Joe Scully | |||||||||||||
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Neighbours character | |||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Shane Connor | ||||||||||||
Duration | 1999–2004 | ||||||||||||
First appearance | 20 October 1999 | ||||||||||||
Last appearance | 27 February 2004 | ||||||||||||
Introduced by | Stanley Walsh | ||||||||||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||
Profile | |||||||||||||
Occupation | Builder Truck driver Taxi driver Farmer |
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Home | Bendigo | ||||||||||||
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Father | Pat Scully |
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Brothers |
Mick Scully Tom Scully |
Wife | Lyn O'Rourke (1978–2004) |
Sons |
Jack Scully Oscar Scully |
Daughters |
Stephanie Scully Felicity Scully Michelle Scully |
Grandsons |
Charlie Hoyland Adam Fitzgerald |
Joe Scully is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Shane Connor. He made his first on-screen appearance on 20 October 1999, along with his family.
In October 1999, the five-strong Scully family were introduced to Neighbours, replacing the departing Martin family. The Scullys were the first new family to be introduced to the show since Ruth Wilkinson (Ailsa Piper) arrived with her twins in 1996. Actor Shane Connor was cast as Joe Scully, the patriarch of the family in July 1999. He had previously made a guest appearance in the show as Phil Hoffman in 1991. Connor was invited to audition for the role of Joe by the show's producers, and he accepted when he learned that there was a chance to work with Janet Andrewartha, who was cast as Joe's wife Lyn. The character of Joe also offered Connor a chance to play someone other than a bad guy or "a man on the verge." Connor was contracted with Neighbours for three years, with 12-month options. He began filming with his on-screen family in August 1999 and made his first screen appearance as Joe on 20 October. Connor's contract was renewed several times during his stay on the show.
Of Joe, Connor said, "Basically, Joe's the only male there when you want something stirred up. Everyone else is so easy to get along with. He's the only one who isn't so easy to get along with. Well, he is, as long as you don't get on the wrong side of him." Connor explained that Joe was not one for caring what others thought and he thought that someone like Joe, who could not care less, would stir up the street. Connor added, "He doesn't fit into the landscape easily, and neither do I." Joe owned his own building business and "lives on the edge".
In 2003, Connor had his contract terminated by Grundy Television and he was dismissed from the show after he developed an amphetamine problem, which caused him to clash with cast members and disrupt filming. Connor later filed an unfair dismissal claim against Grundy and sued them for nine months of lost earnings ($200,000). He admitted that he had suffered from "amphetamine hangovers", but he denied that he had been aggressive. He also claimed that Andrewartha did not like him and was behind most of the complaints to producers. Connor later won his case and Grundy Television were ordered to pay him more than $230,000.