| Andrew Robinson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Neighbours character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Shannon Holmes (1991–92) Jordan Smith (2009—) |
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| Introduced by | Don Battye (1991) Susan Bower (2009) |
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| Duration | 1991–92, 2009— | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 13 November 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Current, regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 13 November 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home | 22 Ramsay Street | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Student at Erinsborough High Lassiter's Hotel employee |
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Andrew Benito Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jordan Smith. He made his first on-screen appearance on 13 November 1991. Shannon Holmes previously played the role from the character's birth in 1991 until 1992. Andrew's backstory was subject to retroactive continuity to explain Smith's Scottish accent, and he had his age reduced so that he would be a teenager on his return. Andrew is the only son of Christina Alessi and Paul Robinson. His storylines have included returning to see his father, having an affair with Donna Freedman, fighting with his step brother and becoming involved in a love triangle with Natasha Williams and Summer Hoyland.
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Andrew made his first appearance in Neighbours on 13 November 1991, following Christina Alessi's (Gayle Blakeney) pregnancy. He was played by Shannon Holmes until his departure in 1992.[1] In September 2009, it was announced the character would be returning to Neighbours after a seventeen year absence.[2] Darren Rowe of Digital Spy reported twenty year old Queenslander Jordan Smith had been cast as Andrew.[3] Smith told David Knox of TV Tonight that shortly after returning from a Gold Coast music festival, he discovered he had seventeen missed calls from his agent telling him he had an audition for Neighbours back down on the Gold Coast.[4] Smith explained "So I drove all the way back down and it was the only audition I've ever had where I really didn't care too much about it. I wasn't very prepared so I just went in, to see what happened. Two weeks later I had a phone call saying I had the job. Crazy."[4] Smith received the call while he was in hospital, following a workplace accident which left his nose swollen and infected.[3] This led to Smith almost turning down the role.[3] Smith's first scenes as Andrew were broadcast in December 2009.[3] His role was initially supposed to last for six weeks.[4] In 2011, Smith signed a contract to stay with Neighbours for another two years.[4]
The character's backstory was changed to accommodate Smith's Scottish accent. Smith had grown up in Scotland before moving to Australia as a teenager.[5] Originally Andrew and Christina were said to have moved from Brazil back to Australia, but this was amended to include an intervening stay in Scotland.[5][6] Smith speaks in a refined version of his natural accent in order to be understood. Of this he said "The producers have been fantastic in accommodating my accent. I have had to refine it so the other cast members and audience can understand me. Although I still get that 'what the hell did he just say?' about every second scene."[7] The character also had a noticeable change in age.[8] Andrew was born on screen in November 1991, but Andrew's age was decreased to sixteen and his birth date changed to 20 August 1993.[9]
The character of Andrew is portrayed as having a deceptive persona.[10] Of this Smith said "He is very calculating and comes across as extremely selfish. However, there is a softer side to him but, for the moment, you only see glimpses of that."[10] Smith also revealed some of the similarities in the comparison of his character and his on-screen father stating: "There are definitely characteristics of his father. He is very motivated by money and status like his father and would think nothing of burning someone if it meant he would get ahead."[10] Network Ten describe the character. as having the charm and confidence others find intoxicating.[9] They also add that he has a gift of an "inexplicable ability to make anyone he's talking to feel like they're the only person in the room."[9] They also comment on how the character longs for his father to take notice of his actions and how much he wants him to notice him as a would-be businessman.[9] Holy Soap said Andrew is a "bit of a chip off the old block and is always keen to make a quick buck."[1]
"It has been rather lengthy but I've enjoyed it. We've become really good friends out of it. It's certainly opened up the characters and showed different aspects to their personalities which I hope has been interesting for the viewers."[11]
Andrew becomes involved in a love triangle with Summer Hoyland (Jordy Lucas) and Natasha Williams (Valentina Novakovic).[12] Andrew breaks Summer's heart by staying away from her and dating Natasha.[12] Andrew thinks he is doing the right thing, as Summer's stepmother has just been sent to jail and Lyn Scully (Janet Andrewartha) has warned him to back off from her.[12] Andrew and Natasha set up a successful party together, but when Summer appears, Andrew becomes surprised at his feelings for her. Later, when Natasha asks Andrew if he loves her, he cannot bring himself to reply.[12] Lucas told Holy Soap that she is backing the pairing of Summer and Andrew and wants things between them to move along.[13] Lucas also said that fans send her links to videos of Summer and Andrew on YouTube that they have made. She added "Everyone seems to love Andrew and Summer."[13]
In December 2010, it was revealed that Summer and Andrew would give into their feelings for each other before they become trapped in a house fire.[14] Smith said "The repercussions of the fire will be massive. It changes everything in the street."[14] The storyline begins when Andrew becomes jealous of Summer going on a date with his business partner, Tomas Bersky (Tim Munley).[14] Smith explained that until that moment, Andrew had thought Summer was too good for him, but when she goes out with Tomas, it is a wake up call for him.[14] Andrew lies to Natasha about having a business meeting and he goes to see Summer. She tells him that she wants to be with him and they kiss. Smith said "Andrew also knows that if he doesn't act now and let Summer know how he feels, it'll be too late. When Summer tells Andrew she wants to be with him, he's completely overwhelmed. He's never felt this way about a girl before."[14] Andrew promises Summer that he will break up with Natasha the next day and they sleep together.[14] At the same time, a fire breaks out and Natasha goes in to save Summer, not knowing Andrew is there too.[14] Smith told Holy Soap that filming the fire scenes was "great fun" and that they gave him a "sense of what it would be like on an action movie."[15] When he was asked who Andrew should be with, he said that he believes Natasha is the right one for him because they are very alike. He said Summer "would cool off" as soon as she realised that Andrew is up to no good.[15]
Natasha tells Andrew that she is pregnant in order to stop him from breaking up with her. Smith told Holy Soap that the news is a "huge shock" to Andrew and he explained "He thought he was going in one direction, and then all of sudden, everything changed. However, not having a father around when he was growing up, he decides pretty quickly that he wants to give it the best shot he can."[16] Andrew supports Natasha and tries to dedicate himself to the baby.[17] Smith told Digital Spy, "Andrew is oblivious to the possibility that this is all a scam, he is so focused on the baby, becoming a father and doing the right thing."[11] Summer later reveals that Natasha is lying about being pregnant and Smith said Andrew is "gutted" by the news, as he had accepted and embraced the idea of becoming a father.[16] Andrew cannot accept that Natasha could be so cruel and the betrayal is "too great for him to comprehend."[16] Andrew had started to change his ideas about the direction of his life for fatherhood.[11] Smith stated that Andrew has been "ripped apart" because of the lie.[11] When asked is Andrew would have been a good father, Smith said "I think he would have. Because he didn't have a hands-on father figure in his life, he was determined that wasn't going to happen to his child. He certainly had all the right intentions which was great for the character who is usually all about himself."[11] Because of Andrew's state of mind, following the reveal, Smith believes that he and Summer will not get together straight away, saying "his head is a mess over what's happened, they try to get together but she wants him to be one way, and he just isn't in the right frame of mind - he's racing at a 100 miles an hour to make sense of what has happened."[11] Smith added that he hoped the storyline had reached an end as Andrew, Summer and Natasha's friendships have been pushed beyond their limits. He explained that he would like to see them all move in a different direction.[11]
Shortly after Natasha's pregnancy lie is revealed, Andrew throws himself into his dance party business.[18] Andrew had previously held a party in 2009, but he got into debt and was chased to Erinsborough by a security team who wanted paying. Holy Soap said that "history looks set to repeat itself " when Andrew tries to organise a dance party with his partner Tomas.[18] Smith revealed that Andrew would "face a crisis of conscience" when he discovers that Tomas is involved in some "dodgy dealings" at the club where the party is held.[18] Andrew initially turns the other cheek, but he struggles when Natasha becomes suspicious about the party and Tomas.[19] The situation becomes more stressful for Andrew, when Summer comes to the party. Smith told TV Week, "Andrew is terrified about what can go wrong - he knows he's in too deep, but he's happy to let it continue as long as he has nothing to do with it."[20] Natasha comes to the club and tries to help Andrew out, but she is forced to turn to her father and he calls Detective Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor), who arrives at the club.[19] Andrew is under pressure to come clean and he realises that the situation has become serious.[19] Smith said "He's tried to brush it off, but he knows he needs to do the right thing."[19] Mark and the police do not find any evidence of illegal activity, but Andrew feels the need to tell them the truth. He also decides to tell his father about Tomas's actions.[20]
Andrew is the only son of Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) and Christina Alessi. There was an initial quarrel between Paul and Christina over what he should be called, with Christina keen on naming him Benito after her uncle and Paul intent on Paul Robinson Junior.[9] They eventually settled on Andrew and he was christened soon after. Within the first eighteen months of his life, Andrew experienced considerable turmoil, with Paul suffering a nervous breakdown after getting into financial difficulties and the breakdown of Christina and Paul's marriage after Paul had an affair with Christina's sister. Andrew was then in the midst of a custody battle, but Paul and Christina patched up their differences before leaving to run a branch of Lassiter's in Hawaii. The family did not settle there for long as Paul was forced to go on the run after framing his brother-in-law Philip Martin (Ian Rawlings) for fraud. They moved to Brazil for a while, but eventually Paul returned to Australia and gave himself up, he then served several years in prison. Christina and Andrew lived in Scotland for a while, before they returned to Australia and settled down in Sydney.
Andrew organises an event at a club during schoolies week and he meets Donna Freedman (Margot Robbie). Andrew flirts with Donna and they have a one-night stand. A week later, Andrew arrives in Erinsborough to see his father, Paul Robinson. Andrew explains to Paul that he owes $5,000 to the security firm from his club event and Paul gives him the money. Paul's partner, Rebecca (Jane Hall), catches Andrew trying to leave and she tells him Paul deserves more respect, so Andrew decides to stay. Andrew pursues Donna and they begin an affair, behind her boyfriend, Ringo Brown's (Sam Clark) back. One of their trysts is accidentally recorded and the footage is shown to an audience at Charlie's bar. Andrew then begins competing with his cousin, Harry Ramsay (Will Moore), for the affections of their neighbour, Summer Hoyland (Jordy Lucas).
Andrew begins fighting with Rebecca's son, Declan (James Sorensen), who decides to move out. Andrew accidentally sends an email to all of the Lassiter's Hotel clients telling them the hotel no longer wants their business. He asks Declan for help, but Declan refuses to help him. Paul finds out and threatens to send Andrew home to his mother. When Summer decides to throw a party, Andrew posts the details of the venue on Facebook. The party gets out of control and the police are called. Andrew refuses to apologise to Summer's step-mother, Stephanie Scully (Carla Bonner), and Rebecca decides to call Christina. However, Christina explains she does not want Andrew to come home. Andrew tries to split Rebecca and Paul up, by asking Kyle Canning (Chris Milligan) to flirt with Rebecca. Andrew then tells Declan that Paul is keeping secrets about his financial situation, knowing Declan will tell Rebecca.
While working on an advertising campaign for PirateNet, Andrew meets Natasha Williams (Valentina Novakovic). He invites her to go to a concert with him and they begin dating. Andrew tries to talk Donna out of getting married to Ringo and he kisses her. Ringo punches him and when Natasha learns what happened, she breaks off their relationship. Andrew's friend, Chris Pappas (James Mason), comes out and Andrew is initially supportive, until Chris confesses to having a crush on him. They later make up. Andrew tells Paul about Declan and Diana Marshall (Jane Badler) trying to oust him from Lassiter's. Andrew is angered, when Paul does not thank him for his help. Paul is pushed from the Lassiter's mezzanine and Andrew becomes a suspect. He is questioned by Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor), but released without charge.
Andrew rekindles his relationship with Natasha, but he begins to develop feelings for Summer. Lyn Scully (Janet Andrewartha) warns Andrew to stay away from her grand-daughter. Andrew becomes jealous when Summer goes on a date with his new business partner, Tomas Bersky. Andrew goes to see Summer and they confess their feelings for each other. They have sex, unaware a fire has started in Summer's living room. Andrew and Summer wake up and realise they are trapped. Michael Williams (Sandy Winton) enters the room carrying Natasha and the firefighters get the girls out. Andrew collapses shortly before the roof falls in. Michael and Andrew are rescued and taken to hospital, where Andrew undergoes surgery for internal bleeding. Andrew and Summer decide to keep their relationship from Natasha until she has recovered from her injuries.
Natasha tells Andrew she is pregnant and he decides to stand by her and the baby. Natasha goes for an ultrasound scan alone and gives Andrew the images of their baby. Summer reveals the images are fake and Natasha admits she lied about being pregnant because she saw Andrew and Summer kissing. Andrew throws himself into his new business with Tomas. Andrew becomes concerned when Tomas plans to sell drugs at their party, but he does not tell anyone about it. Following a raid on the venue, Andrew tells Mark about Tomas. Andrew begins dating Lisa Devine (Sophie Tilson) to make Summer jealous. When Summer reveals she is moving to Bendigo, Andrew does not ask her to stay. However, just as she is leaving the street, Andrew chases the car and tells Summer he loves her. Summer decides to stay in Ramsay Street to be with Andrew.
Andrew realises he cannot afford to pay for schoolies and when Paul goes on holiday, Andrew turns their house into a hostel for backpackers, to raise the money he needs. Andrew receives a second hand car from Paul for his 18th birthday, which he hates. Andrew and Chris decide to buy old cars, fix them up and sell them on for a profit. Their first customer is Erik Poulos (Ivan Bradara). Andrew and Chris struggle to find the car Erik wants, but Lucas Fitzgerald (Scott Major) helps them out. Paul praises Andrew's new business venture. Andrew decides to help Summer out with her port folio for university, by reviewing and editing footage of the History Wall project from her time lapse camera. Andrew sees his older cousin, Kate Ramsay (Ashleigh Brewer), kissing her student, Noah Parkin (Orpheus Pledger), on the tape. Andrew tells Kate he knows about the kiss and she begs him to delete the footage, which he does.
When Andrew catches Sophie berating Noah for revealing he kissed Kate, he tells her Noah's allegation is true. He explains he saw footage of the kiss. Andrew then tells Summer that he deleted her time lapse camera footage to protect Kate and she forgives him. Andrew and Chris go to Byron Bay for Schoolies and after drinking all night, Andrew gets an embarrassing tattoo. Andrew decides not to tell Summer about his tattoo, but when she suspects him of cheating on her because of his strange behaviour, he reveals the truth. Andrew tries to keep his tattoo a secret from Paul. To raise some money to get it removed, he decides to sell his car to Danielle Paquette (Georgia Bolton). Paul finds out about the sale and the tattoo and gives Andrew the money for the removal procedure. He tells Andrew he will work extra shifts in the hotel to pay him back.
Whilst played by Holmes, the BBC said Andrew's most notable moment was "Being born."[21] Following the character's return to Neighbours, Holy Soap said that Andrew's most memorable moment is "Getting steamy with gorgeous Donna while she was going out with Ringo. The incident just happened to be recorded, sparking the end of Donna and Ringo's relationship."[22] Andrew has become popular with the female fans and Smith revealed that he had received marriage proposals.[15]
Daily Mail writer, Jaci Stephen , called Andrew "another sociopath" and a "ghastly kid."[23] The Sun's magazine Buzz whined about Andrew's love-triangle storyline, saying "If we had a pound for every time Andrew has promised Summer he'll finish with Tash we'd be at least £7 richer"[24] The Sun Herald opined that trouble follows Andrew wherever he goes and they said "The baby-faced teen has been in Erinsborough less than a year but has earned the reputation of Ramsay Street rebel. He's had an affair with Donna (Margot Robbie), ripped off a security firm and taken credit for work done by Declan (Erin Mullally)."[25] The paper added that Andrew is a "nuisance" and that when Chris got into a fight, it was clear that he had fallen under Andrew's influence.[25]
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