Sam Marshall
| Sam Marshall | |||||||||
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| Home and Away character | |||||||||
| Portrayed by | Ryan Clark | ||||||||
| Introduced by | Des Monaghan (1991) Julie McGuaran (2002, 2005) |
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| Duration | 1991–2001, 2002, 2005 | ||||||||
| First appearance | 3 April 1991 | ||||||||
| Last appearance | 8 July 2005 | ||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||
| Date of birth | 1983 | ||||||||
| Occupation | Student at Summer Bay Primary (1991–94) Student at Summer Bay High (1995–2000) Surfer (2000) Nightwatchman (2001) Carpenter (2002–) |
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Sam Marshall (né Nicholls) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by actor Ryan Clark. He made his first on screen appearance on 3 April 1991. Sam remained in Home and Away until 2001. He later returned for brief stints in 2002 and 2005.
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[edit] Casting
Clark was seven years old when he secured the role of Sam in 1991.[1][2] He was only allowed to film Home and Away for three days a week, so he could attend school during the remaining days.[1] Clark was provided with a tutor on set so he could keep up with his schoolwork.[1] Clark decided to leave the serial in 2000 in order to pursue a surfing career. He returned to the role in 2001.[2] In 2005, Clark reprised the role alongside several past cast members to celebrate the serial's 4000th episode.[3]
[edit] Character development
Sam was introduced into the serial as a foster child of Bobby Simpson (Nicolle Dickson). His father, Greg Marshall (Ross Newton) is later introduced into the series and goes onto marry Bobby. However, Bobby dies in a boating accident and Greg abandons him. Sam is subsequently fostered by Pippa (Debra Lawrance) and Michael Ross (Dennis Coard).[4] Sam features in the serial's 1996 "disaster" storyline in which a storm passes through Summer Bay.[5] Sam is washed into a river and Michael dies after attempting to save him.[6] A columnist for MSN online described the character's tenure stating that "with basically everyone parental in his life either dying or skipping town, Sam was moved between families like a young pass-the-parcel."[7]
When Pippa departs the series, Sam is placed in Rebecca (Belinda Emmett) and Travis Nash's (Nic Testoni) care. The official Home and Away website stated that Sam's personality changed during this period. He becomes "very prickly and rebellious". Rebecca and Travis cannot cope with a "restless teenager's behaviour" and send him to live with Donald Fisher (Norman Coburn).[8]
After several years apart, Sam arranges a reunion with Greg. However, Sam is left feeling betrayed and disappointed when Greg fails to show up.[9] Sam returns home to his guardian Donald and he hopes for some comforting words from him, but Donald cannot bring himself to open up.[9] A writer for Inside Soap said Sam and Donald "really need to share their feelings and comfort each other", but neither one wants to make the first move.[9]
In one storyline Sam begins a relationship with Hayley Smith (Bec Cartwright). Their relationship takes "a battering" and he turns into a "green-eyed monster" when Hayley becomes friends with Mitch McColl (Cameron Welsh). Sam ends his relationship with Hayley because of Mitch. The serial's website also stated that Sam and Hayley "had so much in common" and "were good mates apart from anything else".[8]
When Clark quit the series in 2000, producers devised an exit storyline which saw Sam entering a surf competition. Donald then gives his permission to let Sam join a pro surfing tour to pursue his "true calling".[10]
[edit] Storylines
Sam is the foster child of Bobby, who falls in love with Sam's father, Greg and they eventually marry. Bobby decides to adopt Sam. Bobby dies in a boating accident caused by family friend Adam Cameron (Mat Stevenson). Sam blames Adam and Greg can no longer cope with Sam and abandons him. Sam is later fostered by Pippa and Michael and has minimal contact with Greg for several years. Sam is generally happy with the Rosses but Michael dies during a flood trying to rescue Sam. Both Sam and his then-foster brother Jack Wilson (Daniel Amalm), blamed themselves for Michael's death.
Following Pippa's departure with her new husband, Ian to the Carrington ranges in 1998, Sam cannot get used to his new carers Travis and Rebecca and becomes rebellious. After Sam made an appearance in court, Donald Fisher, Bobby's father decides to look after him.
When Hayley arrives in town she and Sam forged a very tight friendship and got into various scrapes. They began dating in late 1999, but three became a crowd when Mitch took a shine to Hayley. Hayley and Sam eventually broke up. Sam later dropped out of school and left the bay to become a surfer against Fisher's wishes.
In Mid-2000, Sam returned and resumed a small fling with Hayley, but there was something different. Sam had failed his surfing competition and had turned to drugs. After a car crash, Sam later saw the error of his ways. In early 2001, Sam left Summer Bay after finding love with a girl called Sandy who had a daughter, Bella from a previous relationship. Sam later returned to Summer Bay for the town's Sesquentenerary celebrations in 2002, and in 2005, for Alf Stewart's (Ray Meagher) 60th Birthday celebrations respectively.
[edit] Reception
Chad Watson & Linda Barnier of The Newcastle Herald said that it was "no wonder" Clark quit the series because Sam was "the product of a broken home whose foster mother died after marrying his birth father". They also noted that the older Clark grew on-screen the bigger his "female fanbase" grew.[2] Glenn Wheeler of The Morning Show opined that Sam formed apart of one of Australian television's "much loved famalies" for a decade.[4] Sam was popular with teenage female demographic, who would tune into the show daily to watch the character. While the role gave Clark "sex symbol" status, he said "I got more shit from the boys, than praise from the girls back then."[11] MSN online's columnist opined that Clark played "one of Australia's very own '90s teen heartthrobs".[7]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Ryan Clark". Home and Away. (Seven Network). Archived from the original on 25 May 2000. http://web.archive.org/web/20000525213835/http://homeandaway.seven.com.au/actors/ryan_clark.asp. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ a b c Watson, Chad; Barnier, Linda (23 March 2001). "Board-silly soapie star surfed & turfed". The Newcastle Herald. (Fairfax Media). http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=nstore&kw=Ryan+Clark&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=NCH0103235UTEI2NALNA. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- ^ "Home and Away celebrates 4000 episodes with a special episode to air on Friday". The Gold Coast Bulletin (News Limited): p. 6. 30 June 2005.
- ^ a b "Home and Away flashback". Yahoo!7. (Yahoo! and Network Seven). http://au.tv.yahoo.com/home-and-away/video/-/watch/27155613/. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- ^ "Summer Bay disasters". Yahoo!7. (Yahoo! and Network Seven). http://au.tv.yahoo.com/home-and-away/galleries/photo/-/10164223/haa-gal1076-past-disasters/10164233/. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ "Twenty years of Home and Away Part one 1988–1997". TV Week (ACP Magazines): 2–11. 12–18 January 2008.
- ^ a b "TV's child stars: where are they now?". MSN. (Microsoft). http://entertainment.msn.co.nz/189402/tvs-child-stars-where-are-they-now.slideshow. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ a b "Sam Marshall". Home and Away. (Seven Network). http://homeandaway.seven.com.au/characters/sam_marshall.asp. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ a b c "Drifting apart". Inside Soap (Attic Futura (UK) Ltd) (147): 13. 19 February–3 March 2000.
- ^ "Twenty years of Home and Away Part two 1998–2007". TV Week (ACP Magazines): 2. 19–25 January 2008.
- ^ Bennett, Christie. "Ryan 'Whippet' Clark". Frothers.com.au. (Frothers Sydney Surf Photography). http://www.frothers.com.au/extended.php?id=25. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
[edit] External links
- Character profile at the Official Home and Away website
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