Lori Lee
Lori Lee | |
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Neighbours character | |
Madeleine Lee |
Lori Lee is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Michelle Ang. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 November 2002. Ang departed in 2003 but returned the following year to reprise her role. She made her last screen appearance as Lori on 20 November 2004.
Casting
Neighbours' casting director, Jan Russ, was looking at New Zealand actors, when Ang went for an audition. Ang received a callback a few months later.[1] She was nineteen when she joined the cast of Neighbours as Lori and she had to move to Melbourne for filming.[2] Ang became one of the first Asian actors to receive a prominent role in the show.[2]
In March 2003, reporters for the Herald Sun confirmed that Ang had decided to leave Neighbours in order to return to New Zealand to complete a science and commerce degree.[3] Ang had already completed two years of the degree, but when she transferred to Monash University, they took too long to recognise her previous credits and she did not want to lose them.[3] Ang admitted that quitting had been an "incredibly difficult" decision as the cast and crew had become a family to her. She stated "I decided that even though I love Neighbours to pieces, I needed to finish off my degree."[3] Ang filmed her last scenes on 11 March and said it was "really emotional".[3]
In April 2004, she returned to reprise her role as Lori.[4] Of her return she said, "It felt a bit strange at first, but it is really like stepping into a pair of old shoes. [..] I quickly settled back in and it's easier when you're working with your old castmates because they help you out as well."[4]
Development
Lori becomes good friends with
A year later, Connor, who has since reunited with Michelle, runs into Lori and is introduced to his daughter,
Storylines
Lori first arrives in Ramsay Street at the home of her boyfriend, Jack's parents. Within her first few hours at Number 26, she manages to offend Jack's mother, Lyn, with her straight talking and buying a coconut cake, even with the knowledge that Lyn does not like Coconut and causes further grief when she lets it slip that Jack has given up on soccer after being dropped from his team in England and plans to work for her father in New Zealand.
Lori and Jack eventually sort things out and decide to repeat Year 12 when the school year commences (partly due to work options being limited and the fact neither of them had completed their schooling prior to living in London). The couple go on
When
As the performance of Mission Erinsborough nears, Lori notices Jack being distant and witnesses an exchange between him and Nina but dismisses it as rehearsing. On the evening of the play, Lori cannot hide her jealousy when Nina and Jack share their big kiss. After Nina dumps Taj without explanation, Lori becomes a friend to him and they begin hanging around together. One day, while messing around at a local pool, Lori slips and falls injuring her back. When Lori wakes up in hospital and cannot feel her legs, Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher) informs her that there is no guarantee that she will ever walk again. Lori is later discharged from hospital and returns to the Scullys.
When Lori challenges Jack on his moods, he confesses that he has been seeing Nina behind Lori and Taj's backs. Taj walks in at that moment and Jack tries to explain, resulting in a fight on the lawn between the boys. Lori finishes with Jack and feels she cannot stay any longer in the house and move in next door with Karl and his wife, Susan.
One day during a massage session with Nurse Dee Bliss (Madeleine West), Lori regains some feeling in her toes and gradually begins to walk again, which is witnessed by Taj. When Taj kisses Lori on the cheek one day, she fears that he may want something more but is relieved when he admits he likes her as a friend. Lori, now back on her feet, enlists the help of Connor to print T-shirts to make some money, even offering to make an advertisement for the Coffee shop featuring Harold in the guise of "Afro Harold". After Michelle leaves for New York, Lori and Connor begin spending time together and sleep together one night, which both regret.
Lori later discovers she is pregnant and Connor is against the idea of being a father and Lori decides to have an abortion. On the day of the scheduled abortion, Connor has a change of heart and tries to talk Lori out of it but she is adamant. However, upon entering the clinic, Lori realises she cannot go through with it and flees in a cab without Connor. Lori asks Jack, of all people to help her pack. Lori leaves two letters; one for the Kennedys thanking them for letting her stay and one for Connor, telling him not to contact her. Lori then leaves for the airport to return to New Zealand.
After giving birth a daughter,
On Lori's next return, she is with a new partner,
Reception
For her portrayal of Lori, Ang was nominated for the Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent in 2003.[7] A writer for the BBC's Neighbours website said Lori's most notable moment was "Winding up in a wheel chair after an accident at the pool."[8] The Advertiser's Jessica Hurt branded Lori "good-hearted", and said her "freak accident" would lead to "the start of some bizarre and potentially controversial storylines for the soap."[9] Cameron Adams of the Herald Sun was pleased when Lori returned, writing "It's good to have feisty Lori (Michelle Ang) back in Ramsay St, opening up a can of worms in her relationship with Jack (Jay Bunyan) and Connor (Patrick Harvey), the father of her baby."[10]
References
- ^ "Ask the Actors: Michelle Ang aka Lori Lee". BBC. 29 May 2003. Archived from the original on 12 August 2004. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
- ^ The Dominion Post. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
- ^ a b c d Edmonds, Mike; Dennehy, Luke; Danaher, Carla (12 March 2003). "Goodbye to street". Herald Sun. Retrieved 14 March 2024 – via Gale.
- ^ a b Brygel, Jackie (10–16 April 2004). "Playing mum". TV Week (15): 17.
- ^ a b c d "About last night". Inside Soap (237): 33. 2–15 August 2003.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Brygel, Jackie (10–16 April 2004). "Baby, I'm back!". TV Week (15): 16–17.
- ^ "Don't bet on it". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 5 May 2003. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
- ^ "Character: Lori Lee". BBC. Archived from the original on 18 August 2003. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
- ^ Hurt, Jessica (26 March 2003). "Byline – Jessica Hurt". The Advertiser. Retrieved 14 February 2024 – via Gale.
- ^ Adams, Cameron (7 May 2004). "Television". Herald Sun. Retrieved 26 March 2024 – via Gale.