Damian Roberts

Damian Roberts is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera ''Home and Away'', played by Matt Doran. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 6 November 1991, and departed on 15 March 1996. Ben Hamilton played a young Damian in flashbacks in 1997.

Casting

Damian was Doran's first "big" television role. He told a writer from ''Inside Soap'' that he was given no time to prepare and he was attending school one day and the next filming for the show. His teachers attempted to convince him to stay at school instead, but he thought that the role too much of a "wonderful opportunity" to give up. He was also signed to a "long contract" with the show. In September 1994, Justine Cullen from ''Inside Soap'' announced that Doran had quit the show in order to pursue other projects. Doran told Cullen that "I'm to make horror movies". In September 1995, Jason Herbison from ''Inside Soap'' reported that Doran had reprised his role. He added that upon Damian's return he has "thrown off his clean cut image" by having his hair in dreadlocks.

Development

Damian is characterised as a wayward teenager who keeps his problems to himself. Doran believed that this made Damian his own worst enemy at times. He had a troubled upbringing which lead him to become wayward. Doran told a ''TVTimes'' reporter that he bottles up all his problems, whenever something happens to him he keeps it to himself." Damian is the son of Irene Roberts (Jacqui Phillips) and the younger brother of Finlay (Tina Thomsen) and Nathan (David Dixon). In ''The Official Home and Away Annual'' John Kercher describes the Roberts children's backstory as their suffering Irene's continuous gambling and their alcoholic father, Murdoch ( Tom Richards) walked out and left them "to fend for themselves". As Irene was "rarely around", Finlay decided to help bring Damian and Nathan up. Kercher 1993, p.16.

Playing a character whose mother suffers from alcoholism was a challenge for Doran. He told ''Inside Soap's'' that he had never seen his own mother drunk. So Doran "absolutely no idea what it must be like to be in Damian's shoes". He did not find it easy imagining how Damian should react to Irene's behavior. In is "hard" for character and he is in a constant dilemma because "at the same time as being treated so badly by his mother, he really loves her". He finds himself stuck between "loving her and wanting to support her and protecting himself and his own life". Doran revealed that he and Phillips had built a good rapport while working on the storyline. He also praised her acting abilities because she would transform into Damian's "nightmare of a mother" during filming. In the ''Home and Away – Official Collector’s Edition'', Andrea Black detailed Damian's early development. In one of the Roberts siblings first storylines with their alcoholic mother, Irene falls down the stairs and claims that Damian and Finlay pushed her. Irene later wants Damian to leave with her, but Finlay manages to convince Damian to live his life in Summer Bay. Finlay's influence on Damian helped the "troubled" character "stay on the right track".

In 1992, Richard Norton who plays Simon Fitzgerald was told that his character was being written out of the series. Norton told Josephine Monroe from ''Inside Soap'' that producers informed him that they were more interested in "pushing" Doran and Dieter Brummer (who plays Shane Parrish) to develop their characters instead of Simon. Black stated that Doran and Brummer "became teen idol pin-ups as soon as they arrived in Summer Bay".

Writers developed a friendship between Damian and Shane, which an ''Inside Soap'' writer called "an unholy alliance". Damian went along with Shane's dubious scams and they often had scrapes with the law, but they always stuck up for each other.

In another story, Damian and Shane are accused of committing a robbery at the Kiosk store. Damian was grounded by his foster parents Michael (Dennis Coard) and Pippa Ross (Debra Lawrance). Damian is found alone and wandering around in the middle of the night, when the crime took place. Michael is furious with Damian for disobeying his punishment and considers returning him to live with Irene. Shane's brother Nick Parrish (Bruce Roberts), a serving police officer also defends them. Despite this the remained of Summer Bay residents are quick to accuse them of committing the robbery. Doran told a ''TVTimes'' writer that "Damien's lead astray because he's never really had a close friend and doesn't want to let Shane down." He added that both Damian and Shane had troubled childhoods but Shane had emerged stronger than him. He concluded that "together they spell trouble."

However, when Kelly Chan (Theresa Wong) enrolled at Summer Bay High both boys fell for her and things turned nasty. Brummer commented "There's certainly a lot of tension in the air." Kelly became more interested in Shane, but when she learned that he had lied about his court appearances, she turned to Damian and they went on a date. The magazine writer revealed "But things turn sour for the teenagers after Damien lies about what they got up to on their first date! Like most boys, he tries to impress the lads with tales of kissing and midnight fumbles - which of course aren't true." Kelly decided she was better off being single and Shane and Damian fell out with each other. Doran told a writer from ''Look-in

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