Donna Freedman (also Brown) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''
Neighbours
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
'', played by
Margot Robbie
Margot Elise Robbie (; born 2 July 1990) is an Australian actress and producer. Known for her work in both blockbuster and independent films, she has received several accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Golden Glob ...
. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 2 June 2008. Donna was initially introduced as a guest character, but Robbie was promoted to the regular cast shortly after she made her debut. Donna was originally portrayed as an obsessive fan of musician
Ty Harper (
Dean Geyer
Dean Stanley Geyer (born 20 March 1986) is a South African Australian singer-songwriter, actor and martial artist who finished third in the 2006 season of the talent show television series ''Australian Idol'', and has had a notable role in the ...
) and someone who had a desire for friends and acceptance. After befriending the teens of
Ramsay Street, Donna changes her ways and matures into a warm, loveable girl. She has been described as being fiery, beautiful, kooky and confident.
The character's storylines included a relationship with
Ringo Brown
Ringo Brown is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Sam Clark. Clark was given the role after he entered and won a '' Dolly'' magazine competition. He made his first screen appearance during the episode b ...
(
Sam Clark
Samuel James Clark (born 18 October 1987) is an Australian actor, singer-songwriter, best known for his role as Ringo Brown on the Australian soap opera, ''Neighbours'' and Leo in the Fox/Paramount live musical television special '' Grease: Live. ...
) whom she later married, a same-sex kiss with
Sunny Lee (Hany Lee), the introduction of her family, and an affair with
Andrew Robinson (
Jordan Patrick Smith
Jordan Patrick Smith (born 18 June 1989) is a Scottish-Australian actor. He gained prominence through his role as Andrew Robinson in the soap opera '' Neighbours'' (2009–2013, 2022). He has since appeared in the film '' Unbroken'' (2014), an ...
). The character became popular with viewers and Robbie earned various award nominations for her portrayal of Donna, including two
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 ...
nominations. In April 2010, it was revealed that Robbie had told producers she would like to leave when her contract expired at the end of the year. Five months later, it was announced that Robbie had quit ''Neighbours'' and she departed on 26 January 2011. Robbie made a guest appearance in the show's
final episode on 28 July 2022.
Casting
When Robbie was 17, she moved to Melbourne and repeatedly contacted the serial's casting director
Jan Russ
Jan Russ (born 1939) is an Australian casting director, producer and actor of theatre and TV.
Russ in best known for best known for her work as a casting director on the TV soap opera '' Neighbours'' from the show's beginning in 1985 to her dep ...
to ask for a meeting. Eventually Russ agreed to see her and when she learned how old Robbie was, she revealed that they were casting for the role of a 17-year-old girl. Robbie auditioned for the role of Donna in 2008. She believed that she had performed badly in the audition and decided to leave for a five-week snowboarding holiday in Canada.
Robbie had been in Canada for two days when she received a phone call telling her that she had been successful and that she had to return to Australia.
Robbie began appearing on-screen in June of that year. Donna was originally supposed to have a guest character role, but Robbie was promoted to the main cast shortly after her debut.
In April 2010, it was revealed that producers were "battling" to keep Robbie with the show after she told them that she would like to leave when her contract expired at the end of the year.
Producers began negotiating with Robbie to renew her contract and a spokesperson said "Margot isn't going anywhere for a long while yet. Producers love the character of Donna Freedman and there's plenty in store for her in the coming months, particularly in terms of her on-off romance with Ringo."
Development
Characterisation
Donna's personality evolves and develops throughout her time on the show. Donna arrives as an obsessed groupie of
Ty Harper (
Dean Geyer
Dean Stanley Geyer (born 20 March 1986) is a South African Australian singer-songwriter, actor and martial artist who finished third in the 2006 season of the talent show television series ''Australian Idol'', and has had a notable role in the ...
), who manages to force her way into the Ramsay Street teen group.
Donna has no one to turn to and buries her love in the music scene and Ty, who becomes her focus for love and acceptance.
Donna is driven by a fierce need for approval and acceptance, which makes her try too hard.
Robbie revealed that she shares some of Donna's characteristics. She said "
onna
Onna is a Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Its name comes from an acronym of the names of the four predominant clans in the area: Oniong, Nnung Ndem, Awa Afaha and Awa.
Onna has a population of about 495,000 ...
s fiery and outgoing and I'm a bit like that. Sometimes I can be too loud and say things when I shouldn't. But I don't stalk people. Other than that, we're kind of similar."
''
TV Week
''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news.
Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...
'' described Donna as "beautiful and a free spirit who is also a little loud and obnoxious", while the ''
Metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
'' called her "kooky." The teens of Ramsay Street warm to her eventually and with their help, Donna changes her ways and becomes accepted.
The official ''Neighbours'' website stated that Donna had become a warm, loveable, charming and playful girl.
Her integration into the street and the lives of the other residents matured Donna and she led the normal life she always wanted.
In May 2009, Robbie said that Donna was a "really likeable character" and that she got to play out funny and crazy storylines while playing her. In November of that year, it was revealed that Robbie had begged the scriptwriters to let Donna go off the rails or go to rehab.
Robbie said that she would like a dramatic storyline, but the show's G rating made it difficult.
Robbie also said that she enjoyed playing Donna, as she was "great" and a "bit crazy".
She added "I'm really glad I get to play her and not an average, boring teenage girl. You can be an average, boring teenage girl every other day of the week. It's fun to be able to say and do these things you normally wouldn't".
Family
![Tottie Goldsmith](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Tottie_Goldsmith.jpg)
Donna initially lives with and is cared for by her father,
Matt Freedman (
Benjamin Mitchell), but after he tries to cover up a hit-and-run accident that Donna commits, he tells her that he must leave or face jail. Donna is hurt and humiliated when he leaves her alone. Donna eventually confesses to
Elle Robinson
Lucinda "Elle" Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Pippa Black. The character made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 19 September 2005. She was introduced ...
(
Pippa Black
Pippa Black (born 16 October 1982) is an Australian actress. From 2005 to 2009, Black played Elle Robinson in the soap opera '' Neighbours''. Black played Tonya in the NBC series '' Outsourced'' from 2010 to 2011.
Career
Black appeared in the ...
) that Matt has left and Donna moves in with Elle, who later becomes her guardian. At the end of 2008, Donna's younger brother and sister,
Simon
Simon may refer to:
People
* Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon
* Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon
* Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
(Mauricio Merino, Jr.) and
Tegan (Chelsea Jones) were introduced to the show.
Merino and Jones won three-month contracts with the show through a competition with ''
Dolly'' magazine.
It was announced that the siblings would be "Donna's worst nightmare" and they were described as "cheeky" and "pesky".
Robbie said she was looking forward to the arrival of Donna's siblings and developing her character further with their introductions.
She added "The more storylines I do, the more real my character becomes. Now, I can do things and relate to her and understand where she's coming from".
Following the introduction of her siblings, Donna's mother was also introduced in February 2009.
Australian actress and singer
Tottie Goldsmith
Caroline "Tottie" Goldsmith (born 27 August 1962) is an Australian actress and singer.
Career
Television
In the early 1980s, Goldsmith acted in the Australian television series ''The Young Doctors'', '' Starting Out'', ''Prisoner'', '' Saturd ...
was given the role of
Cassandra Freedman
Cassandra Freedman is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Tottie Goldsmith. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 10 February 2009. Goldsmith did not have to audition for t ...
.
Goldsmith described her character as being "manipulative" and "insanely selfish".
Donna and her mother clash on many occasions as Cassandra had hurt her daughter a lot in the past.
Cassandra was a young girl when she had Donna and she did not have the maturity to deal with a baby.
Goldsmith said that Cassandra "resented Donna and saw her as a threat. Over the years, Cass has hurt Donna so much that her daughter's almost become immune to the way her mother behaves".
Goldsmith added that Cassandra is not a "maternal person" and she has not been able to connect with her children.
Cassandra moves into the street in a bid to win over wealthy resident,
Paul Robinson (
Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis (born 30 October 1958) is an Australian actor and singer best known for playing the role of cold-hearted and ruthless businessman Paul Robinson in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' from its first episode on March 18, 1985. He departed ...
). She is later driven out of town after she makes her relationship with Donna worse.
Just before Cassandra leaves town, she tells Donna that Matt, the man who raised her, is not her biological father.
Cassandra tells Donna that her real father is a man named Nick.
In 2009, it was announced that Donna's father had been cast and would be introduced the following year.
Brian Vriends
''All Saints'' is an Australian medical drama television series that first screened on the Seven Network on 24 February 1998. Set in the fictional All Saints Western General Hospital, it focused on the staff of Ward 17 until its closure in 2004 ...
was given the role of
Nick Nixon.
Of the introduction of Brian and Nick, executive producer,
Susan Bower
Susan Bower is an Australian television producer and television writer best known for her work on the soap opera ''Neighbours''. Bower is also the founder of the production company ''Bower Bird Productions''.
Career
Bower is a former nurse who ...
said "The Freedman family have provided fantastic drama for us so far and we have lots in store for Brian, it's great to have him with us. This is just one of many, many great storylines we have coming up in 2010".
Donna discovers that there are two men that could be her father and she contacts them both. Nick Nixon replies first and Donna begins to believe that he is her father. However, Professor
Nicholas McKay (Chris Bunworth) later turns up and Donna becomes confused over the situation. Nicholas has just been released from jail and he is keen to do something right.
However, he hurts Donna when he tells her that she is just like her mother and that she will run away.
Robbie said "He takes a horrible approach".
Nicholas' arrival makes Donna more afraid to find out the results of the DNA test she asked Nick to take.
On the situation, Robbie said "She's a hopeless romantic and wants the happily ever after – not only with Ringo, but with her family."
The DNA test eventually proves that Nick is her real father.
[
]
Bisexuality
When Robbie first began filming, she was told that Donna was bisexual. Of this Robbie said, "In one of the blocks she is talking to Bridget about their 'first time' and Donna asks Bridget if it was with a guy or girl? I liked the way the writers conveyed that, it was just really subtle and they didn't make a big coming out scene of it. I think it's a good message to send out because it's not such a big deal to lots of people. Not all of them have such drama surrounding it". Donna's first storyline that included this aspect of her character was a kiss between herself and fellow female character, Sunny Lee (Hany Lee). The kiss occurs after Donna discovers that Sunny has been writing the romantic love letters given to her by her boyfriend. Sunny is shocked when Donna leans over and kisses her on the lips, as it is her first kiss. The show's producers called the kiss between Sunny and Donna "impulsive" and Robbie agreed saying, "It's really not a big deal at all. It's not an actual gay storyline, it's just kind of an impulsive peck". The storyline came weeks after rival soap ''Home and Away
''Home and Away'' (often abbreviated as ''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip ...
'' endured a backlash to its own same-sex romance.
The storyline received attention from the Australian Family Association
The Australian Family Association (AFA) is a conservative Christian political organisation. It was founded in 1980 by the National Civic Council's then president, B. A. Santamaria.
Beliefs and lobbying
The AFA states they were formed to "provide ...
, with spokesman John Morrissey saying that he was concerned about TV "normalising" same-sex relationships. Psychologist Janet Hall praised the storyline, saying it allowed families to discuss the topic. Bower defended the kiss, which was shot before the ''Home and Away'' controversy, saying "Ours is a lovely tale about friendship. It's very innocent." She added "If we were going to do a lesbian story – and ''Neighbours'' is not against lesbian stories – we would do it properly. This is a teenage romance story. There's nothing sexual". In June 2009, Bower was asked if there were any plans to explore Donna's bisexuality, to which she replied that there were not. She said "We're getting an enormous amount of leverage with Donna being the person she is and there's just so much storyline with her and romance with Ringo that I'm not saying it's out of the question, but it's not in any planning stages now".
Relationship with Ringo Brown
Shortly after her character's arrival on-screen, Robbie said "There is some love coming up for Donna. She gets into a long term relationship and really falls for someone." Donna first kisses Ringo Brown
Ringo Brown is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Sam Clark. Clark was given the role after he entered and won a '' Dolly'' magazine competition. He made his first screen appearance during the episode b ...
(Sam Clark
Samuel James Clark (born 18 October 1987) is an Australian actor, singer-songwriter, best known for his role as Ringo Brown on the Australian soap opera, ''Neighbours'' and Leo in the Fox/Paramount live musical television special '' Grease: Live. ...
) at a kissing booth to get in with the established teen group. Donna and Ringo later begin a relationship, but when Donna wants to take things further, Ringo tells her that he wants to slow things down. Donna believes that she is being rejected and when she hears about Ringo's relationship with Carmella Cammeniti
Carmella Cammeniti (also Silvani and Sister Mary Catherine) is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Natalie Blair. She appeared on a recurring basis from 2003–2005, then became a main charac ...
(Natalie Blair
Natalie Louise Blair (born 16 April 1984) is an Australian actress, best known for her role as Carmella Cammeniti on the Australian television series ''Neighbours''.
Personal life
Blair was born to John Blair on 16 April 1984 and raised in Gol ...
) and then sees them together, she confronts Ringo. Ringo then tries to convince Donna that his heart belongs to her. The couple's relationship goes through various problems. During a moment of time together at home, Donna leaves Ringo to retrieve the cat and the house is set alight. Donna is forced to rescue Ringo and drag him outside. After Zeke Kinski
Zeke Kinski is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Matthew Werkmeister. He made his first on-screen appearance on 22 August 2005. Zeke is the son of Alex Kinski and the younger brother of Katya and Rach ...
(Matthew Werkmeister
Matthew Werkmeister (born 30 January 1992) is an Australian stage and television actor. He is best known for his role as Zeke Kinski in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' from 2005 to 2011 and 2014.
Career
Werkmeister began his career with the Chil ...
) returns to Ramsay Street, Ringo believes that Donna had cheated on him with his friend and breaks up with her.[ Donna then goes to Zeke to seek solace, which leads to a love triangle between the three of them.][
]
Towards the end of 2009, Donna and Ringo's relationship goes through a rocky patch and during schoolies week
Schoolies or schoolies week (also known as leavers' or leavers' week in Queensland and Western Australia and coasties in the Australian Capital Territory) refers to the Australian tradition of high-school graduates (also known as "schoolies" or ...
, Donna sleeps with Andrew Robinson (Jordan Patrick Smith
Jordan Patrick Smith (born 18 June 1989) is a Scottish-Australian actor. He gained prominence through his role as Andrew Robinson in the soap opera '' Neighbours'' (2009–2013, 2022). He has since appeared in the film '' Unbroken'' (2014), an ...
). Andrew later turns up in Erinsborough, much to Donna's shock. Robbie said that Donna begins to "freak out" because she did not expect to see Andrew again and now he could tell everyone what happened between them. Robbie added "Ringo and Donna were definitely going through a rocky patch for a while, but things were starting to look up. If she comes clean, they might find a way to work through it. But it doesn't look good." Sam Clark said that Ringo and Donna's love for each other is very strong, but he was not sure if it was strong enough to survive a betrayal. Robbie and Clark also said that the couple were heading in different directions career-wise and it would be challenging for them. Donna later begins an affair with Andrew after he helps her out and then puts pressure on her to give in to their attraction. Robbie said that Donna is "flattered" by Andrew's interest in her and when Ringo puts his career before her, Andrew tells Donna what she wants to hear. On Andrew and Donna's compatibility, Robbie said, "Andrew's more into the fashion scene than Ringo. He's suave and well-dressed, and he's an aspiring businessman. He's perfect for the world Donna is trying to get into." However, Robbie admitted that Ringo is the perfect guy for Donna as they balance each other out well. Ringo leaves for Sydney after finding out Donna cheated on him and when he returns his relationship with Donna is "frosty". Robbie commented on the ex-couple's future and said "I think at the moment it's quite in the balance. It's right up to the network at the moment as to whether they'll get back together or not."
Ringo and Donna later get back together and to prove that he loves her, Ringo proposes. In June 2010, it was revealed that the 6000th episode celebrations would see the wedding of Donna and Ringo. News.com reported that producers hoped that the wedding would "recreate the magic" of Scott Robinson Scott Robinson may refer to:
* Scott Robinson (jazz musician) (born 1959), American jazz musician
* Scott Robinson (ice hockey) (born 1964), Canadian National Hockey League player
* Scott Robinson (singer) (born 1979), English singer in the boy ban ...
( Jason Donovan) and Charlene Mitchell
Charlene Alexander Mitchell (June 8, 1930 – December 14, 2022) was an American international socialist, feminist, labor and civil rights activist. In 1968, she became the first Black woman candidate for President of the United States.
In the ...
's (Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
) 1987 wedding. Robbie said she had "big shoes to fill", but she was honoured to be working on her biggest storyline since she arrived. Clark said that Donna and Ringo made the decision that they are going to be with each other for life and that they are "going to be solid from now on". On the wedding day, Donna's car breaks down and she is forced to ride in the back of Lucas Fitzgerald's (Scott Major
Scott Ian Major (born 4 July 1975) is an Australian actor and TV and film director, best known for his roles as Peter Rivers in the 1994 television teen drama series ''Heartbreak High'' and Lucas Fitzgerald in soap opera ''Neighbours''.
Career
...
) truck. Donna walks down the aisle to Ringo's version of " Suddenly", the original song played at Scott and Charlene's wedding. Clark added "It's a perfect day, but I can't promise they'll live happily ever after." Donna and Ringo became the 36th couple to get married on the show. A month later, Ringo is knocked down by Stephanie Scully's (Carla Bonner
Carla Bonner is an Australian actress, known for playing the role of Stephanie Scully in the soap opera '' Neighbours'', a role she played from 1999 to 2010. She was also a guest on '' Celebrity Big Brother Australia'' in 2002. Following her d ...
) motorcycle and dies. Donna is devastated and she stays in her room. Steph comes to visit her and as she is apologising, Donna gets up and hugs her. Of Donna's reaction, Robbie said, "Donna is almost in a state of confusion and insists that the whole thing was an accident. Donna is just numb and she doesn't know what to feel."
Departure
In September 2010, Robbie confirmed rumours that she was to leave ''Neighbours'' after almost three years. Of her reason to leave Robbie said, "I want to go to America; it's always been my goal to work in Hollywood. It's the one stage in my life where I have absolutely nothing holding me down". Robbie filmed her final scenes in October and her character left on-screen in early 2011. Robbie later revealed her character's exit was positive and that Donna departs Ramsay Street for a fashion design school in New York. Robbie said "It is very daunting for Donna at first. Ringo was the one who applied for Donna to do this course – it's like he's doing this one last thing for her." She said that Donna becomes determined to be a success and that it is her last chance to live up to Ringo's expectations of her. Robbie added that she wanted Donna to go to rehab or have a dramatic death, but she got a "boring old happy ending" instead.
Robbie reprised the role for a cameo appearance in the show's final episode, which was broadcast on 28 July 2022.
Storylines
Donna comes to Charlie's
Charlie's Group Limited is a New Zealand-based producer of beverage drinks. It is owned by the Japanese beverage company Asahi.
Charlie's was founded in 1999 by Marc Ellis, Stefan Lepionka and Simon Neal. Originally the company produced fre ...
to see musician Ty Harper, who is her main focus in life. Ty introduces Donna to Rachel Kinski
Rachel Kinski is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Caitlin Stasey. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 18 August 2005. She is the middle child of Alex Kinski and sister to Ze ...
(Caitlin Stasey
Caitlin Jean Stasey (born 1 May 1990) is an Australian actress and singer. She is known for her role as Rachel Kinski in ''Neighbours''. Previously she played Francesca Thomas in '' The Sleepover Club'', although her breakthrough movie role ca ...
) and they try to get her to leave. Ringo Brown decides to help Donna make friends. Donna helps to clear an area of the bush
"The bush" is a term mostly used in the English vernacular of Australia and New Zealand where it is largely synonymous with '' backwoods'' or ''hinterland'', referring to a natural undeveloped area. The fauna and flora contained within this a ...
and when a fire breaks out, she is suspected of starting it because of her strange behaviour. Daniel Fitzgerald (Brett Tucker
Brett Alan Tucker (born 21 May 1972) is an Australian actor and singer. He was a series regular in '' The Saddle Club'', ''McLeod's Daughters'', and '' Mistresses''. He is also known for his role as Daniel Fitzgerald in ''Neighbours''. He pla ...
), a school counsellor, talks with Donna, who then decides to transfer to Erinsborough High
''Neighbours: Erinsborough High'' is an Australian streaming television series produced for video on demand and catch up TV services My5 and 10 Play. It was released on 11 November 2019. The series is a spin-off of soap opera ''Neighbours''. F ...
. There she eventually becomes friends with Rachel and Bridget Parker
Bridget "Didge" Parker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Eloise Mignon. In 2007 the show was revamped to boost falling ratings in Australia. As part of this, the show's focus returned to family d ...
(Eloise Mignon
Eloise Mignon (born 18 September 1986) is an Australian actress. She began her career starring in children's television shows: ''The Legacy of the Silver Shadow'' and ''Silversun'' before appearing in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours''. Mi ...
), and starts dating Ringo. Donna's father, Matt, bans her from seeing Ringo and she steals his car. Donna accidentally hits Nicola West
Nicola West is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Imogen Bailey. She made her on-screen debut on 5 May 2008. She departed the show on 8 October 2008. The character has been central to many storylines in ...
(Imogen Bailey
Imogen Bailey (born 7 July 1977, Canberra) is an Australian model, actress and singer. As a model she has been featured on the cover of men's magazines, including ''Ralph'', ''FHM Australia'', ''Black+White''. On TV Bailey has appeared in vario ...
) and her dog, Bronte. However, Donna is initially unaware that she hit Nicola and she and Ringo ask Lucas Fitzgerald to fix the car. When she realises that she also hit Nicola, Donna tells Matt what happened. He tries to frame Lucas to save her, but he is caught and then goes on the run. Elle Robinson takes Donna in and becomes her legal guardian.
After she stops taking her birth-control pills, Donna believes she may be pregnant. Donna convinces Rachel and Bridget to take pregnancy tests with her. Donna's is negative, but Bridget discovers that she is pregnant. Donna's younger siblings, Simon and Tegan, arrive in Ramsay Street and their mother, Cassandra, follows not long after. Ringo and Donna break up and she becomes closer to Rachel's brother, Zeke. They share a kiss and Donna decides to leave Erinsborough to sort her head out. On her return, she gets back together with Ringo and clashes with her mother. Before Cassandra leaves town, she tells Donna that Matt is not her biological father. Donna creates an online vlog
A video blog or video log, sometimes shortened to vlog (), is a form of blog for which the medium is video. Vlog entries often combine embedded video (or a video link) with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in ...
in a bid to find her father and James Linden
James Y. Linden was an American college football coach. He served as the head coach at Loyola College of Los Angeles—now known as Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research u ...
(Tim Ross
Timothy Jonathon Ross (nicknamed Rosso) is an Australian comedian, radio host, writer and television presenter. He began his career performing stand-up comedy with Merrick Watts as part of the duo Merrick and Rosso. He is now better known as the ...
) turns up claiming to be Donna's half brother. They take a DNA test and James tells Donna that it confirms they are related. James later transfers Elle's money out of her online bank account and leaves, devastating Donna. Donna meets fashion designer Saffron Jankievicz
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'' in 2009, by order of first appearance. They were all introduced by the show's executive producer Susan Bower. The 25th season of ''Neighbours'' ...
(Shanyn Asmar) and she is offered an internship with her company. Donna skips school and neglects her friends and chores. She decides to quit and Saffron slaps her. Donna presses charges and Saffron apologises. Donna befriends Kate Ramsay ( Ashleigh Brewer) following Rachel's departure and Bridget's death.
During Schoolies week
Schoolies or schoolies week (also known as leavers' or leavers' week in Queensland and Western Australia and coasties in the Australian Capital Territory) refers to the Australian tradition of high-school graduates (also known as "schoolies" or ...
Donna meets Andrew Robinson and has sex with him. Andrew turns up in Erinsborough and he and Donna eventually continue their affair. One of their trysts is accidentally recorded and Scott Griffin
Scott Griffin, (born 1938) is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist best known for founding the Griffin Poetry Prize in 2000, one of the world's most generous poetry awards, and Poetry In Voice, a bilingual recitation competition for Canadia ...
(Eamonn George) finds it and shows at Charlie's. Ringo is devastated and leaves for Sydney. Donna begins university and during her second lecture, Saffron turns up as a guest speaker. Saffron turns Donna's classmates against her, but Donna stands up to her. While going through her mother's diary, Donna discovers that there are two men, Nick Nixon and Nicholas McKay, who could be her biological father. She contacts them both and she gets a job in Nick Nixon's restaurant to see what he is like and she eventually tells him that she might be his daughter. They take a DNA test, which confirms that they are related. Donna tries to be nice to Ringo's new girlfriend, Naomi
Naomi or Naomie may refer to:
People and biblical figures
* Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name
* Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth
* Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...
( Kate Bell), but she struggles. Ringo breaks up with Naomi and Donna discovers that Naomi has been following her. Naomi's trashes Donna's university project and steals her own medical file from the hospital. Donna is arrested, but Declan Napier
Declan Napier is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by James Sorensen from 2007 to 2010, and Erin Mullally from 2010 to 2011. In January 2010 it was announced that Sorensen had quit the role ...
(Erin Mullally
Erin Mullally (born 2 January 1990) is an Australian actor and model best known for playing the role of Declan Napier in '' Neighbours''. Mullally was cast in the role after original actor, James Sorensen, left the show. The character of Declan i ...
) and Ringo find the file at Naomi's house and Donna is released.
Donna is crushed by some scaffolding after she goes to a building site to pick up Ringo. Earlier in the day, Paul had tampered with the scaffolding platform due to a feud with the site's owner. Ringo helps Donna to breathe and she is rushed to hospital, where she undergoes surgery to repair a ruptured spleen
The spleen is an organ found in almost all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The word spleen comes . . Donna and Ringo then reunite and Ringo proposes to her. However, Donna turns him down, before proposing to him herself. Ringo wins a green card
A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. ("The term 'lawfully admitted for permanent residence' means the status of having been ...
to the United States and they decide to bring the wedding forward. Donna meets Ringo's mother, Prue (Penny Cook
Penelope Cook (13 July 1957 – 26 December 2018) was an Australian actress, stage director, TV presenter and writer. She played roles in the soap opera ''A Country Practice'', as Vicki Dean Bowen from 1981 to 1985, '' E Street'' as lead anchor-c ...
) and she later discovers Prue and Nick together. The wedding venue has to be changed and Donna's car breaks down, so Lucas has to drive Donna and Nick to the new venue. They are stopped by the police, but Donna eventually makes it to the ceremony and she and Ringo marry. Following the honeymoon, Donna moves in with the Kennedy family. On their one-month anniversary, Ringo is knocked down by Stephanie Scully's (Carla Bonner
Carla Bonner is an Australian actress, known for playing the role of Stephanie Scully in the soap opera '' Neighbours'', a role she played from 1999 to 2010. She was also a guest on '' Celebrity Big Brother Australia'' in 2002. Following her d ...
) motorbike and dies. Donna is devastated and she struggles to accept that he has gone. Donna initially blames Kate for Ringo's death because he pushed her out of the way. Donna is upset when she misses Ringo's funeral. Donna is angry when Paul tries to use her to upset Steph at her trial. She later tells the court that Steph should not go to jail as it will not bring Ringo back. Donna receives a letter from a New York design school and Zeke tells her that Ringo applied for a place on her behalf. After initially deciding to stay in Ramsay Street, Donna's friends manage to convince her to leave by staging a fashion show showcasing her designs. Donna says her goodbyes in the street and she leaves for New York with Nick.
In other media
In 2009, ''Neighbours'' became the first Australian series to establish Twitter accounts for its characters. Donna was one of four characters to have an account set up, with the others being Declan, Ringo and Zeke. They began sending daily updates to their fans, giving advice and talking to each other. The updates are "complementary to the show's on-air storylines". FremantleMedia Enterprises
Fremantle (; formerly FremantleMedia) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Production company, television production and distribution company based in London. Fremantle takes its name from Fremantle International, acquired by ...
vice-president of licensing Ben Liebmann said, "We thought it was a really great way to continue or allow the audience to engage with the ''Neighbours'' world off-screen". The messages are overseen by the Fremantle digital team, which is integrated with the story department of the ''Neighbours'' production team.
Reception
Robbie earned several award nominations for her portrayal of Donna. She was nominated for Most Popular New Female Talent at the 2009 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. She was nominated for Best Newcomer and Funniest Performance at the ''Inside Soap'' Awards and Fave Aussie Hottie at the Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards
The Australian Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was an annual awards show that awarded entertainers with a blimp trophy, as voted by children. The show was usually held during October or November and a televised show was produced, touted as the " ...
. In 2011, Robbie received a nomination for the Logie Award for Most Popular Actress
The Logie Award for Most Popular Actress is an award presented annually at the Australian TV Week Logie Awards. The award recognises the popularity of an actress in an Australian program. Commonly known as the Silver Logie for Best Actress, it h ...
.
The character has been well received. The ''South Wales Evening Post
The ''South Wales Evening Post'' is a tabloid daily newspaper distributed in the South West region of Wales. The paper has three daily editions – Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire – and is published by Media Wales, part ...
'' called Donna "one of the programme's most popular faces" and the ''Bristol Evening Post
The ''Bristol Post'' is a city/regional five-day-a-week (formerly appearing six days per week) newspaper covering news in the city of Bristol, including stories from the whole of Greater Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. It was ...
'' said she was "one of the most refreshing ''Neighbours'' characters to come along for many a moon".[ ] Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
said the character had become a favourite with fans. Ruth Deller, of television website Lowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of ''Doctor Who Adventures''.
Purpose
The website sought to celebrate popular television shows, especially 'low brow televis ...
, called Donna "fierce and fabulous". Robbie's co-star, Scott Major (Lucas Fitzgerald) praised her performance as Donna saying, "Donna 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".
Website AfterEllen
AfterEllen (also known as AfterEllen.com) is an American culture website founded in 2002, with a focus on entertainment, interviews, reviews, and news of interest to the lesbian and bisexual women's community. The site covers pop culture and lifes ...
commented on Donna's bisexuality saying that her introduction to ''Neighbours'' was "progress". They were also happy to see that Donna had been added to the credits, meaning that she would be around for a while. 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 ...
named Donna's most memorable moments as "Stepping out with Zeke after Ringo had dumped her" and "Locking lips with Korean exchange student Sunny". In August 2010, ''TV Week'' included Donna in their "Top 25 ''Neighbours'' characters". They said "Ditzy, but kind-hearted Donna always lands herself in trouble".
References
External links
Donna Freedman
at the Official AU ''Neighbours'' website
Donna Freedman
at the Official UK ''Neighbours'' website
Donna Freedman
on Twitter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freedman, Donna
Neighbours characters
Fictional bisexual females
Television characters introduced in 2008
Fictional LGBT characters in television
Fictional fashion designers
Female characters in television
Teenage characters in television