Piper Willis

Piper Willis
Neighbours character
Portrayed by Mavournee Hazel
Duration 2015–
First appearance 16 September 2015
Introduced by Jason Herbison
Spin-off
appearances
Classification Current; regular
Profile
Occupation
  • Student
  • Vlogger
  • Bookkeeper
  • Waitress
Home 22 Ramsay Street

Piper Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Mavournee Hazel. The actress went through a long casting process, which involved her travelling to Melbourne to audition three times. Months later, she was offered the role. Hazel then relocated to the city from Sydney within three days, so she was available for fittings and filming the following week. Ahead of her first episode, Piper was introduced to viewers in a four-part webisode series called Hey Piper. She made her first appearance in the main show during the episode broadcast on 16 September 2015.

Piper is the youngest child of Brad (Kip Gamblin) and Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou). Upon her family's arrival in 2013, Piper was often mentioned and said to be living in Canada on an exchange program. Producers held back her introduction to give her parents "a second chapter" ahead of her siblings' departures. Piper is portrayed as being a typical teenager, who is independent, mature, quick witted and loves technology. Hazel did not find the character much of a challenge to portray, as they are so similar to one another. She was also pleased to be playing a character that teenage viewers would be able to relate to.

The character's early storylines revolved around her finding her place within her family, her parents' separation, and her part in a fire at the local high school. Piper has been involved in an on-off relationship with her older neighbour Tyler Brennan (Travis Burns). The pairing has proven popular with viewers, who refer to them by the portmanteau "Typer". Writers have put several obstacles in the couple's way, including Tyler's casual relationship with Piper's half-sister Paige Smith (Olympia Valance). Other storylines have seen Piper bullied by her English teacher and a one-night stand with her friend Angus Beaumont-Hannay (Jai Waetford).

Casting

The character had often been mentioned and referred to by her on-screen family since their arrival in May 2013, but she did not appear. Piper was said to be living and studying in Canada as part of a school exchange program.[1] Executive producer Jason Herbison explained that Piper's introduction was held back for when her on-screen parents needed "a second chapter", should her siblings leave the show.[2] Piper's arrival and Mavournee Hazel's casting was announced on 18 August 2015.[1] Of joining the permanent cast, Hazel commented "It's a great feeling to be rewarded with the role of Piper after years of hard work, especially when I fell in love with the character after my first audition."[3]

Hazel flew to Melbourne from her home in Sydney to meet with the casting director and audition for the role. This was followed by two more rounds of auditioning and a waiting period spread over a few months, until she was given the role.[4] Hazel's biggest challenge during the auditioning process was the financial cost of getting to Melbourne, as she was a university student with a small budget. But she was confident that she would secure the role, saying "something just felt right about the whole situation".[4] Hazel relocated to Melbourne within three days to be available for fittings and filming the following week.[4] She told Anthony Graetz of CLIQUE Mag that she wanted to be with Neighbours for a few years, but had plans to relocate to Los Angeles or the UK for further acting work.[4] Hazel made her debut as Piper on 16 September 2015.[3]

Development

Webisodes and introduction

Ahead of her first appearance in the main show, the character was featured in a series of webisodes titled Hey Piper, which see her talking to various family members via online video calls.[5] The first episode saw Piper introduced to her half-sister Paige Smith (Olympia Valance), shortly after the Erinsborough tornado. Their first interaction is "very awkward", as Paige mentions several family events that Piper does not know about.[5] In the second episode, Piper calls her grandfather Doug Willis (Terence Donovan) to catch-up with him and go over new ideas for her blog.[5] The third and fourth episodes feature Piper's father, Brad Willis (Kip Gamblin) informing her that he has separated from her mother and has begun a relationship with Lauren Carpenter (Kate Kendall). He later tries to comfort an upset Piper.[6]

Piper arrived home to find her parents in the middle of an argument, which Hazel likened to "something from Jerry Springer!"[7] The actress explained that Piper's siblings had told her about the fights the family had been having, which prompted her return from Canada. Piper believed that she might be "the glue that holds them all together."[7] Hazel also said that Piper did not want to be forced into taking sides in her parents' separation and tried to view things objectively. She just wanted to find her place within the family again, but it was hard due to everything that was happening between Brad and Terese (Rebekah Elmaloglou).[8] While she is out filming for her vlog, Piper meets Brad's new partner, Lauren. She is initially unaware of who Lauren is and finds her to be nice and kind. When Paige later introduced them, Piper was "torn" as she had planned on hating Lauren for breaking up her family.[8]

Piper did not like Terese's attitude towards her marriage, as she thought Brad would be less likely to work through their issues if she kept pushing him away. However, the more time Piper spent with her mother, she began to understand her more.[8] As Piper continues to film her vlog around Erinsborough, she befriends Ben Kirk (Felix Mallard). They have a platonic lunch together and discuss their mutual tastes in music. They later unintentionally caused some trouble at the local car garage.[8] Hazel said that Piper notices that Ben is not like their peers and they form a "really great friendship". The actress added that they are not necessary the best influence on each other.[8] While she continued to settle in, Piper began receiving text messages from her former boyfriend Brodie "Chas" Chaswick (Matt Testro). Hazel explained that Piper ended the relationship shortly before coming home to Australia, but Chas believed the distance was not a problem for them, so they stayed in touch.[8]

Characterisation

"As soon as I first read her profile she really spoke to me as a product of her generation. It’s great to play a character that a lot of teenagers can relate to and identify with. She talks about a lot of issues I'm sure many teenagers feel."[9]

—Hazel on the aspects of Piper's personality that attracted her to the role.

During the casting process, Hazel and the producers shared a similar vision of what they wanted the character to be and Hazel was "so grateful" that they trusted her to bring Piper's quirkiness and storylines to life.[3] Hazel shares some of the same personality traits with Piper and found that the character was not much of a challenge to portray, as she felt that she "knew this girl, knew what she was about."[4] The actress also found that being so similar to Piper meant that she took criticism of her personally.[4] Hazel wished she had been similar to Piper when she was her age, and she felt that she was slowly growing up to be like Piper.[9]

In an interview with Carena Crawford from All About Soap, Hazel described Piper as having typical traits of a teenager, saying she was "technology-loving, free-thinking, liberated".[8] She also said Piper was mature and intelligent, with "a quick wit and dry sense of humour."[8] In an interview published on the official website, Hazel also described Piper as being fun, having a "cool approach to life" and someone who can be herself "unapologetically".[9] Hazel enjoyed playing a character with a rebellious personality, but pointed out that for all of Piper's maturity and intelligence, she "doesn't have a filter when it comes to her actions."[10]

During an interview for the show's official website, Hazel believed Piper's dream job would be a journalist at BuzzFeed or somewhere similar. She would enjoy voicing her opinions in "a very 21st century environment."[10] Hazel did not think Piper was the type of person who finished high school, instead she would just apply for internships in the industry she wanted to work in.[10] Hazel told Tim Falk of TV Soap that getting to live in Piper's Doc Martens, and the opportunity she got as an actor were the best things about playing Piper.[11] She said that future storylines would see different aspects of Piper's personality. She continued, "There's lots of mischief, some deceit and guilt in store for Piper."[11] Hazel added that viewers would get to see Piper's vulnerable side, as she lets her guard down.[11]

Piper struggled growing up in her elder siblings' Imogen (Ariel Kaplan) and Josh's (Harley Bonner) shadows. Imogen was academic, while Josh excelled at sports, so Piper did not have a strong identity within the family until she went to Canada, where she built up an identity for herself.[8] Unlike Imogen, Piper prefers to discover things for herself instead of learning from a book.[8] Herbison called Piper the "anti-Imogen", as she tries to be different from her family.[2] But Piper does have "the Willis temper", and like her mother, she is very independent. She also shares a strong bond with her father.[8] When Piper meets Paige for the first time, they get along well. Hazel stated, "They both have this sort of sparky, sassy assertion about their character."[8]

Piper becomes good friends with her neighbour Xanthe Canning (Lilly Van der Meer). Hazel initially thought Piper would not be friends with someone like Xanthe, but she realised that Xanthe brings out Piper's "girlie side", while Piper is always there for Xanthe.[12] Hazel and Van der Meer are also friends in real life. Hazel said their scenes together are fun to film, as all the screaming and laughing comes naturally to them.[12] When asked if Piper could end up dating Xanthe's boyfriend Ben, if they ever broke up, Hazel replied "Even when Xanthe wasn't in the picture Ben and Piper were just mates."[10]

Erinsborough High fire

One of Piper's early storylines was her involvement in a fire at the local high school. With her encouragement, Ben lit a piece of paper on fire to set off the sprinkler system. However, it soon caused a "devastating fire" that left Piper's mother with burns to her body.[13] Both Ben and Piper were "guilt-ridden" by their actions, and she urged him to keep quiet about their involvement. However, Ben soon confessed everything to his grandparents and the police. As he faced a charge of reckless conduct, Piper began struggling with her guilt,[13] especially as she knew that her mother was suffering.[14] While Ben kept quite about her role in the incident, Piper eventually told Lauren that she shared some of the responsibility and Lauren urged her to tell the truth.[14] However, Piper suggests to Ben that they run away instead and he agrees.[15] They initially sleep rough in Erinborough, before fleeing to Glenrowan, where they get jobs as fruit pickers. Ben begins to struggle with pain from his fractured ribs, which he sustained in an earlier accident, and later collapsed.[15]

As Piper prepared to return to her classes for the first time since the fire, she was nervous about the reaction of the other students, leading her to confide in neighbour Tyler Brennan (Travis Burns), who gave her reassurance that she would probably be seen as a hero.[16] Upon her arrival at the school, Piper received a mixed reaction from her peers. Some of them lauded her part in the fire, while others were wary and scared.[16] Piper "swiftly retreats home", where Tyler suggested that she convince her parents not to send her back to school. When she returns to school, Piper is given a lighter, which she uses to threaten the students who try to get in her way. Piper's threats were overheard by Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne).[16]

Relationship with Tyler Brennan

As Piper continued her friendship with Tyler, she soon developed romantic feelings for him. Burns told an Inside Soap reporter that both characters share common interests and are "young, free and spirited".[17] Tyler was oblivious to how strongly Piper felt about him, so when he let her down gently, he felt satisfied with how he handled the situation.[17] Piper then encouraged Tyler to attend a singles' night, in the hope that he would pick her. When they returned home, Piper initiated a kiss between them. Burns said Tyler was "shocked" by the kiss, explaining "There's a connection between them, but Tyler has never seen it in a romantic way. He's worried about the age difference, and then there's the fact that Piper's dad Brad is staying with the Brennans – so it could be awkward!"[17] Piper eventually told Tyler about her feelings for him. While he admitted to liking her too, he urged her to stay away, as he felt he would only cause her trouble.[18] Ignoring his warning, Piper was "crushed" when Tyler refused to change his mind. She then witnessed him kissing barmaid Courtney Grixti (Emma Lane).[18]

Piper made an enemy of her teacher Elly Conway (actress Jodi Anasta pictured) when she accused Elly of flirting with Tyler.

Piper and Tyler continued to share "a mutual attraction", but Tyler wanted to have her parents' approval before they started a romantic relationship.[19] Speaking to an Inside Soap columnist, Hazel explained that deep down Piper knew Brad and Terese would not support her relationship with Tyler.[19] Piper tells Tyler that her parents have given them their blessing, in the hope that she would be able to bring them around to the idea.[19] Hazel continued, "She hates lying to Tyler, but worries that he'll break up with her if he learns the truth."[19] While Tyler believed that they had Brad and Terese's approval, he and Piper began quietly dating and they planned to consummate their relationship on the night of the school formal.[19] Hazel told the columnist that Piper wanted to show Tyler how much he means to her. She also said that despite Piper's feminist views and "grungy" style, she was a romantic.[19]

What's on TV's Tess Lamacraft asked Hazel if Piper was really in love with Tyler, and the actress replied that she was.[20] Hazel explained that their relationship had been born out of a friendship and they found that they "just click". She told Lamacraft that they shared an "unspoken attraction and chemistry between them", which felt right.[20] Hazel also found that Tyler helped to ground Piper, while she made him a better person.[10] The pairing of Piper and Tyler proved popular with viewers, and Hazel appreciated the support for their romance, as it made filming with Burns more exciting.[19] She admitted to being surprised by the positive reaction to the couple and said the writers would consider it as they write future storylines.[21] The couple have been given the portmanteau "Typer" by fans.[10][22]

On the night of the school formal, Piper's parents learned she was planning on losing her virginity to Tyler and Terese banned them from attending the dance together.[23] Piper tried to give her mother an ultimatum that either she attends the formal with Tyler or does not go at all, which "backfires massively" and she ended up with no plans for the night.[24] Piper was also forced to tell Tyler that she lied to him and he "reluctantly" breaks up with her. Shortly after, he spoke to Brad about his feelings for Piper and managed to convince Terese to change her mind about them dating.[24] Piper later found Tyler in The Waterhole, where he was talking to Elly Conway (Jodi Anasta). A jealous Piper then threw a drink over Elly.[23] Upon learning of Piper's actions, Brad takes her to the Kennedys' to apologise to Susan for her behaviour at the formal. Piper was "stunned" when Elly appeared, and revealed that she was Susan's niece and her new English teacher.[23]

Hazel thought Piper's parents were to blame for everything that occurred at the formal.[25] She commented, "Piper isn't responsible for her actions. It was such an unreasonable reaction by Terese."[25] When asked if Piper and Tyler had any chance of reconciling, Hazel explained that Piper was hopeful, but she also realised that she had "completely lost herself to a guy" which was unlike her.[25] The actress was pleased the writers were giving the characters some time apart.[25] A week later, Piper discovered Tyler was involved in a casual relationship with Paige. She gets revenge on them by playing footage of them having sex in the garage at Brad and Terese's divorce party.[20] In an interview with Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy, Hazel told him that Piper was acting on impulse and she thought that Tyler and Paige had to be caught out for lying to Piper.[21] Piper wanted them to feel as "humiliated" as she does. Piper also feels guilty when Jack Callahan (Andrew Morley) turns up and sees the footage, as he has feelings for Paige. Her parents expressed their disappointment in her and Piper found herself all alone.[20] Hazel told Daniel Falconer from FemaleFirst that Piper was aware that she and Tyler had to rebuild their friendship before they began a romantic relationship again.[26]

Elly's grudge and one-night stand

The formal marked the beginning of a feud with Elly, and Hazel pointed out that the teacher's flirtatious personality was "the epitome of what Piper would dislike in a person."[25] Piper soon noticed that Elly held "a big grudge" against her.[26] Hazel told Falconer (FemaleFirst) that Piper tries to explain to other adults that she is feeling bullied by her teacher, who has been purposely marking her work down and insulting her.[26] However, due to Elly's denials, everyone believed her over Piper. Hazel commented that Piper's resilience eventually forces Susan to investigate and she finds that Piper has been telling the truth. Susan then makes Elly apologise.[26]

In October 2016, a trailer showed Piper growing closer to her friend and neighbour Angus Beaumont-Hannay (Jai Waetford).[27] It later emerged that Piper would lose her virginity to Angus following another rejection from Tyler. Piper turns to Angus for support and friendship after Tyler leaves her feeling foolish.[28] As Angus talks to Piper and says some nice things to her, she is "surprised by his maturity and understanding of the situation", which makes her looks at him in a different way.[28] Angus and Piper had sex in her car and were woken up by Tyler's brother in the morning, leaving them both embarrassed. Hazel stated, "I think there's a bit of regret, but on the surface Piper is very brazen about what's happened. She's really trying to convince herself that she's over Tyler."[28] An Inside Soap contributor observed that the storyline would upset fans of Tyler and Piper.[28]

Storylines

Piper arrives home from Canada amidst a family argument. The following day, she meets her half-sister Paige in person, and Lauren Turner, her father's new girlfriend. While filming for her vlog, Piper befriends Ben Kirk and they spend the day together. Piper accuses her sister Imogen of not knowing her anymore due to them having so much time apart. Piper also feels increasingly isolated from her family. A fire breaks out at Erinsborough High during a charity sleep out. Piper's mother suffers serious burns and Piper pushes Brad away when it emerges he saved Lauren before Terese. Ben soon confesses to starting the fire, while Piper admits to Lauren that she encouraged him to set the sprinklers off as a joke. Piper and Ben run away and find jobs as fruit pickers. Piper calls Terese to tell her that she is okay. When Ben collapses, Piper sends him to the hospital in a taxi. Her parents find her and take her home. Piper turns to her neighbour Tyler Brennan for advice about returning to school. After enduring the other students calling her names all day, Piper threatens to set to fire to something, causing Terese to ban her from using technology. Piper does some bookkeeping at the garage and develops romantic feelings for Tyler.

Piper befriends Xanthe Canning and tries to keep her out of trouble. Piper's former boyfriend, Brodie Chaswick is invited to stay with the Willises when Brad starts coaching him in swimming again. Piper and Brodie resume their relationship in secret, until Josh catches them kissing and makes them tell her parents. When Brad stops coaching Brodie, he and Piper plan to leave for Perth, but Piper changes her mind and calls Tyler to collect her. Josh and Piper's grandfather die from injuries caused by an explosion at the local hotel. Piper's half-brother Ned Willis (Ben Hall) also arrives in town and supports Piper. She initially suspects Brodie caused the explosion, but he has an alibi. Piper and Tyler become close, but Terese will not allow them to date because of the age difference. However, Piper tells Tyler that they have Brad's approval, so they date in secret. Terese agrees to let Tyler accompany Piper to the school formal, but changes her mind when she learns Piper plans to lose her virginity to him that night.

When Piper sees Tyler with a woman at The Waterhole, she becomes jealous and throws a drink over her. She later learns the woman is her new English teacher Elly Conway. Piper learns Tyler is casual dating Paige and she gets revenge on them by showing their sex tape at her parents' divorce party. Piper realises that Elly is deliberately marking her down and when Elly insults her, Piper makes a formal complaint. Her claims are initially not believed, until Susan catches Elly marking Piper down and she is made to apologise. Piper's family forget her birthday, but Tyler takes her to the beach for the day. When Piper later attempts to kiss Tyler, he pulls away. While Piper and Angus are watching fireworks together, they talk about unrequited love and Piper loses her virginity to Angus.

Reception

Carena Crawford of All About Soap noted, "it doesn't take Piper long to create shock waves when she comes to Erinsborough!"[8] Piper's arrival on UK screens was chosen as one of the top five soap moments by an Inside Soap reporter for 30 September. They stated "the poor girl has an awful lot to catch up on..."[29] Another columnist for the publication branded the character "quirky".[30] While Channel 5 dubbed her "elusive", due to her earlier absence from her family.[3] Tess Lamacraft of What's on TV observed that Piper was "headstrong" and a "feisty, free-spirit".[20] When Piper went to spy on Tyler and Imogen's date, a Inside Soap reporter disapproved of her actions, commenting "Not cool Piper, not cool..."[31]

In June 2016, Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy named Piper as one of ten rising stars of the soap opera world.[32] He wrote that as the show had delayed the character's introduction for so long, there was potential for her to be "a disappointment", but Kilkelly stated that Hazel's performance "had been a real breath of fresh air and she proved her worth early on with Piper's heartbreaking reaction to Josh's death."[32] Kilkelly hoped Piper's future storylines would be bigger and less focused on romance.[32] Following the end of Tyler and Piper's relationship, Burns created a petition asking if the couple should reunite. He planned to show the producers if the petition received 1,500 votes. He received over 1,700 responses from fans, showing their support for the couple.[22]

References

  1. 1 2 Kilkelly, Daniel (18 August 2015). "Neighbours bringing in Piper Willis as actress Mavournee Hazel lands role". Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 Ellis, Sarah (3–9 October 2015). "I'm proud of how hard we worked on the 30th anniversary episodes!". Inside Soap (39): 44–46.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Neighbours: Mavournee Hazel joins as Piper Willis". Channel 5. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Graetz, Anthony (23 December 2015). "Local it-girl Mavournee Hazel". CLIQUE Mag. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Kilkelly, Daniel (16 September 2015). "Meet Piper Willis: Neighbours introduces its newest regular in special webisodes". Digital Spy. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  6. ↑ Dainty, Sophie (17 September 2015). "Neighbours: Piper Willis learns about Brad's betrayal in latest webisode". Digital Spy. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Piper Willis comes home!". Inside Soap (38): 32. 26 September – 2 October 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Crawford, Carena (26 September – 9 October 2015). "Piper is very independent!". All About Soap (358): 40–41.
  9. 1 2 3 "Welcome to Erinsborough Mavournee Hazel!". Tenplay. 22 September 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Mavournee Hazel on playing the rebellious Piper Willis". Tenplay. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 Falk, Tim (19 November – 3 December 2015). "Real wild child". TV Soap: 22–23.
  12. 1 2 "My Gran rings me up all the time for Neighbours gossip!". Inside Soap (37): 52–53. 17–23 September 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Trial by fire". Inside Soap (46): 24. 21–27 November 2015.
  14. 1 2 Dainty, Sophie (14 November 2015). "Soap spoilers: Ben collapses in Neighbours and Marilyn finally remembers John in Home and Away". Digital Spy. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  15. 1 2 "Teenage turmoil". TV Soap: 39–40. 5–19 November 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 "No smoke without fire!". Inside Soap (48/49): 32. 5–18 December 2015.
  17. 1 2 3 "Tyler's shock smooch!". Inside Soap (2): 24. 16–22 January 2016.
  18. 1 2 "Piper devastated". Inside Soap (4): 35. 30 January – 5 February 2016.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Passion for Piper!". Inside Soap (26): 32. 2–8 July 2016.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 Lamacraft, Tess (8 August 2016). "Neighbours' Mavournee Hazel AKA Piper Willis talks cookery tips, dating and UK travel plans!". What's on TV. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  21. 1 2 Kilkelly, Daniel (4 August 2016). "Neighbours spoilers: Mavournee Hazel reveals what's next for Piper Willis and Tyler Brennan". Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  22. 1 2 Dainty, Sophie (11 July 2016). "Neighbours star Travis Burns is calling on the power of Twitter to save his on-screen romance". Digital Spy. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  23. 1 2 3 "Piper's big mistake!". Inside Soap (28): 29. 16–22 July 2016.
  24. 1 2 Crick, Claire (2–15 July 2016). "Forbidden love!". All About Soap (378): 22–23.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 "Piper Willis vs the formal". Tenplay. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  26. 1 2 3 4 Falconer, Daniel (27 September 2016). "Mavournee Hazel exclusive interview – What does Piper Willis have coming up on Neighbours?". FemaleFirst. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  27. ↑ Kilkelly, Daniel (13 October 2016). "Neighbours shocker: Is Piper Willis about to sleep with Angus Beaumont-Hannay?". Digital Spy. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  28. 1 2 3 4 "Piper gets steamy!". Inside Soap (42): 28–29. 22–28 October 2016.
  29. ↑ "5 top soap moments for your Wednesday viewing!". Inside Soap. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  30. ↑ "Stop press!". Inside Soap (35): 17. 5–11 September 2015.
  31. ↑ "5 soap highlights to start the week!". Inside Soap. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  32. 1 2 3 Kilkelly, Daniel (30 June 2016). "10 of the soap world's rising stars, from EastEnders' Andy to Hollyoaks' Alfie". Digital Spy. Retrieved 6 August 2016.

External links

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