Hayley Smith (Home and Away)

Hayley Smith
Home and Away character
Portrayed by Bec Cartwright (1998–2005)
Ella Scott Lynch (2005)
Introduced by John Holmes
Duration 1998–2005
First appearance 28 September 1998
Last appearance 25 November 2005
Classification Former; regular
Profile
Date of birth 16 April 1983
Home France
Occupation Artist
Student
Bar owner

Hayley Rose Hunter (née Smith, previously Lawson) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away. She was portrayed from September 1998 to September 2005 by actress Bec Cartwright[1] and from September to November 2005 by Ella Scott Lynch,[2] after Cartwright left the show for personal reasons.[1]

Contents

Storylines

Hayley is the daughter of Ken (Anthony Phelan) and Eve Smith (Robyn Gibbes) and the sister of Will (Zac Drayson) and Nick Smith (Matt Juarez; Chris Egan). After Eve suffers psychological problems and Ken descends into alcoholism, The children are placed in foster care. Will leaves and Hayley runs away to join him living with Irene Roberts (Lynne McGranger).

Hayley quickly befriends Sam Marshall (Ryan Clark) and they begin to graffiti tag various areas in the Bay. They begin dating. While out walking one day, the couple are taken hostage by a drifter named Murray (Scott Major) who held up the diner. They are eventually rescued by Will. Hayley and Sam continue tagging until their friend Brian Matthews dies in a fall. Shortly after, Ken reappears and Hayley is keen to reconnect with him but Will isn't so easily swayed and is still hostile towards him. Ken leaves but later returns permanently and falls for Irene.

Hayley soon finds herself in a love triangle with Sam and the newly-arrived Mitch McColl (Cameron Welsh). She eventually chooses Mitch. Their relationship lasts until Mitch reveals that he slept with Gypsy Nash (Kimberley Cooper). Soon after Nick rejoins the family and things appear to be going well until Ken is killed when a car he is working on, crushes him after a jack slips. Hayley slides into a downward spiral and is nearly attacked at a nightclub one evening. Noah Lawson (Beau Brady) is on the scene to save her and they ride off on his motorbike. They soon begin a relationship.

After failing Year 12 due to the stress of Ken's death, Hayley decides to repeat and Noah joins her. School principal Donald Fisher (Norman Coburn) asks her to do the illustrations for his Children's book Letter to Byron dedicated to his late son. When the book is launched, Hayley sees a vision of Ken in the crowd.

Hayley's relationship with Noah is tested when she catches him kissing Skye Patterson (Angela Keep) at her 18th birthday party and soon after Noah spirals into alcoholism and matters are not helped when Hayley befriends Noah's overly-religious mother, Jill (Tracy Mann).

When Donald goes to launch his book in London, he invites Hayley, Irene, Will and Nick join him on the trip. While there Hayley meets a porter, Robbie Jamison (Rupert Evans) and falls for him and they have one date. Robbie asks Hayley to stay with him in London but she declines, realising she still loves Noah. After arriving home, Hayley reconciles with Noah.

Hayley and Noah later move into their own place together which they name "The Palace". After Hayley kisses her housemate Josh West) (Daniel Collopy), she and Noah split but remain housemates. Hayley's relationship with Josh does not last very long after Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher) tells her of his visions of Hayley marrying Josh and becoming unhappy.

Hayley's next relationship is with her friend Alex Poulos (Danny Raco), which lasts several months but when Alex develops a steroid addiction and Brodie Hanson (Susie Rugg), Alex's ex-girlfriend returns things are strained. Hayley and Brodie soon find themselves at loggerheads and both are seriously injured in a car crash after an argument. Hayley is later left disfigured and has lost her memory. Alex and Brodie try to break the news to Hayley that they are back together but are unable to do so and give her a story that they are both going away for a while. Hayley slowly regains her memory and Noah is there to comfort her.

On her 21st birthday, Hayley receives a proposal from Noah and she accepts. The couple later marry in an outdoor ceremony where Ken reappears to Hayley as she walks down the aisle. Kane (Sam Atwell) and Kirsty Phillips (Christie Hayes) also renew their vows on the day. Their marriage is cut short when Noah is shot dead in an armed siege with Sarah Lewis (Luisa Hastings-Edge), leaving Hayley widowed. After finding paintings that seemingly appear at the palace, Hayley begins to become confused despite the fact she painted them. Kit Hunter (Amy Mizzi) tells Hayley that she stole the paintings the previous year and a vision of Noah told her to return the paintings.

As 2005 begins, Hayley finds herself in a love triangle with Scott Hunter and Kim Hyde. She later falls pregnant and is unsure who the father is. The baby is initially believed to be Kim's and Scott steps aside. However, Hayley is still in love with Scott, but plans to marry Kim. On the day of the day of the wedding, Hayley runs away and Scott searches for her and eventually finds her as she goes into labour. Hayley then gives birth to a baby boy and names him after Noah. By the end of the year, It is revealed that Kim is not baby Noah's father, as his blood type does not match the child. Scott is thrilled to be a father and he and Hayley leave for a new life in France.

Reception

Described by The Sun-Herald as one of the "best-loved characters in Australian drama",[3] Cartwright won the 2005 Logie Award for Most Popular Actress for her portrayal of Smith[1] and was nominated for a Gold Logie the same year.[4] The Sun-Herald described the character of Smith as "trouble-prone"[5] and "an artistic young widow who has overcome a graffiti problem".[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Australian Associated Press (14 May 2005). "Bec to bid goodbye to Summer Bay to take on motherhood". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10125469. Retrieved 4 May 2011. 
  2. ^ Wilson, Kim (5 June 2005). "Meet the new 'Bec'". Herald Sun. http://www.newstext.com.au/docs/SHS/2005/get.jsp?docid=SHS-20050605-1-011-4175512V6@VIC-METRO-2006-2005. Retrieved 4 May 2011. 
  3. ^ Ellis, Scott; Findlay, Tom (11 January 2004). "Wringing out the drama". The Sun-Herald. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=age&kw=Hayley+Smith&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=0&clsPage=1&docID=SHD040111JPO4M0HTR3E. Retrieved 4 May 2011. 
  4. ^ Ellis, Scott (1 May 2005). "Three-way traffic". The Sun-Herald. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=age&kw=Hayley+Smith&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=0&clsPage=1&docID=SHD050501NREHTSI9REJ. Retrieved 4 May 2011. 
  5. ^ Browne, Rachel (10 April 2005). "Lleyton serves up TV debut". The Sun-Herald. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=age&kw=Hayley+Smith&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=0&clsPage=1&docID=SHD050410BP66E4PO096. Retrieved 4 May 2011. 
  6. ^ Davis, Tony (5 February 2005). "Big week for Lleyton and Bec". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/People/Big-week-for-Lleyton-and-Bec/2005/02/04/1107476796079.html. Retrieved 4 May 2011. 

External links