Belle Taylor
Encyclopedia
Susan "Belle" Jefferies (née Taylor) is a fictional character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

 from the Australian soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...

 Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...

, played by Jessica Tovey
Jessica Tovey
Jessica Tovey is an Australian actress. Tovey graduated from the Newtown High School of the Performing Arts and has made appearances for various drama companies. She is best known for her role of Belle Taylor on the long-running Australian soap opera Home and Away. Tovey joined the show in 2006...

. She made her first on-screen appearance on 3 February 2006. Belle's storylines included finding her birth mother, a drug addiction, her relationship with Aden Jefferies
Aden Jefferies
Aden Jefferies is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Todd Lasance. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 4 August 2005. Aden was introduced in 2005 as a recurring character and as part of Cassie Turner's storylines. Lasance was...

 and being diagnosed with cancer. In 2009, it was announced that Tovey had quit the show and the writers took the decision to kill off the character. Belle made her last appearance on 11 August 2009.

Casting

Tovey joined Home and Away in 2006 when she was 18. The character of Belle was her first television role. On joining the cast, Tovey said she was "overwhelmed" and found it "daunting". She added "It was hard not to feel intimidated and nervous about joining the cast, this was really my first television role, so it was a huge step".

In April 2009, Tovey announced that she had quit Home and Away. On her decision to leave, Tovey said "I can't stress enough what a hard decision it was and that I nearly changed my mind a few times. I still feel sad about it, but I really just wanted a change". Tovey's final scenes were filmed in the same month and shown on Australian screens in August. Tovey said she found filming her final scenes "heartbreaking", but she said that she was happy with the writers' decision to kill off the character.

Characterisation

Belle is described as being a "cheeky, extroverted young girl". She was full of insecurity from her "disciplined and controlling" upbringing. She craved love and attention from her parents, which they never gave to her. Belle's parents were shocked to discover their daughter was rejecting their conservative lifestyle and hanging out with the wrong crowd. On her character Tovey said "Belle is fantastic, she’s sassy and fun with quite a mouth on her! We have also seen a more vulnerable side to Belle with her romance with Aden this year and next year, we will see Belle go on a bit of a downward spiral which is a good challenge as an actor".

Drug addiction

In 2009, viewers saw Belle becoming addicted to painkillers. The storyline meant Tovey had to spend weeks crying and shouting, but she was determined to do a good job and said she worked hard on the storyline. Tovey said the storyline made a bigger impression on her than any of Belle's other plots. She also added "It was very challenging at points but I have to say I was quite relieved when it was over because it was quite exhausting at points". Belle's addiction is discovered by her boyfriend, Aden (Todd Lasance
Todd Lasance
Todd James Lasance is an Australian actor and is best known for his role as Aden Jefferies in the Australian soap opera Home And Away.-Personal life:...

), after he gives her a necklace and she uses it to buy more drugs.

Storylines

Shortly after finding out she is adopted, Belle arrives in the Bay to find her birth mother. Ric Dalby (Mark Furze
Mark Furze
Mark Furze is an Australian actor and singer who is best known for his role as Eric "Ric" Dalby on the popular Australian soap opera Home and Away. Mark played the role of Ric from September 2004 to July 2008.-Career:...

) finds Belle living rough and he brings her food, he later lets Belle hide out in his bedroom. Ric's foster mother, Sally Fletcher
Sally Fletcher
Sally Louise Fletcher is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Kate Ritchie...

 (Kate Ritchie
Kate Ritchie
Katherine "Kate" Ritchie is an Australian actress, best known for her long-running role as Sally Fletcher on the television soap opera Home and Away. She played the character for 20 years from 1988–2008...

) finds Belle and insists that she leaves as her husband, Flynn
Flynn Saunders
Dr Flynn Saunders is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Joel McIlroy. The character was originally played by Martin Dingle-Wall from 2001 until 2002. He made his first on-screen appearance on 13 July 2001....

 (Joel McIlroy
Joel McIlroy
Joel McIlroy is an Australian actor, best known for being the second actor to take on the role of Flynn Saunders, a character of the popular soap opera Home and Away. McIlroy took over the role of Flynn in 2003 after Martin Dingle-Wall left the role in 2002.-Early years:Joel McIlroy grew up in the...

) is terminally ill. Belle came back a few times and one day she accidentally knocked Flynn down the stairs, which weakened his condition. Belle is caught breaking into Irene Roberts
Irene Roberts
Irene Roberts is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Lynne McGranger. She was previously played by actress Jacqui Phillips from 1991 until 1992 when McGranger took over the role. Irene was originally a recurring character, in 1993 McGranger...

's (Lynne McGranger
Lynne McGranger
Lynne McGranger is an Australian actress best known for her role as Irene Roberts on soap opera Home and Away. She is the second-longest serving cast member as she joined in 1992 in the show at the moment, taking over from Jacqui Phillips.-Life and career:McGranger was originally a primary school...

) car and Irene offers her a room at her house. Belle begins spending time with Ric and she kisses him in front of his girlfriend, Cassie Turner (Sharni Vinson
Sharni Vinson
-External links:...

). Ric and Cassie split and Belle and Ric begin dating.

Ric helps Belle in the search for her birth mother and they find Katherine Lansdowne (Geraldine Turner), who turns out to be Belle's grandmother. Kitty tells Belle that her mother is dead, but a few weeks later it is revealed that Amanda Vale
Amanda Vale
Amanda Baker , is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Holly Brisley. She made her first on-screen appearance on 30 June 2005 and departed in 2007. The character returned for a brief guest appearances in 2008 and 2009.-Casting:Brisley reprised her role of...

 (Holly Brisley
Holly Brisley
Holly Brisley is an Australian actress and television presenter. She began her career at the age of 15 on Agro's Cartoon Connection and more recently portrayed Amanda Vale-Baker on Home And Away...

) is Belle's birth mother. Belle is sad when Ric decides to get back with Cassie. Amanda tries to help Belle win Ric back and relations between mother and daughter thaw. Belle then moves in with Amanda. Belle dates Drew Curtis
Drew Curtis (Home and Away)
Andrew "Drew" Curtis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Bobby Morley. He made his first on-screen appearance on 7 July 2006.-Casting:...

 (Bobby Morley) until Drew suddenly splits up with her for another woman. Amanda tells Belle that she is the other woman and Belle goes back to Irene and starts dating Lucas Holden
Lucas Holden
Lucas Anthony Holden is a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away, first introduced in 2005 and portrayed by actor Rhys Wakefield. Lucas was the youngest of the Holden family. He left the Bay in 2008.- Background :...

 (Rhys Wakefield
Rhys Wakefield
Rhys Wakefield is an Australian actor. He is best known for portraying the main character Thomas in the 2008 film The Black Balloon., for the 2011 film Sanctum, and portraying Lucas Holden in the long-running TV series Home and Away.-Biography:Before appearing as Lucas in Home and Away, Wakefield...

). One night, Belle accepts a lift home and is kidnapped by her aunt, Kelli Vale (Alexa Ashton). Peter Baker (Nicholas Bishop
Nicholas Bishop
Nicholas Bishop is an English-born Australian actor. He is best known for his television roles as Detective Peter Baker on the soap opera Home and Away and as Peter Dunlop on the ABC medical drama Body of Proof .-Early life:Bishop was born in Swindon, England...

) rescues her and relations between Belle and Amanda improve once more. Drew realises that he loves Belle and she still has feelings for him, but she continues to stand by Lucas. Belle is devastated when she thinks that Drew slept with Lisa Duffy
Lisa Duffy
Lisa Duffy is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Jessica McNamee. She made her first on-screen appearance on 22 January 2007. The character departed on 24 August 2007.-Storylines:...

 (Jessica McNamee
Jessica McNamee
-Career:McNamee is best known for her leading role of Sammy Rafter in the award winning and top rating television series Packed to the Rafters. Before this she also appeared in the television soap opera Home and Away as Lisa Duffy playing the love interest of real life good friend Rhys Wakefield's...

) and she sleeps with Lucas. Drew and Belle later get back together. Drew splits up with Belle when he finds out that she knew about Kelli's revenge plan on Amanda. Kelli spikes Amanda's drink, but Belle drinks it and collapses. Peter arrests Kelli and Amanda decides to leave town. Belle tries to talk Drew out of drag racing with Lisa and Dom Moran
Dom Moran
Dominic "Dom" Moran is a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Sam North.-Character's background:Dom first appeared in early 2006, when Ric Dalby started working at Dom's uncle Ray's garage. Dom began playing many dangerous pranks on Ric which culminated in Ric...

 (Sam North), but he does not listen. Dom gets Belle drunk and refuses to let her go, she is rescued by Lisa. Belle is upset when Lisa is later killed during a drag race.

Belle is given a cadetship at the local paper that she was working towards. Dom kidnaps Belle and she tries to convince him to let her go by kissing him. Drew rescues Belle and he accidentally runs Dom over. Dom returns and Belle get him medical help and a reference for a job in The Diner. Belle later forces him to leave town. Drew also leaves after he tells Belle's boss that she quit her job and they argue. Belle is offered a job helping Leah Patterson-Baker
Leah Patterson-Baker
Leah Helena Adara Patterson-Baker is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Ada Nicodemou. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 22 March 2000...

 (Ada Nicodemou
Ada Nicodemou
Ada Nicodemou is a Greek Cypriot-born Australian actress, best known for her role as Leah Patterson-Baker in the soap opera Home and Away.-Early life:Nicodemou was born in Larnaca, Cyprus. She has been an Australian resident since 1987....

) set up The Den. The business does not last and both Leah and Belle are offered jobs in The Diner.

Belle's new job brings her closer to Aden Jefferies
Aden Jefferies
Aden Jefferies is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Todd Lasance. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 4 August 2005. Aden was introduced in 2005 as a recurring character and as part of Cassie Turner's storylines. Lasance was...

 (Todd Lasance
Todd Lasance
Todd James Lasance is an Australian actor and is best known for his role as Aden Jefferies in the Australian soap opera Home And Away.-Personal life:...

). While drunk one night, Aden climbs through Belle's bedroom window and she makes him sleep on the floor. However, in the morning, Belle finds Aden in her bed. She initially rebuffs Aden's advances, but they later share a kiss. When Belle wanted to take things further, Aden kept putting her off. Belle goes on a date with Angelo Rosetta
Angelo Rosetta
Angelo Rosetta is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Luke Jacobz. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 6 July 2008. He has been central to many notable storylines including shooting dead Jack Holden, his time working as a...

 (Luke Jacobz
Luke Jacobz
Luke Jacobz on 14 February 1981, Sydney is an Australian actor and television presenter.-Career:'Jacobz' is a screen name, derived from adding a 'z' to the actor's middle name of Jacob...

), which makes Aden jealous. Aden tells Belle that his grandfather abused him, which made him scared of being intimate with her. After Aden attends counselling, the couple sleep together. Aden and Belle are held hostage and Belle witnesses Aden undergo a breakdown. They are rescued by Angelo and Aden is admitted to psychiatric care, Belle also ends their relationship. She attempts to move on and begins dating Angelo.

A man named Murray contacts Belle and tells her that the council is in on a plan to build on a toxic waste dump site. Belle attempts to help uncover the truth. She joins a protest against the site and is arrested by Angelo. Belle uncovers a link between the contaminated soil and local cancer cases. The site developers find out she is on to them and they break into the house to steal back plans Aden got for her. Belle asks Angelo to look into Murray's accounts and they discover that thousands of dollars have been paid to him by the council. Belle believes Murray has been paid off. During this time, Aden forces Belle to tell him that she still loves him and they kiss. Belle begins seeing Aden while she is still seeing Angelo. Angelo is attacked and Belle cannot break up with him while he is in hospital. Murray returns and tells Belle that he will help her, but Belle is unsure about trusting him. Belle's car is run off the road and the evidence that the toxic waste site causes cancer is stolen. Angelo finds out about Belle and Aden and publicly humiliates Belle. Aden finds Belle badly beaten and she is taken to hospital, where she names Angelo as her attacker. The Police find no evidence and Belle becomes depressed.

When Belle helps Leah out in the kitchen, Kane Phillips
Kane Phillips
Kane Phillips is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Sam Atwell in 2001 and 2002, as a regular cast member from 2003 to 2005 and on a recurring basis again from 2008–2009-2001-05:...

's (Sam Atwell
Sam Atwell
Samuel Atwell is an Australian television and movie actor perhaps best known for his role as Kane Phillips in the soap opera Home and Away. Born in Nambour, Queensland, he and his family lived in Indonesia for 6 years before returning to Queensland where he grew up in Brisbane...

) car hits the building, leaving her trapped and fighting for her life. She is diagnosed with a compression fracture
Compression fracture
A compression fracture is a collapse of a vertebra. It may be due to trauma or due to a weakened vertebra. This weakening is seen patients with osteoporosis or osteogenesis imperfecta, lytic lesions from metastatic or primary tumors, or infection. In healthy patients it is most often seen in...

 and she becomes paranoid, believing the developers are out to get her. She does not want to leave the hospital, but she eventually goes to Aden's. Belle struggles to cope and turns to painkillers to help her through. Rachel Armstrong (Amy Mathews
Amy Mathews
Amy Mathews is an Australian television, film and theatre actress. She is best known for her role as Rachel Armstrong in Australian soap opera Home and Away.-Early life:...

) refuses to supply her anymore painkillers and she looks for other ways to get pills. Belle gets high with Liam Murphy (Axle Whitehead
Axle Whitehead
Axle Whitehead is a former Australian Video Hits TV host and current singer, musician, and actor. In 2008, he released his first studio album Losing Sleep which debuted outside of the ARIA top 50...

) while she is covering his music concert. Belle is sacked from her job when her boss finds pills in her desk drawer. Aden finds out about Belle's addiction and she decides to go cold turkey
Cold turkey
"Cold turkey" describes the actions of a person who abruptly gives up a habit or addiction rather than gradually easing the process through gradual reduction or by using replacement medication....

 on her own, but struggles to cope without Aden. Rachel is unconvinced when Belle says she has recovered. At Rachel's wedding, Belle takes some more pills and collapses. Her stomach is pumped and Rachel insists she goes to rehab. Belle gets clean with the help of Liam.

Belle and Aden get back together and Aden asks Belle to move in with him. Aden decides to propose, so he borrows money from a loan shark to pay for a ring. Belle collapses in pain at the Diner and makes an appointment with Rachel for some tests. Belle is diagnosed with cancer and she decides to keep her condition a secret. Aden is beaten up by the loan shark and he tells Belle about the ring. Belle then surprises Aden by asking him to marry her instead. Belle asks Rachel to help her apply to get married within two weeks. Aden gets the ring and proposes to her properly.

Rachel encourages Belle to tell Aden the truth that she is dying, she resolves to tell Aden the truth after the wedding. Belle is also told that her cancer is spreading quickly. Nicole Franklin (Tessa James
Tessa James
Tessa James is an Australian actress who is best known for the role of Nicole Franklin in the Australian soap opera Home and Away.-Early and personal life:...

) sees Belle taking pills and Belle is forced to tell her about her cancer. Belle refuses, but when she collapses, Nicole tells Aden. Belle worries that Aden will not turn up to the wedding, but he does and they marry. Following the honeymoon, Belle confesses to Nicole that she does not think she has much time left. Belle asks Aden to call Amanda and tell her what was going on. Liam also arrives to apologise for his behaviour when he was on drugs. Amanda refuses to believe that Belle is dying and arranges for a second opinion. On her release from hospital, Belle goes for a walk along the beach. Aden carries her back home and she says goodbye to everyone. During the night, Belle dies peacefully in Aden's arms.

Reception

Tovey earned various award nominations for her role as Belle. In 2007, Tovey earned a nomination for "Most Popular New Female Talent" at the Logie Awards. In 2010, she was nominated for "Most Popular Actress". At the 2007 Inside Soap Awards
Inside Soap Awards
The Inside Soap Awards is a yearly award ceremony run by Inside Soap magazine since 1996. The awards celebrate the British and Australian soap operas and their actors. Until 2007, EastEnders had won the award for "Best Soap" on every occasion...

, Tovey was nominated for "Sexiest Female". In 2009, she received a nomination for "Best Actress" and "Best Storyline" for the drug addiction plot. 2010 saw Belle and Aden's wedding nominated in the Bride and Doom category at the 2010 All About Soap
All About Soap
All About Soap is a fortnightly UK magazine, released on Tuesday. Storylines of the shows it covers are from soap operas shown in the United Kingdom and from Australia....

magazine awards.

Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture
Lowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of Doctor Who Adventures.-Purpose:...

 said she had grown fond of Belle and Aden as a couple. Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...

 named Belle and Aden as one of "Soaps' sexiest couples", while viewers voted them "Home and Away's Hottest Couple" in a poll run by Holy Soap.

External links

  • Belle Taylor at the Internet Movie Database
    Internet Movie Database
    Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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