Adam Willis (Neighbours)

Adam Willis
Neighbours character
Portrayed by Ian Williams
Duration 1990–91
First appearance 9 August 1990
Last appearance 13 September 1991
Classification Former; regular
Profile
Occupation Medical student
Chauffeur
Labourer
Doctor
Home Newcastle

Adam Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Williams. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 9 August 1990. Williams was cast in the role in early 1990, but did not start filming until June because he had work commitments to another television project. News outlets claimed producers cast Williams to replace former fan-favourite cast members, a claim the actor found insulting.

He is introduced as the eldest child of Doug (Terence Donovan) and Pam Willis (Sue Jones). He is characterised as a studious medical student who does not want to follow his father's example of working on a building site. He is Pam's favourite child and she has high hopes for his medical career. Writers devised romance stories for the character alongside fellow newly introduced characters Caroline Alessi (Gillian Blakeney) and Gemma Ramsay (Beth Buchanan). Williams liked his role in the show but had issues with Adam's naivety.

Casting

Williams was signed up to appear in the show in early 1990 but did not know exact details about his character. In April that year writers were still working on stories for the character. Williams was filming a role in Bony, another Grundy production. He was scheduled to begin filming in June once that Bony had finished production. Dani Rogers from TV Week reported that Williams had been touted in the media as the actor to fill the void left by the departures of Guy Pearce and Craig McLachlan. Williams said that he felt "insulted" to think of such comparisons. He told Rogers that "I'm not anybody's clone. I want to bring some individuality to my role."[1]

Development

Adam is the eldest son of Doug (Terence Donovan) and Pam Willis (Sue Jones). Anthony Hayward wrote in his book "The who's who of soap operas" that Adam was Pam's favourite child because "in her eyes he can do no wrong".[2] Adam grew up in an era where the building trade was suffering a decline. He decided he did not want to live a life of uncertainty and choses to pursue a career in law. But he found it dull, quit and tried out various jobs before leaving for Europe. When he arrives in Erinsborough he is studying medicine and he puts his "heart and soul" into it because he finds it "interesting and challenging".[2] To help subsidise his living he takes a job as a chauffeur but Pam convinces him to move into the family home. Hayward described an awkward dynamic between Adam and Pam. He stated "she finds it difficult to understand his macabre sense of humour, something he shares with other medical students. To them, it is a means of survival."[2] Pam worked as a nurse and was often anxious over her son completing his studies. She helped him by sharing her own experiences in the profession to discredit any pretensions he had about the career.[3] Adam's relationship with his father differed. Doug is not as supportive towards him than Pam. He doubts his son's ability to finish his studies because he would often quit jobs. Hayward observed that Doug was closest to Brad because of his basketball skills.[4] Williams said the part appealed to him as it was flexible and Adam's humour kept him "fired up."[5] Williams explained that he felt similar to his character as they both loved their families, but he was not impressed with Adam's naivety.[5]

Writers devised a romance storyline for the character involving Caroline Alessi (Gillian Blakeney). Williams told Darren Devlyn (TV Week) that their romance is "certainly not of the storybook variety." Viewers had already been expecting a romance to develop between Caroline and much older character Jim Robinson (Alan Dale).[6] Writers pitched Adam and Jim against one another in a fight for Caroline's affections. Williams explained that their feud leads to a "huge confrontation" which also upsets respected neighbour and his employer Helen Daniels (Anne Haddy). She is not impressed that Adam has caused trouble for her son. Prior to Caroline Williams believed that the only thing his character took seriously was his medical studies.[6] But he makes every effort to win Caroline's love. But Adam and Jim take completely different approaches to impress her. The actor stated "I love the fact Adam has no pretence. Adam wears his heart on his sleeve, while Jim wears his on his bank balance trying to impress with flashy dinners and flowers." He concluded that he wanted to stay on the show longer because he believed Adam had "a lot of growing to do".[6]

Writers later paired Adam with Gemma Ramsay (Beth Buchanan). Di Stanley from TV Extra reported that the character would experience problems with Gemma following his condoning of Ryan McLachlan's (Richard Norton) drug use. Stanley revealed that Gemma would pay him a "stormy visit" in retaliation.[7]

Storylines

Adam is the eldest child of Doug and Pam. When his parents and his younger sister Cody (Amelia Frid) decide to move to a smaller house in Ramsay Street, Adam opts to move with them as living on his own will be expensive as he is a medical student. The family move into Number 28 and Adam soon takes a job working for as a chauffeur for Helen's limousine company Home James.

Adam soon falls for Caroline but she is involved with Jim. Adam competes with Jim to win Caroline's affections which culminates in Adam injuring Jim during basketball practice, which fails to impress Caroline. After Jim and Caroline break up, Caroline realises she is attracted to Adam and they begin dating. However, Adam's struggle with expenses in his student lifestyle leave him feeling inferior; and as a result he and Caroline split but remain good friends. After struggling at university, Adam decides he wants to give up medicine and drops out to join Doug on his building site. Doug, however isn't convinced and engineers a plan to make Adam's time on the site miserable so he will return to medicine. The plan is successful and Adam returns to university to pursue his degree, much to Pam's delight.

Ryan starts taking sedatives and Adam defends him because his university friends take them. This angers Gemma who confronts him. Adam later develops feelings for Gemma who is reluctant to commit to him after her failed relationship with Glen Donnelly (Richard Huggett). She soon realises she has feelings for him too and they begin a relationship. Several months into their romance Gemma receives a job offer in Newcastle at an animal sanctuary and she leaves. Adam follows her one-month later and transfers to a university nearby. He completes his studies and becomes a doctor. Adam and Gemma become engaged.

Reception

The BBC said Adam's most notable moment was "Chauffeuring a Lassiter’s client while wearing a toga."[8] During a feature on the show, Anna Pickard from The Guardian tried to choose the characters she would be most starstruck by if she met them. She said "It would have to be the Willis family. All of them. Pam, Doug, Adam, Gaby, Brad and Cody".[9] Adam was named a "soap swot" by an Inside Soap columnist. They said, "Although bright, Adam's career as a student wasn't plain sailing".[10]

References

  1. ↑ Rogers, Dani (7 April 1990). "Horror star signs for Neighbours!". TV Week. Southdown Press: 29.
  2. 1 2 3 Hayward 1991, p.161.
  3. ↑ Hayward 1991, p.163.
  4. ↑ Hayward 1991, p.162.
  5. 1 2 Neighbours: The Official Annual 1992. Hamlyn. 1991. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-600-57311-1.
  6. 1 2 3 Devlyn, Darren (29 September 1990). "The heat goes on". TV Week. Southdown Press: 29.
  7. ↑ Stanley, Di (4 November 1990). "Soaps". Sunday Sun: TV Extra. Trinity Mirror: 11.
  8. ↑ "Character: Adam Willis". BBC. Archived from the original on 7 March 2006. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  9. ↑ Pickard, Anna (18 October 2005). "The perfect blend". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "Soap's swots". Inside Soap. Attic Futura (UK) Ltd (3): 11. December 1992.

External links

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