The end of an era
Memorable residents from Neighbours’ 37-year history are returning as the iconic soap says goodbye. Daniel MacPherson, who played sporty heartthrob Joel Samuels until 2002, chats to Siobhan Duck about the show that kickstarted his career
AT the peak of his Neighbours fame, Daniel MacPherson had some fans in very high places. And in addition to the thousands of teenage girls who had his posters adorning their bedroom walls, MacPherson laughs that Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, the Archbishop of Canterbury and even Prince William had revealed to him that they were also fans of his Ramsay Street alter-ego.
MacPherson played the role of triathlete Joel Samuels from 1998 to 2002 and together with his contemporaries – Holly Valance, Brooke Satchwell, Jesse Spencer and Madeleine West – helped to bring some youthful energy and sex appeal back to Erinsborough.
The role was written specifically for MacPherson at the urging of Neighbours’ casting director Jan Russ who had been wowed by an audition for another character.
A legend of the industry, Russ is credited with discovering Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce, Delta Goodrem, Natalie Imbruglia and Valance during her tenure on the show. As such, getting the seal of approval from Russ was a sign that MacPherson was destined for big things.
And she was right. It didn’t take long for the handsome young actor to go from unknown Cronulla teenager to household name, winning the most popular new talent Logie within his first year.
“It was amazing,” he reflects of becoming an overnight heartthrob and of the hysteria surrounding the show’s young cast at the time.
“Brooke Satchwell, Jesse Spencer, Jacinta [Stapleton] and Ryan [Moloney], we were all babies.
“We had a lot of fun. Pre-social media, it was a time when you did shopping centre appearances on the weekend, hundreds of fans, all screaming, it was chaos, but so much fun.”
It was partly as thanks to the fans – and also as a mark of respect to the people who gave him his break on the soap 24 years ago – that MacPherson jumped at the chance to return for the finale.
The actor who is currently starring in the Apple TV+ sci-fi series Foundation, was just one of the stellar line-up of stars who reprised their roles in the lead up to the final episode.
Every era of the show’s 37-year run has been represented; from the 1980s hey days – Peter O’Brien, who played bad boy Shane Ramsay when the show debuted on Channel 7, Hollywood hunk Pearce and Mark Little, who starred as the iconic
Joe Mangel – through to the stars who made their mark in later years such as Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Olympia Valance and Jodi Gordon.
Some of those who couldn’t be there in person filmed cameos via Zoom or sent their well wishes. Margot Robbie, who was tied up filming the Barbie movie, sent the cast and crew 37 bottles of champagne on the last day of filming in thanks for launching her career.
And, of course, it wouldn’t have been a proper send-off without the show’s super couple, Minogue and Donovan, who returned to the Nunawading cul-de-sac to secretly shoot scenes as their iconic characters Scott and Charlene.
MacPherson says there’s a very good reason so many of Neighbours’ biggest and brightest celebrities travelled from across the world to film scenes.
“Neighbours to me, in a professional sense, was my training ground,” he explains.
“I never acted before Neighbours. It taught me about professionalism, punctuality, preparation and even today, even scenes, pages of dialogue, there is a pace and a discipline to this show that serves you so well elsewhere.
“On a personal level, Neighbours was kind of like my university. Living with my mates in St Kilda, working with this great bunch of people and I will be forever grateful. It has been very special to come back.”
While back in the day MacPherson’s character wasn’t averse to getting his gear off to showcase his impressive physique, the former Dancing with the Stars host emphasises that those days are well and truly over.
“I can tell you what you won’t get – no nipple piercing, no speedos, no blonde frizzy mullet hair, no Full Monty, thank goodness! – but some friendships rekindled which is terrific and a lot of fun,” he laughs.
Even though his hair and wardrobe were a little different to the first time around, finding himself once again working with Stapleton, Moloney, Alan Fletcher (Karl) and Jackie Woodburne
(Susan) had given him a strange feeling of déjà vu.
“It is the biggest head spin coming back here [to Neighbours],” he enthuses.
“I haven’t been on the
Neighbours set for 20-something years, even the drive out here my mind was blowing. To come and see all the faces again, all my friends, to get back on the sets, it was one of the most enjoyable times of my life. I was 18 when I started here, left when I was 21 so to come back again, my head is spinning.”
During his four-year stint on Ramsay Street, MacPherson had his fair share of dramatic storylines and screen romances but says it’s the comedic stories that he loved best.
“My favourite storyline in hindsight is different from the ones I enjoyed filming the most,” he says.
“I loved the ridiculousness that Joel, Lance and Toadie got up to – the House of Trouser.
There is a period when Lance went on an alien thing, and we stopped cleaning the house.
The Full Monty was really funny, and Toadie and I performing ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ in tutus also stands out!”
The renewed nostalgia and affection for the series that has come in the lead-up to the finale will hopefully open doors for some of Ramsay Street’s longestserving residents who now find themselves without work for the first time in decades.
“I’m excited for Ryan to see what opportunities open up to him,” he says.
“They were great years and I really wanted to honour the show and the cast and crew that taught me so much. Some of first scenes were with Jackie and Fletch, and I wanted to come back to say thanks [to them] and also to thank the fans.”
■ Neighbours bows out with a movie-length finale Thursday
July 28, 7.30pm, 10 and 10 Peach, and streaming, 10 Play