Paige Smith
| Paige Smith | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Neighbours character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Olympia Valance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2014– | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 2 June 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Jason Herbison | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spin-off appearances |
EastErinsborough (2015) Hey Piper (2015) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Current; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other names | Paige Novak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Waitress Garage manager Student |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home | 32 Ramsay Street | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Family | Willis |
|---|---|
| Father | Brad Willis |
| Mother | Lauren Carpenter |
| Adoptive father | John Smith |
| Adoptive mother | Mary Smith |
| Stepfather | Matt Turner |
| Stepmother | Terese Willis |
| Brothers | Ethan Smith (adoptive) |
| Half-brothers |
Ned Willis Mason Turner Josh Willis Bailey Turner |
| Half-sisters |
Imogen Willis Amber Turner Piper Willis |
| Grandfathers |
Doug Willis Lou Carpenter |
| Grandmothers |
Pam Willis Kathy Carpenter |
| Uncles | Guy Carpenter |
| Nieces | Matilda Turner |
Paige Smith (also Novak) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Olympia Valance. The actress was cast in February 2014 after a lengthy audition process, which included four call-backs. Series producer Jason Herbison said Valance was cast in the role as she was "the perfect fit" for the character. Valance had been a successful model prior to her casting and Paige marked her first acting role. Her half-sister Holly Valance previously appeared in the show as Felicity Scully from 1999 until 2002. Valance was initially contracted for three years. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 2 June 2014.
Paige is portrayed as being "feisty", "tough", "unpredictable" and resourceful. Valance said Paige was not a mean character and often hid her softer side behind a "hard exterior". The character was introduced as the biological daughter of Brad Willis (Kip Gamblin) and Lauren Carpenter (Kate Kendall) and her early storylines focused on building relationships with her parents and half-siblings. Paige initially chose to keep her identity a secret, as she was scared that she would not be accepted. Paige also developed a relationship with her housemate Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor) and was blackmailed into selling illegal car parts alongside Tyler Brennan (Travis Burns). The character has received mostly positive attention from critics, with one saying she had caused "quite a stir" since her debut and another who noted that she had a distinctive on-screen presence. Valance earned a nomination for Most Popular New Talent at the 2015 Logie Awards for her portrayal of Paige.
On 9 March 2014, Colin Vickery from news.com.au reported that Olympia Valance had joined the cast of Neighbours as Paige Novak. Valance had been a successful model prior to her casting in February and Paige marked her first acting role. She won the part after a lengthy audition process, which included four call-backs that got "harder and harder" each time. Of her casting, Valance commented "When I got the call to say the part was mine, I was so excited. In Australia, if you're on Neighbours, you're considered to have one of the best jobs in the world. It's iconic." One of the first people Valance called was her half-sister Holly Valance, who previously appeared in Neighbours as Felicity Scully. She later said that working with people who knew her sister made her feel "very comfortable" on-set.
...
Wikipedia