Ben Atkins
| Ben Atkins | |||||||||||||||||
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| Neighbours character | |||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Brett Cousins | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1997–1998 | ||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 9 April 1997 | ||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 26 June 1998 | ||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Stanley Walsh | ||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Carpenter's Mechanics Employee and Owner (1997–1999) Racing Car Driver |
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| Home | Sydney | ||||||||||||||||
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| Father | Geoff Burke |
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| Mother | Ruth Wilkinson |
| Stepfather | Philip Martin |
| Brothers | Nicholas Atkins (adoptive) |
| Sisters | Caitlin Atkins (adoptive) |
| Half-brothers | Lance Wilkinson |
| Half-sisters | Anne Wilkinson |
| Nephews | Jackson Kennedy |
Ben Atkins (né Christopher Wilkinson) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Brett Cousins. He made his first appearance on-screen on 9 April 1997 and departed on 22 May 1998. Ben made a two-episode guest return the following month.
Upon graduating from Deakin University with a BA degree in Drama, Cousins took on a 50-word guest role on Neighbours as an Attendant in a scene where established character Billy Kennedy went bungee jumping. When the producers rang Cousins several months later to offer him the more substantial role of Ben Atkins he accepted. Cousins, 21, at the time said in an interview with TV Week, “I could hardly believe it when they rang and said I had the part, “It’s a big jolt, I’ve been used to leading a student’s life until now. But I enjoy it so much. I can get up at 5 am with a smile on my face, and sail into work every morning.”
In a 1998 interview with 'The Weekly News, Cousins explained how winning the role of Ben left him feeling under constant pressure and that he found it difficult to cope with the fame and recognition. He said "I've met some wonderful people, I've even had members of the Canadian ice hockey team come up to say 'hello'. But there are also times when it becomes a real intrusion into your life. For instance, you've just worked 10 hours three days in a row, you're dead on your feet and just want to get home and chill out. The last thing you want to do is be all chatty with a group of lively Neighbours fans."
Cousins also talked about how his character's storyline, involving him finding his birth mother, inspired a young female fan to get in contact with her real mother after she watched the show. He said "It was very sobering to me to know that as an actor you can have that sort of impact on people's lives. I'm really moved by this girl's letters. They're a reminder to me that for every difficult thing that Neighbours brings you as a cast member, it brings 10 times more rewards."
Ben was born Christopher Wilkinson on 18 September 1975 in Malvern, Victoria to a fifteen-year-old Ruth Wilkinson (Ailsa Piper) and was put up for adoption, on the advice of her conservative parents who didn't want their daughter to have a child out of wedlock. Ben grew up in Adelaide with his adoptive parents, and his adoptive brother and sister, Nick ( (Jason Crewes) and Caitlin (Emily Milburn). From an early age, Ben had a strong interest in cars and so, on leaving high school, became an apprentice mechanic. But when Ben discovered he was adopted, he decided to try to find his mother. With his parents blessing, Ben left Adelaide for Erinsborough, where Ruth was now living.
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