitely not a lot of happy moments - but it's great drama."