Stephanie Scully - Creation and Casting

Creation and Casting

The Scully family were created and introduced to Neighbours following the departure of Martin family. The character of Stephanie was created along with her mother and father, Lyn (Janet Andrewartha) and Joe (Shane Connor) and her younger sisters Felicity (Holly Valance) and Michelle (Kate Keltie). Stephanie was said to be twenty years old and into leathers and motorbikes.

In September 1999, Inside Soap reported that Emma Roche had joined the cast of Neighbours as Stephanie. However, Roche unexpectedly quit the role after three weeks. When Carla Bonner dropped by to see her agent, she was on the phone to the Neighbours casting director, Jan Russ. Russ asked to see Bonner straightaway for an audition for the part of Stephanie. Bonner had little acting experience, having appeared in television bit parts, but she went over to Russ' office and was given a script for a cold read. She was asked to go to the studio the next day, where she auditioned again. She then received a call to say she had got the part. Bonner had to learn nineteen scenes by the next day and develop the character of Stephanie quickly. Four days after her audition with Russ, she began filming. Bonner filmed three weeks worth of scenes in one week.