Donna Bishop
Donna Bishop | |
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Home and Away character | |
Gus Bishop |
Donna Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Nicola Quilter. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 8 November 1994 and departed on 23 June 1995.
Casting
Quilter joined the cast in 1994.[1] Actress Kimberley Joseph also auditioned for the part of Donna, but it was Quilter who secured the role.[2][3] Quilter starred in the series for nine months, but she felt that the role had distracted her from a music career.[4]
While working on Home and Away Quilter was stalked by a viewer who became "sexually obsessed" with her. He found out her filming schedule and repeatedly phoned her when she finished filming. He tricked her into believing it was someone close to her, but when she changed her telephone number the harassment stopped.[4]
Character development
In December 1994, Quilter fractured a bone in her foot when a wall-mounted bed fell onto it. She was given crutches to aid her mobility while it healed. Rachel Browne from The Sun-Herald reported that Quilter's accident had "thrown production schedules into disarray" because the scripts required Donna to be using her feet.[5]
Donna became central to a storyline highlighting domestic abuse. When Donna was introduced into the series she was given a backstory of her being the victim of violence inflicted by boyfriend
Storylines
Donna returns to
Donna comforts Rob when Roxy leaves town and it looks like they may reconcile but Andrew's arrival unnerves her. It emerges that Andrew is Donna's ex-boyfriend and used to beat her. When Donna slaps Andrew during an argument, she is left feeling ashamed, thinking she is no better than him. She apologises and softens towards him. When Donna and Andrew reconcile, Rob is horrified. They seem happy until Andrew's jealousy overwhelms him when Donna begins spending time with Rob and their old friend Travis. This culminates in Andrew hitting her. Donna leaves him and later returns to collect her things but is unexpectedly attacked by Andrew. Rob arrives on the scene and rescues Donna. Andrew is arrested and leaves the Bay after resigning from his teaching position.
Donna then moves in with Travis and they become a couple. Her brother
Reception
The episode featuring the climax of Donna's domestic abuse at the hands of Andrew was nominated for "Best Episode in a Television Drama Serial" at the Australian Film Institute Awards in 1995.[7]
References
- ACP Magazines: 8. 12–18 January 2008.
- ^ Browne, Rachel (13 May 1995). "Double trouble". The Sun-Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
- ^ Hatfield, Louisa (5 April 1995). "Xed out". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
- ^ a b Stanley, Di (29 July 1995). "The real story behind Nicola's stalking". TV Week (4). Pacific Magazines: 10.
- ^ Browne, Rachel (13 November 1994). "Now For... Funky Squad". The Sun-Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
- ^ a b c Ross, Victoria (September 1995). "Andrew shows his true colours!". Inside Soap (9). Attic Futura (UK) Ltd: 13.
- ^ "AACTA Winners & Nominees 1995". Australian Film Institute. Retrieved 7 June 2012.