Rick Alessi
| Rick Alessi | |||||||||||||||||
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| Neighbours character | |||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Dan Falzon | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1992–95 | ||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 8 June 1992 | ||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 10 March 1995 | ||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Don Battye | ||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Student (1992–94) Coffee Shop waiter and manager (1993–94) Kitchen hand (1993) Barman (1994) Personal assistant |
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| Home | Darwin | ||||||||||||||||
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| Father | Benito Alessi |
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| Mother | Cathy Alessi |
| Brothers | Marco Alessi |
| Sisters | Lindsay Steiner |
| Grandfathers | Benito Alessi Sr. |
| Uncles | Frank Alessi |
| First cousins |
Christina Alessi Caroline Alessi |
| Other relatives | Andrew Robinson |
Riccardo "Rick" Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Dan Falzon. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 8 June 1992. Rick and his family were introduced to the show following several cast departures. The character remained on-screen until 9 March 1995.
The Alessi family were introduced in 1992 following the announced departures of several regular characters. The family were the first "truly ethnic" group to be introduced into the cast. Falzon was seventeen when he won the role of Rick. He told a writer for Inside Soap that Neighbours was the biggest thing he had ever done and added "Neighbours is such a big show and Rick is such a great character." Shortly after Rick's arrival in Ramsay Street, he was followed by his mother and father to form the Alessi family. Falzon promised the family and their storylines would keep viewers glued to the screen. Within a year, the entire Alessi family had departed, leaving only Rick behind.
"He comes across as immature, but the truth is he's just trying to hide his feelings. However when the chips are down, he will always fight for his family and friends."
After Rick was thrown out of his posh school for being a tearaway, he decided to go to Erinsborough to stay with his older brother, Marco (Felice Arena), and cousin, Christina (Gayle Blakeney). Lisa Anthony from BIG! magazine reported that Rick's father, Benito (George Spartels), would ruin Rick's hopes of finding a job after he enrols him at Erinsborough High. Anthony added that "the scene is set for battles with Mrs Burke". A writer for Inside Soap commented that Rick came to Erinsborough with "a reputation and a chip on his shoulder." His rebellious attitude was mostly due to his parent's high expectations of him. They pushed him to do well at school, like Marco. Rick was described as being bright and someone who cannot help himself from getting into trouble. Falzon stated "He's a practical joker with a total dislike for authority."
When Rick spotted Sally Pritchard (Brenda Webb) in Ramsay Street, he was immediately attracted to her and became determined to find out more about her. The following day at school, Rick learned that Sally was Erinsborough High's new Japanese teacher. An Inside Soap columnist revealed "Poor Rick can barely conceal his infatuation and immediately enrols for Japanese classes!" Sally soon noticed Rick and she became attracted to him too. She then struggled to keep their relationship on a strictly teacher-pupil basis. Rick's crush on Sally became stronger and he decided to apply for a job at The Waterhole, believing that if he was no longer Sally's pupil there would be no professional conflict of interest and they could be together.
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