Phoenix Raynor (character)
Encyclopedia
Phoenix Raynor-Warner is a fictional character on the New Zealand
soap opera
Shortland Street
. He has been portrayed by Geordie Holibar since his debut in the show's first ever 90 minute episode in August 2010. The character was introduced as the unknown son of long standing character Chris Warner
(Michael Galvin
) and ex wife Alison Raynor
(Danielle Cormack
).
and Hunter
and Sophie McKay
, producers decided to introduce a new small group of young teenagers to grow up on the show. At first producers wished to bring back one of Chris Warner
's triplets he fathered with Carrie Burton
in 1993, but it was decided they would be too old and so it was chosen that Chris would have an unknown son with ex wife Alison Raynor
. Geordie Holibar, the grandson of former Shortland Street actor Liddy Holloway
was cast and the character made his debut in the shows first ever feature length episode on 2 August 2010.
(Michael Galvin
) learns in August 2010, that a 14 year old Phoenix is his son to a now deceased Alison Raynor
(Danielle Cormack
) who he married in 1996. Chris is pleased but demands a DNA test. After it comes back positive, Chris adopts the boy who had been living with his great uncle Brian (Ian Mune
).
Phoenix struggles to get on with bratty brother Harry (Reid Walker) who constantly makes his life hell. However Phoenix befriends fellow teenagers Ula Levi
(Frankie Adams) and Evan Cooper (Tyler Read). Phoenix rebuffs a kiss from Ula and she spreads a rumour he is gay, which he quickly dispels. The three get into trouble when Evan floods a ladies house but they remain friends. Phoenix feels guilty when Evan runs away and he alerts Evan's dad Murray
(Matthew Chamberlain
) and saves Evan's life. After receiving a valentines card from Jasmine Cooper
(Pearl McGlashan) and thinking it is from Ula, he and Ula start to date. Jasmine sets the record straight and Pheonix chooses her over Ula. However Jasmine's pressure for sex leads Phoenix to have a one night stand with Suzy (Maisey McSwiney). He and Jasmine break up but reconcile. On Phoenix's 16th birthday, Jasmine goes into cardiac arrest and he luckily saves her life. She is diagnosed with Long QT syndrome
, terrifying Phoenix.
technique to make the character a few years older than in real time. This is proven as Chris did not leave Shortland Street until mid 1996, making a 1996 birth impossible. Other factors that contradict Phoenix's birthdate are the facts that Tiffany Pratt
saw Chris and Alison together as late as 1997 and Chris indicates he and Alison split as late as 2000 in his return to the show. Phoenix again underwent SORAS in 2011 when he celebrated his 16th birthday in September, only a year after he arrived as a 14 year old, pushing his birthdate back to 1995 when Chris was living in Ferndale and Alison in America.
However Phoenix has not been the only character to undergo SORAS, the Warner family has been famous for its usage. Phoenix's half brother Harry was born in 2002 and already aged 9 by 2009. His cousin, Tuesday Warner was born in 1995 and was 14, only 12 years later. Even Phoenix's girlfriend, Jasmine underwent the procedure, debuting at 13 years old and being 15, just a year later.
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...
. He has been portrayed by Geordie Holibar since his debut in the show's first ever 90 minute episode in August 2010. The character was introduced as the unknown son of long standing character 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:...
) and ex wife 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...
).
Creation and Introduction
Following the aging of past teenage group, Daniel PottsDaniel Potts
Daniel Potts is a fictional character in the soap opera Shortland Street. The role was originated by actor Jarred Blakiston from 2004–2005 and again briefly in 2007 before Ido Drent took over in 2009...
and Hunter
Hunter McKay
Hunter McKay is a fictional character in the TVNZ soap opera Shortland Street. He has been portrayed by Lee Donoghue since he first appeared in December 2006 as part of a new family unit consisting of parents Callum McKay and Justine Jones and younger sister Sophie McKay .The character is gifted...
and Sophie McKay
Sophie McKay
Sophie Juliette McKay is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was introduced in late 2006 as the daughter of surgeon Justine Jones and GP Callum McKay. She was briefly married to Kieran Mitchell in early 2010 before they separated.-2006-2008:Sophie McKay...
, producers decided to introduce a new small group of young teenagers to grow up on the show. At first producers wished to bring back one of 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....
's triplets he fathered with Carrie Burton
Carrie Burton
Carrie Kennedy was a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She was portrayed by Lisa Crittenden and was part of the original cast.-1992:...
in 1993, but it was decided they would be too old and so it was chosen that Chris would have an unknown son with ex wife 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:...
. Geordie Holibar, the grandson of former Shortland Street actor Liddy Holloway
Liddy Holloway
Elizabeth Brenda "Liddy" Holloway was a New Zealand actress.Born in Wellington, New Zealand, the daughter of a politician, Phil Holloway, Liddy Holloway originally worked as a journalist. She switched to acting and had a long career in the theater...
was cast and the character made his debut in the shows first ever feature length episode on 2 August 2010.
2010-
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....
(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:...
) learns in August 2010, that a 14 year old Phoenix is his son to a now deceased 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...
) who he married in 1996. Chris is pleased but demands a DNA test. After it comes back positive, Chris adopts the boy who had been living with his great uncle Brian (Ian Mune
Ian Mune
Ian Barry Mune, OBE is a New Zealand character actor and director. He co-wrote and starred in Roger Donaldson's first film, Sleeping Dogs. He also directed Came a Hot Friday, which featured comedian Billy T. James as the Tainui Kid, and What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?, the sequel to Once Were...
).
Phoenix struggles to get on with bratty brother Harry (Reid Walker) who constantly makes his life hell. However Phoenix befriends fellow teenagers Ula Levi
Ula Levi
Ula Levi is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She is portrayed by Frankie Adams and has been on the show since July 2010.-2010:...
(Frankie Adams) and Evan Cooper (Tyler Read). Phoenix rebuffs a kiss from Ula and she spreads a rumour he is gay, which he quickly dispels. The three get into trouble when Evan floods a ladies house but they remain friends. Phoenix feels guilty when Evan runs away and he alerts Evan's dad Murray
Murray Cooper
Murray Cooper is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He arrived in October 2010 as the patriarch to the new family unit; the Coopers and the replacement owner of the IV following Kieran's death.-Creation and Introduction:...
(Matthew Chamberlain
Matthew Chamberlain
Matthew Chamberlain is a New Zealand actor, who starred in the New Zealand film Black Sheep as Oliver Oldfield. Chamberlain previously co-starred in children's TV program Johnson and Friends as Diesel. Chamberlain is currently starring in the high profile role of Murray Cooper in the TVNZ Soap...
) and saves Evan's life. After receiving a valentines card from Jasmine Cooper
Jasmine Cooper
Jasmine Cooper is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. She has been portrayed by actress Pearl McGlashan since August 2010 and is the youngest member of the Cooper family unit....
(Pearl McGlashan) and thinking it is from Ula, he and Ula start to date. Jasmine sets the record straight and Pheonix chooses her over Ula. However Jasmine's pressure for sex leads Phoenix to have a one night stand with Suzy (Maisey McSwiney). He and Jasmine break up but reconcile. On Phoenix's 16th birthday, Jasmine goes into cardiac arrest and he luckily saves her life. She is diagnosed with Long QT syndrome
Long QT syndrome
The long QT syndrome is a rare inborn heart condition in which delayed repolarization of the heart following a heartbeat increases the risk of episodes of torsade de pointes . These episodes may lead to palpitations, fainting and sudden death due to ventricular fibrillation...
, terrifying Phoenix.
Inaccuracies
As Phoenix is depicted as a 14 year old upon his debut in 2010, this means that the writers of Shortland Street have utilized the SORASSoap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome
Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome is a term used to describe the practice of accelerating the age of a television character in conflict with the timeline of a series and/or the real-world progression of time. Characters unseen on screen for a time might reappear portrayed by an actor several years...
technique to make the character a few years older than in real time. This is proven as Chris did not leave Shortland Street until mid 1996, making a 1996 birth impossible. Other factors that contradict Phoenix's birthdate are the facts that Tiffany Pratt
Tiffany Pratt
Tiffany Marinovich is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by Alison James between 1995 and 1998.-Creation and casting:...
saw Chris and Alison together as late as 1997 and Chris indicates he and Alison split as late as 2000 in his return to the show. Phoenix again underwent SORAS in 2011 when he celebrated his 16th birthday in September, only a year after he arrived as a 14 year old, pushing his birthdate back to 1995 when Chris was living in Ferndale and Alison in America.
However Phoenix has not been the only character to undergo SORAS, the Warner family has been famous for its usage. Phoenix's half brother Harry was born in 2002 and already aged 9 by 2009. His cousin, Tuesday Warner was born in 1995 and was 14, only 12 years later. Even Phoenix's girlfriend, Jasmine underwent the procedure, debuting at 13 years old and being 15, just a year later.