Darryl Neilson
Encyclopedia
Darryl Neilson is a fictional character on the New Zealand
soap opera
Shortland Street
. Darryl was portrayed by Mark Ferguson
from 1992 to the characters death in 1995.
Introduced as the sinister son of receptionist Marj Neilson (Elizabeth McRae
) and paramedic Tom Neilson
(Adrian Keeling), the character got involved in many antagonistic situations including; getting teenage brother, Stuart
(Martin Henderson
) to claim paternity of his child, an attempted rape of Kirsty Knight (Angela Dotchin
), faking illness to get closer to Alison Raynor
(Danielle Cormack
), faking abduction of his own children, storing drugs at his mothers house and locking Chris Warner
(Michael Galvin) in a barn on his wedding day, amongst others. The characters long running feud with the young Kirsty, eventually saw Darryl drown, falling off a boat while attempting to murder her.
The character still stands as one of the most iconic villains on the soap and a character that fans "love to hate".
was offered the role in what he saw as typecasting due to his widows peak.
(Martin Henderson
) claims paternity of a new born baby. Stuart's father, Tom
(Adrian Keeling) and mother Marj
(Elizabeth McRae
), do not believe him and Tom later suspects Stuart's older brother Darryl of the crime. Darryl arrives to the street in October and reveals he is the father, before starting to date Kirsty (Angela Dotchin
). Kirsty starts to reject his advances and Darryl attempts to rape her. When Tom finds out, he kicks him out of the house.
Darryl returned in 1993 to a very distressed Kirsty. He became fixated with Alison
(Danielle Cormack
) while working with her on a fundraiser and faked an illness, to get closer to her. Realizing he would never get her due to her upcoming wedding to Chris Warner
(Michael Galvin
), Darryl decided to plot against the two. He drugged Chris the night before the wedding and locked him in a barn, causing the wedding to be called off and for Alison to flee the country. Darryl returned once again when father Tom returned after going missing, Darryl surrended his kidney to Tom, only for Tom to die of a heart attack. Darryl tried to tear his mother and boyfriend Laurie (Chic Littlewood) apart, but failed and later helped Alison cover up Jean-Luc's (Pierre Foret) death.
Darryl again returned in 1994 and began dating Grace (Lynette Forday), only to steal her eggs
. After a argument with wife Dianne (Susannah Devereux), Darryl faked the abduction of his two children, only to be exposed by Kirsty. He began to operate in illegal drug smuggling and devastated Marj, when she realized he was using her house as storage. Darryl decided to get revenge on Kirsty by ruining her wedding and convinced Stuart to stop the marriage at the altar.
In 1995 Darryl's drug company supplied Kirsty's husband Lionel
(John Leigh) with faulty drugs, putting him into a coma. Kirsty confronted Darryl on the houseboat, "The Toroa". A furious Darryl attempted to murder Kirsty, only to fall overboard and go missing. His body was later located floating in the sea.
in a barn, so as he would miss his wedding day, a storyline often recollected on by actors and producers. However the character also went through numerous other storylines, including the very first episode where Darryl fathered a child, only to push responsibility onto his teenage brother. The character of Darryl was said to be introduced to further develop the character of Marj and make her less comic relief. The character's evil nature was so great, producer Steven Zanoski thought it was a great precedent for villains to follow. Darryl's character also helped the audience sympathize with Marj, having her stuck with a "no-good" son. Darryl's character was truly explored within his first year, when Darryl cruely attempted to rape Kirsty and forced his wife to provide him with an alibi so no charges would be laid. The character reached his peak villainy when he stole girlfriend Grace's eggs and started to use Marj's house as storage for illegal drugs. The character finally reached his end when he fell off a boat and drowned, while trying to murder Kirsty. It has been suggested that it was always obvious Darryl was to get his comeuppance as this was part of fulfilling the "villain" archetype.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
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,...
Shortland Street
Shortland Street
Shortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera, first broadcast on Television New Zealand's TV2 on 25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera, being broadcast continuously for over 4500 episodes and 19 years, and is one of the most watched television programs in...
. Darryl was portrayed by Mark Ferguson
Mark Ferguson
Mark Ferguson is a New Zealand-based Australian actor and television presenter.-Biography:Ferguson was born in Sydney, Australia, in family of Scottish ancestry . He attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art and graduated in 1981...
from 1992 to the characters death in 1995.
Introduced as the sinister son of receptionist Marj Neilson (Elizabeth McRae
Elizabeth McRae
Elizabeth McRae is a New Zealand actress, best known for her portrayal of Marjorie Brasch on the soap opera Shortland Street from 1992 until 1996 with further appearances in 1998 and 2002.Elizabeth's daughter Katherine is also an actress...
) and paramedic Tom Neilson
Tom Neilson
Tom Leslie Neilson is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. Part of the original cast, Tom was portrayed by Adrian Keeling from the shows first episode up until May the following year when the character starred in a high profile storyline where Tom went missing...
(Adrian Keeling), the character got involved in many antagonistic situations including; getting teenage brother, Stuart
Stuart Neilson
Stuart Neilson was a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Martin Henderson and was part of the original cast, with a lot of the first episode focusing around him....
(Martin Henderson
Martin Henderson
Martin Henderson is a New Zealand actor, well known to American audiences for his starring role in the ABC TV series Off the Map, while remaining known in his home country for his teenage role as Stuart Neilson in the soap opera Shortland Street.-Life and career:Henderson was born in Auckland, New...
) to claim paternity of his child, an attempted rape of Kirsty Knight (Angela Dotchin
Angela Dotchin
-External links:...
), faking illness to get closer to Alison Raynor
Alison Raynor
Alison Raynor was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was portrayed by Danielle Cormack and was part of the series original cast.-Creation and Casting:...
(Danielle Cormack
Danielle Cormack
Danielle Cormack is a stage and screen actress from New Zealand. She was one of the original core cast of the long-running soap opera Shortland Street, though she is also known for her role as the Amazon Ephiny in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, Cynthia Ross in The Cult, and Shota in...
), faking abduction of his own children, storing drugs at his mothers house and locking Chris Warner
Chris Warner
Dr. Christopher "Chris" Warner is a fictional character and current main protagonist on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He is portrayed by Michael Galvin. He is the only original character to still be on the show....
(Michael Galvin) in a barn on his wedding day, amongst others. The characters long running feud with the young Kirsty, eventually saw Darryl drown, falling off a boat while attempting to murder her.
The character still stands as one of the most iconic villains on the soap and a character that fans "love to hate".
Creation and casting
Darryl was created as the soap's recurring antagonist and part of the Neilson family unit. Without auditioning, Mark FergusonMark Ferguson
Mark Ferguson is a New Zealand-based Australian actor and television presenter.-Biography:Ferguson was born in Sydney, Australia, in family of Scottish ancestry . He attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art and graduated in 1981...
was offered the role in what he saw as typecasting due to his widows peak.
1992-1995
In the opening episode of the series, Stuart NeilsonStuart Neilson
Stuart Neilson was a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by Martin Henderson and was part of the original cast, with a lot of the first episode focusing around him....
(Martin Henderson
Martin Henderson
Martin Henderson is a New Zealand actor, well known to American audiences for his starring role in the ABC TV series Off the Map, while remaining known in his home country for his teenage role as Stuart Neilson in the soap opera Shortland Street.-Life and career:Henderson was born in Auckland, New...
) claims paternity of a new born baby. Stuart's father, Tom
Tom Neilson
Tom Leslie Neilson is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. Part of the original cast, Tom was portrayed by Adrian Keeling from the shows first episode up until May the following year when the character starred in a high profile storyline where Tom went missing...
(Adrian Keeling) and mother Marj
Marj Brasch
Marjorie "Marj" Brasch is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. Being part of the original cast, she was portrayed by Elizabeth McRae from the show's first season in 1992 up until 1996. She returned as a guest character in both 1998 and 2002...
(Elizabeth McRae
Elizabeth McRae
Elizabeth McRae is a New Zealand actress, best known for her portrayal of Marjorie Brasch on the soap opera Shortland Street from 1992 until 1996 with further appearances in 1998 and 2002.Elizabeth's daughter Katherine is also an actress...
), do not believe him and Tom later suspects Stuart's older brother Darryl of the crime. Darryl arrives to the street in October and reveals he is the father, before starting to date Kirsty (Angela Dotchin
Angela Dotchin
-External links:...
). Kirsty starts to reject his advances and Darryl attempts to rape her. When Tom finds out, he kicks him out of the house.
Darryl returned in 1993 to a very distressed Kirsty. He became fixated with Alison
Alison Raynor
Alison Raynor was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was portrayed by Danielle Cormack and was part of the series original cast.-Creation and Casting:...
(Danielle Cormack
Danielle Cormack
Danielle Cormack is a stage and screen actress from New Zealand. She was one of the original core cast of the long-running soap opera Shortland Street, though she is also known for her role as the Amazon Ephiny in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, Cynthia Ross in The Cult, and Shota in...
) while working with her on a fundraiser and faked an illness, to get closer to her. Realizing he would never get her due to her upcoming wedding to Chris Warner
Chris Warner
Dr. Christopher "Chris" Warner is a fictional character and current main protagonist on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He is portrayed by Michael Galvin. He is the only original character to still be on the show....
(Michael Galvin
Michael Galvin
Michael Galvin is a New Zealand actor, singer and playwright, well known for his role as Dr. Chris Warner on the soap opera Shortland Street, a character he has played almost continuously since the shows debut in 1992.-Early life:...
), Darryl decided to plot against the two. He drugged Chris the night before the wedding and locked him in a barn, causing the wedding to be called off and for Alison to flee the country. Darryl returned once again when father Tom returned after going missing, Darryl surrended his kidney to Tom, only for Tom to die of a heart attack. Darryl tried to tear his mother and boyfriend Laurie (Chic Littlewood) apart, but failed and later helped Alison cover up Jean-Luc's (Pierre Foret) death.
Darryl again returned in 1994 and began dating Grace (Lynette Forday), only to steal her eggs
Ovum
An ovum is a haploid female reproductive cell or gamete. Both animals and embryophytes have ova. The term ovule is used for the young ovum of an animal, as well as the plant structure that carries the female gametophyte and egg cell and develops into a seed after fertilization...
. After a argument with wife Dianne (Susannah Devereux), Darryl faked the abduction of his two children, only to be exposed by Kirsty. He began to operate in illegal drug smuggling and devastated Marj, when she realized he was using her house as storage. Darryl decided to get revenge on Kirsty by ruining her wedding and convinced Stuart to stop the marriage at the altar.
In 1995 Darryl's drug company supplied Kirsty's husband Lionel
Lionel Skeggins
Lionel Skeggins was a fictional character on the TVNZ soap opera Shortland Street. He was portrayed by John Leigh and after making his debut as a guest character in 1993, he returned from 1994 to the character's disappearance in 1999 as a core cast member....
(John Leigh) with faulty drugs, putting him into a coma. Kirsty confronted Darryl on the houseboat, "The Toroa". A furious Darryl attempted to murder Kirsty, only to fall overboard and go missing. His body was later located floating in the sea.
Afterdeath
Darryl's twin brother Damien later turned up at Shortland Street scaring Kirsty in to thinking that her arch nemesis had returned from the dead. However, Damien was nothing like his twin brother. Damien's presence caused Kirsty to remember that she had indeed killed Darryl herself, but Damien convinced her not to confess to the crime. After Damien got burnt in an accident, Kirsty realised she had fallen in love with Damien and the two left Ferndale tegether.Characterisation
Throughout Darryl's run on Shortland Street, he was identified as cunning, evil and nasty. Ferguson described the character as dynamic, saying; "I really like playing the part, because whenever he's there, he makes things happen. He's a very dynamic character. He really gets people involved with the show." He also stated that Darryl was cunning, but not smart; "I try and put some of my own sense of humour in Darryl. I like to give him lots of different sides. He's very ambitious, like he can control situations around him. But he's not that bright, really. If he was just a bit smarter he'd be worth an absolute fortune. ... If Darryl was just a bit smarter, if he heightened his sights, then he could come back and try for Prime Minister".Antagonism
The character of Darryl was written as a "villain" archetype. The character is remembered heavily for his antagonistic characteristics. His most prominent storyline was when he locked major character Chris WarnerChris Warner
Dr. Christopher "Chris" Warner is a fictional character and current main protagonist on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He is portrayed by Michael Galvin. He is the only original character to still be on the show....
in a barn, so as he would miss his wedding day, a storyline often recollected on by actors and producers. However the character also went through numerous other storylines, including the very first episode where Darryl fathered a child, only to push responsibility onto his teenage brother. The character of Darryl was said to be introduced to further develop the character of Marj and make her less comic relief. The character's evil nature was so great, producer Steven Zanoski thought it was a great precedent for villains to follow. Darryl's character also helped the audience sympathize with Marj, having her stuck with a "no-good" son. Darryl's character was truly explored within his first year, when Darryl cruely attempted to rape Kirsty and forced his wife to provide him with an alibi so no charges would be laid. The character reached his peak villainy when he stole girlfriend Grace's eggs and started to use Marj's house as storage for illegal drugs. The character finally reached his end when he fell off a boat and drowned, while trying to murder Kirsty. It has been suggested that it was always obvious Darryl was to get his comeuppance as this was part of fulfilling the "villain" archetype.