Neighbours

Scott first appeared in Neighbours as Darren Stark in 1993, and sixteen years later he’s returned, as the loveable rogue Lucas Fitzgerald.

So what has it been like returning to the set of Ramsay Street?
After not being there for many years I walked on set with a cast and crew I didn’t know and was told, okay Scott, we’re going to strip you down and tie you to a pole, and there’ll be about fifteen women standing around taking photos of you. Lucas is a great character, I love playing him. He’s got all the right elements that I’d want in a character, he doesn’t take anything too serious. It’s really fun.

Where were you when you got the call to join Neighbours?
I was in the car driving to my friends. I had been overseas for a few years and back in Australia for about ten months. I was just getting the feel for the industry again and hadn’t considered going on Neighbours again and then the call came in. I thought yeah, well, why not? It’s a different character and it seemed like it could be a lot of fun. In Australia as an actor, to get a regular show it’s really hard. There’s lots of homework and a lot of television to produce each week, so there’s a lot of scenes to be in. It’s great to be able to act every day.

Are you a regular cast member now?
Yes, I’ve signed a contract for two years.

Do you find parallels between your life as Scott and your character Lucas’ life on Neighbours?
Not so much, I have had that with characters in the past. The only parallel is I’ve gone out and got a motorbike licence, that’s probably because of Lucas. I nearly bought a motorbike last week. One of the crew members has lent me her old bike so I’m getting around on that.

You lived in England for a couple of years, what work did you do over there? I worked on a BBC soap called ‘Doctors’, ‘City Homicide’ and another show called ‘Love Soup’, which is a great show.

There are a lot of opportunities in the UK for actors, what bought you back to Australia?
There are a lot of opportunities over there, I was planning on staying but my visa ran out and I couldn’t find a way to stay. It’s good to be back in Melbourne - my hometown! It's a really great thing to be in work in my hometown. I’m in no rush to go back overseas.

You have a great rapport with Brett Tucker? Do you enjoy playing his brother?
I’ve known Brett on and off for about ten years. We get on really well. He’s a really funny man. It was one of the reasons I took the role on, because I knew I’d be working with Brett, he’s such a great man and a great actor. The two of you have a really good chemistry on screen. I think it’s the familiarity between us, when you have that you work on screen straight away. Doing a soap, a drama, that’s five days a week, it can get pretty tedious. We try to add a bit of humour to it, a bit of like you know what would really happen between brothers.

For a couple of months there was a lot of tension between the both of you, that fight scene, how was that?
You get the scripts and all of a sudden you're doing it and you're in the middle of it. Because of the time slot you can’t punch someone, it’s difficult trying to coordinate a fight scene that looks dangerous that isn’t injuring anyone. There was lots of shoving and pushing, and lots of good camera work. There was a lot of trust involved in it, like being pushed to the edge of the balcony.

And what about your new love interest Elle. How does Lucas feel about Elle?
He can’t figure her out, he’s attracted to her. It’s not smooth sailing for either of them, and it’s still up in the air as to whether they’ll finally get it together or not. They’re such opposites, he calls her a Princess, they are both from different walks of life.

Despite those differences, you do suit each other, don’t you think?
It’s one of those things where someone who annoys the hell out of you but there is something that keeps you coming back. We enjoy it, there are a lot of funny scenes where we have little arguments. There is an element of comedy with us two, it’s like we’re in a comedy not a drama.

Is Lucas over Libby?
They’re definitely over. Lucas lets her go by giving Libby tough love. He did feel for her strongly but he knew he had to give her up to Dan so he had to move on.

You’ve also got a really nice rapport with Donna? Is she fun to work with?
The character could’ve been played in so many ways, but I think Margot nailed it. She’s always fun to work with, she’s a barrel of laughs and always works hard at her stuff. She’s really created Donna on her own and made Donna her own character. It’s quite funny, a script would come out and she’d be taking notes and she’d really get it right. She’s extremely talented. She comes up amazing on camera, I think we’ll keep hearing about her for a lot of years to come. You meet people in the industry and as soon as you lay eyes on them and you see them work you go, okay, you’ve got IT. Whatever that IT is, she’s got it!

What has been your funniest moment of the last six months on Neighbours?
My first scene I shot, not being there for many years, and being with a cast I didn’t know and being told, okay Scott we’re going to strip you down and tie you to a pole, and there’ll be about fifteen woman standing around you taking photos. It was one of those moments as I was standing in the freezing cold with my underwear I thought well this is a baptism of fire.

What about behind the scenes?
Those funny moments happen everyday. We just shot a scene which was a serious scene where one of the characters storms out. And someone said something funny, and the whole crew and cast lost it. It took us about four or five scenes to get our act together. It was nice relief, everyone was winding down for Christmas.

It was a big year for Neighbours and there were a lot of changes, how do you feel about it?
There have been a lot of changes, and there’s more to come, with a lot of people who have been around for years leaving. But it’s coming through, the ratings are getting better, and as tough as it is as nobody likes change, it’s all for the better.

Any hints at the future for Lucas over the next year?
Well Elle and Lucas get their stuff together. There is going to be a lot more of them getting involved in investigating things on Ramsay Street. A lot more almost comic investigation. Lucas is a photography for Erinsborough News now, as well as working in the garage. It's been written like a ‘Moonlighting’ kind of storyline, with Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd many moons ago.

Are you looking forward to 2009?
I always grab the scripts with great gusto and read through the scene where I’m going next. I’m very proactive, I put storylines forward to the writers. I like to have a bit of creative control by suggesting things. If they listen to that then it’s great. I like to have a handle on where he’s going and where I’d like him to go.

What made you choose the path of an actor?
I was thirteen years old, and a friend of mine got in to a modelling agency and he was doing well. He was buying BMX bikes and things like that. I thought I might give modelling a go and for obvious reasons I didn’t get modelling work, but I auditioned for ‘His Masters Ghost’ and after five auditions I got the job, and I realised in a blinding flash that acting was what I wanted to do. It’s a hard path to follow, you can’t plan for anything, save for anything, you just do it with passion. I usually work in bars and cafes on the side. We look forward to seeing more of Lucas'