Melanie Pearson
| Melanie Pearson | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Neighbours character | |||||||||
| Portrayed by | Lucinda Cowden | ||||||||
| Duration | 1987–1991, 2005 | ||||||||
| First appearance | 30 July 1987 | ||||||||
| Last appearance | 27 July 2005 | ||||||||
| Introduced by |
Reg Watson (1987) Don Battye (1988, 1989) Ric Pellizzeri (2005) |
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| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||
| Occupation | Secretary (1989–91) | ||||||||
| Home | London | ||||||||
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| Father | Bill Pearson |
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| Mother | Mrs Pearson |
| Sisters | Justine Pearson |
| Husband | Joe Mangel (1991–93) |
Melanie Pearson (previously Mangel) is a fictional character from Australian soap opera Neighbours played by Lucinda Cowden. The actress was initially signed to the soap on a recurring basis for a few weeks. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 30 July 1987. The character departed on 24 October 1991. In 2005, Cowden reprised her role for Neighbours' 20th anniversary celebrations.
Actress Lucinda Cowden joined the cast of Neighbours as Melanie for seven episodes in 1987. She returned for six episodes the following year. Cowden left to star in The Power, The Passion, but after the show was cancelled Cowden decided to call the Neighbours producer about a return. Coincidentally, the actress called on the same day Annie Jones (who played Jane Harris) had decided not to renew her contract and she was invited to re-join the cast as a regular cast member.
Melanie was introduced as the girlfriend of Henry Ramsay (Craig McLachlan). The following year, she returned as Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) temporary secretary. Despite being "a nightmare to work with", Paul realised that she was good at her job and kept her on. Melanie moved in with widower Des Clarke (Paul Keane) and helped cheer him up, following the death of his wife. In her 1994 book, The Neighbours Programme Guide, Josephine Monroe stated that Melanie had a "zany personality, wacky outfits and outrageous laugh". Monroe described Melanie's distinctive laugh as sounding like "a seal having a hernia." Cowden thought that she did not have much in common with her character, except that they are both fun. That aspect of Melanie's personality initially attracted Cowden to the role. The actress also revealed that she did not laugh in the same way Melanie did.
In 1991, Melanie married Joe Mangel (Mark Little) and the two characters exited the serial soon after. Initially Joe and Melanie seemed to have little in common and had not considered a romantic relationship with one another. However, Joe's feelings changed when Glen Donnelly (Richard Huggett) pointed out to Joe that he was wasting his time finding "a new love" when she, in the form of Melanie, was under his nose the whole time. Of Melanie's feelings towards Joe, Cowden told Mary Fletcher from Inside Soap, "Melanie took a long time to realise how she felt about Joe because she's such a dreamer. She has this fantasy about some prince in shining armour who'd come along on a white horse and sweep her off her feet. It didn't occur to her that the man who would make her happy was so close to home."
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