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Billy Kennedy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by
Jesse Spencer Jesse Gordon Spencer (born 12 February 1979) is an Australian actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as Billy Kennedy on the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' (1994–2000, 2005, 2022), Robert Chase on the American medical drama ...
. He made his first appearance on 27 September 1994, arriving in Ramsay Street with his family. He departed on 5 April 2000, but made a small cameo for the show's 20th anniversary episode broadcast on 27 July 2005, and for the show's final episode on 28 July 2022.


Creation and casting

In 1994, the ''Neighbours'' storyliners decided to introduce a new "solid" family called the Kennedys. Monroe 1996, p.63. The family, which consisted of five members – a mother, father, two sons and a daughter – moved into Number 28 Ramsay Street. The storyliners felt that they needed to take the show back to its roots, as it seemed that all the houses on the street were populated with misfits and distant relatives. Alan Fletcher and
Jackie Woodburne Jacqueline Anne Woodburne (born 5 February 1956) is a Northern Irish-born Australian actress, who is notable for her roles in TV soap operas. Since 1994, Woodburne has played teacher Susan Kennedy in ''Neighbours''. She first became notable for ...
were cast in the roles of parents
Karl Karl may refer to: People * Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne * Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer * Karl of Austria, last Austria ...
and Susan, while
Benjamin McNair Benjamin John McNair (born 25 August 1974, London) is an Australian actor, best known for his role as Malcolm Kennedy in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' which he played from 1994 to 1997 returning briefly in 2002, 2004, 2011 and 2014 with a cameo a ...
and
Kym Valentine Kym Valentine (born 24 May 1977) is an Australian actress best known for her long running intermittent portrayal of Libby Kennedy in the soap opera ''Neighbours.'' Early life Valentine was born in Blacktown, Sydney, and grew up in Granville. ...
were cast as teenagers
Malcolm Malcolm, Malcom, Máel Coluim, or Maol Choluim may refer to: People * Malcolm (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters * Clan Malcolm * Maol Choluim de Innerpeffray, 14th-century bishop-elect of Dunkeld Nobility * Máe ...
and Libby.
Jesse Spencer Jesse Gordon Spencer (born 12 February 1979) is an Australian actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as Billy Kennedy on the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' (1994–2000, 2005, 2022), Robert Chase on the American medical drama ...
was cast as Billy, the youngest member of the Kennedys. Spencer originally auditioned for the role of
Brett Stark Brett Stark is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Brett Blewitt. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 30 November 1993, along with his sister, Danni Stark and remained as a regul ...
, but was told that he was too young. The following year, he successfully auditioned for the role of Billy.


Development


Relationship with Melissa Drenth

Billy's first long-term love interest was his school friend Melissa Drenth (Aimee Robertson). Their relationship got off to "a shaky start", especially when Billy's father gave him a hard time about it. Spencer was glad that his character was given a girlfriend, saying "It's about time. At last he's acting his age. Getting a girlfriend should help him become a bit more mature. He's not going to be the naive country boy any longer. There's no doubt Billy's completely smitten." When Melissa mother found a packet of condoms in Melissa's school bag, she called for an end to the relationship. However, she did not know that Billy and Melissa had not yet had sex, as they had had problems finding a suitable place. Billy's brother, Mal, offered the couple the use of his house, but Billy and Melissa were interrupted by Mal's girlfriend,
Danni Stark Danielle "Danni" Stark is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Eliza Szonert. She made her debut during the episode broadcast on 30 November 1993 and remained in the show until 13 November 1996, with a br ...
(
Eliza Szonert Eliza Szonert (born 29 January 1974) is an Australian actress. Born in Victoria, Australia, Szonert played Danni Stark in Australia's long-running soap opera ''Neighbours'' from 1993 to 1996. Szonert reprised the role in 2005 for the show's 20th ...
) and
Angie Rebecchi Angie Rebecchi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Lesley Baker. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 17 January 1995. Angie departed in 1996, but she returned for se ...
(
Lesley Baker Lesley Baker (born 20 January 1944) is an Australian actress, singer, dancer and comedian. She was well known for her early appearances on In Melbourne Tonight with Graham Kennedy. After which she went on to play several roles for Crawford Pr ...
). Melissa received a "telling-off" from her mother over the condoms and the couple's plans to have sex were put on hold. When their parents began to fear that the relationship was getting "too serious", Billy and Melissa promised that they would wait to have sex. However, they later realised that they could not wait and they went to Billy's bedroom. A
Grundy Television Reg Grundy Organisation (founded as Reg Grundy Enterprises, later known as both Reg Grundy Productions and Grundy Television and known informally as Grundy's) was an Australian-based multinational mass media company, primarily involved in tele ...
spokesperson commented "When it comes to the crunch Billy can't go through with it. Melissa flees in tears and Billy is convinced she will want nothing to do with him after his flop in bed." The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
cut the scenes ahead of broadcast in the UK, fearing they were "too raunchy" for the early evening timeslot. Billy and Melissa eventually broke up when Billy discovered she was cheating on him. Melissa departed the show shortly after.


Relationship with Anne Wilkinson

Billy was later paired with Anne Wilkinson (
Brooke Satchwell Brooke Kerith Satchwell (born 1980) is an Australian actress, model and environmental spokesperson. Early life Satchwell lived in Teesdale, Victoria, for most of her life and has one sibling. She attended Toorak College. Career Satchwell star ...
), who moved into Ramsay Street with her mother and brother. Spencer thought the relationship lasted so long because the couple shared so much. Billy and Anne lived in the same street, had the same friends, went to the same school and grew up together. Spencer said "In the early days, our relationship seemed perfect, but, as we've got older and wiser, there have been more problems." Billy became the centre of a love triangle following the arrival of
Caitlin Atkins Caitlin Atkins is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Emily Milburn. The actress originally auditioned for the role of Anne Wilkinson and received the part of Caitlin six months later. She made her firs ...
(Emily Milburn). One of Caitlin's top priorities, upon moving to Erinsborough, was to find a boyfriend and she set her sights on Billy, her training partner at the pool. Milburn said Caitlin fell for Billy immediately and she did not care that he was dating Anne. Caitlin wanted Billy and she was prepared to "go all out" and get him. Satchwell told Steven Murphy from ''Inside Soap'' that neither Anne nor Caitlin were prepared to back down over Billy. As Caitlin and Billy began swimming together more, they grew closer and Anne could see that Billy was attracted to Caitlin. Billy later shared a kiss with Caitlin, which Anne witnessed. Billy and Anne then briefly split up. Satchwell thought that it would have made everyone's lives easier if Billy and Anne had just sat down and talked about their relationship problems in the first place.


Departure and cameo appearances

Spencer chose to depart ''Neighbours'' in November 1999. Speaking of his decision to leave, Spencer said "I'd been in ''Neighbours'' for five years and I'd had enough. The storylines were boring and I wasn't enjoying it any more. When I said I was leaving, I hoped they would make Bill's departure interesting - but he just moves away from Erinsborough, there's no drama to it. It's disappointing and typical of the last two years of storylines." Spencer revealed that the door had been left open for a possible return in the future. Spencer later said that ''Neighbours'' had been "a launchpad" for him. In 2005, Spencer reprised his role and became one of many former members who made a return to ''Neighbours'' to appear in the show's 20th anniversary episode "
Friends for Twenty Years "Friends for Twenty Years" is the 4773rd episode of the Australian television soap opera '' Neighbours''. The episode was written by Ben Marshall, directed by Jovita O'Shaughnessy, and executively produced by Ric Pellizzeri. It first aired on 27 ...
". Spencer could not return to Australia to shoot his cameo because of his filming commitments in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. Instead, he got a costume and asked a friend to film him on
Malibu Beach Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malibu ...
, where he pretended Billy was on holiday, and sent it to the producers. Four years later, Spencer revealed that he had been approached about a return to the show and said he would not rule out a one-off appearance. He later agreed to reprise the role for a cameo appearance in the show's final episode, which was broadcast on 28 July 2022.


Storylines

Billy arrives in Ramsay Street with his family after his father, Karl, buys Number 28 at an auction. Billy soon makes friends with
Toadfish Rebecchi Jarrod Vincenzo Rebecchi (commonly known as "Toadfish" or "Toadie") is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Ryan Moloney. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 23 January 199 ...
(
Ryan Moloney Ryan Moloney (born 24 November 1979) is an Australian actor, known for his portrayal of the fictional character Jarrod "Toadfish" Rebecchi in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' since 1995. Career Moloney's first acting experience was with ...
) and Hannah Martin ( Rebecca Ritters) and meets his first girlfriend, Melissa Drenth. Billy breaks up with Melissa when she reveals her homophobia towards his teacher, Andrew Watson (Christopher Uhlmann) who was trying to help him after he was diagnosed with dyslexia. Billy and Toadie become best friends and create a pirate radio station together. When Amy Greenwood ( Jacinta Stapleton) arrives and the Wilkinson twins,
Lance A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier (lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike s ...
( Andrew Bibby) and Anne, a new group of friends is born. Billy and Anne fall in love with some help from Lance and Toadie and they became inseparable. Billy joins the local pool as a life guard and takes Anne there one night for a romantic date. The couple also enter a Perfect Couple competition, but Billy gets cold feet when it comes to the photoshoot and Lance fills in for him. When
Caitlin Atkins Caitlin Atkins is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Emily Milburn. The actress originally auditioned for the role of Anne Wilkinson and received the part of Caitlin six months later. She made her firs ...
(Emily Milburn) arrives she wastes no time in admitting her feelings for Billy and they even share a kiss. Billy plans to leave school and move out of home, but Anne and his parents are not keen on the idea. Shortly after, Billy and Anne receive letters for university placements and Anne is placed in
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...
. Billy misses Anne while she is away and enters a kissing contest with Amy to win the prize money and fund a trip to see her. Billy later realises that he has a talent for carpentry and Karl gives him a loan to start his own business. Billy and Anne drift apart and she moves into an artist's studio. When Billy's workshop is trashed, he realises that he had left the door unlocked and would not be covered by the insurance. Billy then begins work on a building site, but after a near-death accident he speaks up about the safety of the site. This makes Anne proud and they begin to repair their friendship, but when Anne tells Billy that she would go out with David "Fanto" Hodges (Daniel Dinnen) if he asked, Billy decides to get her out of his system.
Felicity Scully Felicity "Flick" Scully is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Holly Valance. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 October 1999. She departed on 28 November 2002, but m ...
(
Holly Valance Holly Rachel Candy (; born 11 May 1983), known professionally as Holly Valance, is an Australian actress and singer. Valance began her acting career on the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', as Felicity Scully (1999–2002, 2005, 2022). ...
) takes an interest in Billy, but realises that he is not over Anne and quickly backs off. Billy creates a new kitchen table for the Scully family and, despite
Joe Scully Joe Scully is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Shane Connor. He made his first on-screen appearance on 20 October 1999, along with his family. Development In October 1999, the five-strong Scully fam ...
's (
Shane Connor Shane Connor (born 3 April 1959) also billed/credited as Shane Feeney-Connor, is an Australian actor, who has had extensive experience in stage, television and film productions, both locally and internationally in the United Kingdom and United St ...
) protests, the table stays in the Scully kitchen. Billy is then offered an apprenticeship by Greg Mast (Roy Thompson) a woodworker in Queensland. Toadie arranges a trip to Luna Park for the old gang and they all say their goodbyes. Anne is sad that Billy is leaving and they try to make a long-distance relationship work. Anne transfers to a nearby university instead and she surprises Billy at the train station. The couple vow to stay together forever. Five years later, Billy appears in
Annalise Hartman Annalise Hartman is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Kimberley Davies. She made her debut during the episode broadcast on 15 January 1993 and departed on 31 January 1996. Davies reprised the role in J ...
's ( Kimberly Davies) documentary about Ramsay Street, and says hello to his parents whilst he and Anne are on holiday. Seventeen years later, Billy sends a video congratulating Toadie on his wedding to
Melanie Pearson Melanie Pearson (also Mangel) is a fictional character from Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'' played by Lucinda Cowden. The actress was initially signed to the soap on a recurring basis for a few weeks. She made her first screen appearance d ...
(
Lucinda Cowden Lucinda Cowden (born 24 April 1965) is an Australian actress. Cowden was born in Ballarat, Victoria. She played Melanie Pearson in the soap opera '' Neighbours'' from 1987 until 1991, with a cameo appearance in the 20th anniversary documentar ...
).


Reception

Spencer earned several award nominations for his portrayal of Billy. In 1998, he received a nomination for Most Popular Actor at the
Logie Award The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards; colloquially known as The Logies) is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The first ceremony was held in 1959 as the ...
s. He received another nomination in the same category the following year. At the 1999 ''Inside Soap'' Awards, Spencer was nominated for Best Actor, while he and Satchwell earned a joint nomination for Best Couple. He also garnered a nomination for Favourite Teen Idol at the People's Choice Awards. A writer for the BBC's ''Neighbours'' website stated that Billy's most notable moment was "Setting up a pirate radio station." Spencer's looks made him a teen idol during his time with series. A writer for
Virgin Media Virgin Media is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, television and internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, England. It is owned by Virgin Media O2, a 50:50 joint ventu ...
called Billy a teen heartthrob during a feature called 'Who is soapland's hottest hunk?'. During a feature called "Neighbours stars make it big", a contributor for
Holy Soap Holy Soap is a UK television and entertainment website founded in June 2009 by the British television company Channel 5. The website is the official UK home of the Australian soap operas '' Home and Away'' and '' Neighbours'', which are broadcast ...
said "Billy's gorgeous looks and sweet romance with Anne Wilkinson ensured his popularity among ''Neighbours'' fans". In 2010, to celebrate ''Neighbours 25th anniversary, a writer for ''
Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...
'' profiled 25 characters of which they believed were the most memorable in the series history. Billy is included in the list and describing him the writer states: "Easygoing Billy didn't take life as seriously as the rest of his family did, preferring to hang with Hannah in the club house and get into scrapes with best mate Toadie. Though troubled by dyslexia and asthma, he was a hard worker, spending lots of time swimming. This somewhat inevitably helped him to, ahem, 'fill out', and lead to lots of him, Ben's sister Caitlin and spontaneous lodger Joel wandering around the Kennedy house with very few clothes on. He eventually left the Street with boring sweetheart Anne."


References

*


External links


Billy Kennedy
at
BBC Online BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Billy Neighbours characters Television characters introduced in 1994 Fictional lifeguards Fictional carpenters Kennedy family (Neighbours) Male characters in television