Casting
In 1984, Stefan Dennis received a phone call from his agent who told him about an audition for a new soap called Neighbours. Dennis said "I wasn't that keen because I was more interested in a feature film I had auditioned for and felt sure I was going to get". Dennis originally auditioned for the roles of Shane Ramsay and Des Clarke (the roles were later given to Peter O'Brien and Paul Keane respectively), but was cast as Paul Robinson instead. Neighbours was cancelled by Seven Network three months after its debut. However, it was picked up by Network Ten and Dennis reprised his role as Paul in 1986. He is the only current cast member who appeared in the first episode on 18 March 1985. In 1992, Dennis quit the role because he no longer felt challenged as an actor, he stated: "I was literally walking through it, I thought 'this is not good for acting, this doesn't keep me fresh at all, time to move on'."
Dennis has said that one of his favourite moments was being asked to come back and celebrate Neighbours' 2000th episode. In 2004, Dennis reprised his role and returned to Neighbours, after he was asked to return for the 20th anniversary, instead he reached an agreement to resume the role permanently again, a year before the anniversary. Alan Dale who played his onscreen father, Jim Robinson helped Dennis to make the decision to return. Dennis has since admitted that he made a mistake quitting Neighbours in 1992. He said "I was stupid. I thought I was going to go to Hollywood and conquer the world, and I didn't." Amongst the current cast of Neighbours, Dennis is the only remaining original cast member. In 2010, Dennis revealed that he wanted to stay in the role for at least another five years.
Read more about this topic: Paul Robinson (Neighbours)
Famous quotes containing the word casting:
“Reason sits firm and holds the reins, and she will not let the feelings burst away and hurry her to wild chasms. The passions may rage furiously, like true heathens, as they are; and the desires may imagine all sorts of vain things: but judgement shall still have the last word in every argument, and the casting vote in every decision.”
—Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855)
“All we know
Is that we are a little early, that
Today has that special, lapidary
Todayness that the sunlight reproduces
Faithfully in casting twig-shadows on blithe
Sidewalks. No previous day would have been like this.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“For the gods, though slow to see, see well, whenever a man casting aside worship turns folly.”
—Sophocles (497–406/5 B.C.)