Rhys Lawson
| Rhys Lawson | |||||
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| Neighbours character | |||||
| Portrayed by | Ben Barber | ||||
| Duration | 2011–13 | ||||
| First appearance | 13 July 2011 | ||||
| Last appearance | 20 March 2013 | ||||
| Introduced by | Susan Bower | ||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||
| Profile | |||||
| Occupation | Doctor at Erinsborough Hospital (2011–13) | ||||
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| Father | Eddie Lawson |
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| Mother | Elaine Lawson |
Rhys Lawson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ben Barber. The actor's casting was announced on 18 May 2011 and he began filming his first scenes the week before opposite established cast members Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy) and Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy). Barber said he loved his character and was looking forward to what was ahead. He made his debut screen appearance on 13 July 2011. In November 2012, it was announced that Barber would be leaving Neighbours and Rhys made his last screen appearance on 20 March 2013.
Before his arrival on screen, Barber described Rhys as being determined and focused, while Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy said his arrival would cause a stir. Rhys is ambitious, persuasive and manipulative. His profile on the official Neighbours website states that he believes Erinsborough is "a bit of a backwater", while he is more of a city guy. Rhys is an enthusiastic young doctor and often riles his colleague, Karl, in his quest to become a surgeon. He wants to succeed and can justify why he does certain things, which hurt other people. Rhys is good at separating his work life from his home life and he knows how to have a good time. Barber revealed that Rhys does have a sensitive side and he can mean well.
One of the character's earliest storylines saw him becoming caught up in Karl and Susan Kennedy's marital problems, while treating their friend, Jim Dolan (Scott Parmeter). Rhys was with Jim when he died and he remained affected by his death for a long time. Rhys had a one-night stand with Kate Ramsay (Ashleigh Brewer), which left Kate feeling awkward around him. Rhys became determined to join the hospital's surgical training programme and was devastated when he missed out on a place. Rhys then romantically pursued Erin Salisbury (Elise Jansen) and through his manipulative behaviour he forced her to quit the programme. Exploration of the character's backstory began after his mother was introduced and Barber believed this would allow the audience to see why Rhys has become who he is.
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