Bobby Morley Appreciation

[Lilone]

I thought I would start an appreciation for bob Morley the actor who plays Drew Curtis, Peter Bakers son.

Bobby Morley

Laidback, friendly and just a little bit cheeky: Bobby Morley is the newest hunk to set foot in the Bay as the troubled and rebellious Drew Curtis.

Bobby was born on December 20, 1984, making him a hot-headed Sagittarius. He went to school in Kneyton, a small country town in Victoria. Here he did drama all the way through to Year 11, until he was kicked out! "I was a bit of a brat," he says with a grin. "I’d turn up to class and not have done the homework, but I’d perform and I’d get away with it. I was drama captain of the senior school but I was probably the worst academic student in drama department, so they didn’t really want me to be an example to other students."

After graduating from high school, Bobby did half a year of geological engineering at uni before deciding to get back into acting and pursue it as a professional career. He started a degree in Creative Arts at La Trobe University in Melbourne, secured himself an agent and started doing extra classes.

Roles on the stage (Falling to Perfect, Tale From Vienna Woods), in short films (The Couple) and features (Dead Harvest) followed, until a part in the new Australian play Angels with Dirty Faces bought about a meeting with Home and Away’s casting agents, and the chance to audition for Drew arose.

As well as dealing with relocation from Melbourne to Sydney for the part, Drew is Bobby’s first TV role. "It’s like a quantum leap for me, from short film roles to this so it’s a bit daunting," he admits. "I’ll get my head around it, hopefully!"

The easy-going actor is the youngest of four kids, with two sisters and one brother. He has his Mum to thank for his dark curly hair and deep brown eyes – she’s from the Philippines. His taste in films includes Dogville, Dancer in the Dark ("anything by Lars Von Trier"), Straw Dogs, Door in the Floor and Boys, Romper Stomper as some of his faves. He admires the acting skills of David Wenham, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Jeff Bridges.

Outside of acting Bobby loves the challenge of rock-climbing, dabbles at playing guitar and loves catching a soccer or footy match – he follows the Collingwood magpies.

"I’ve watched his first few eps and he’s got something very special," commented script producer Daniel Bennett a few weeks after Bobby started filming. "We’ve been plotting him for six months now and there isn’t a week that goes by that he doesn’t have a lot to do. The audience will be very invested in him – we certainly are."

[Lilone]

Character Bio

Drew Curtis has attitude. And plenty of it.

With a chip on his shoulder the size of Queensland, this brooding teen reckons the world owes him a favour. Independent, cocky and tough, Drew is something of a loner, who gives the impression that he doesn’t need anyone; yet the reality couldn’t be any further off. Deep down, Drew is desperate for acceptance and love. "He’s dark and brooding," explains actor Bobby Morley. "He’s got a lot of issues that are unresolved and he doesn’t know how to deal with them."

Drew was product of a high school relationship between his mother Christy and teenage lover, Peter Baker. Christy kept her pregnancy a secret from Peter, and he wasn’t even aware that Drew existed until five years ago when Christy had met a new man – and fallen in love. Her new lover had children of his own and Drew did not fit in to the new family. Christy had no time for Drew - so rather than risk her new relationship, she decided to send Drew to boarding school - and asked Peter for the money to do so. Peter was stunned to learn he had a teenage son and dutifully agreed to meet Drew and to help look after him.

Upon meeting his father, Drew made it very clear he had no interest in getting to know Peter; they had nothing to do with each others lives before, so why now? Peter recognised that his son needed stability, a decent education and he respected Drew’s wishes to not live with him. Instead, he and Christy agreed to put Drew into an all boys boarding school.

Drew, on the other hand, saw his father’s decision as a transparent way of rejecting him once again; Drew was unable to communicate that what he really wanted was to get to know his Dad. Consequently, Drew’s resentment towards his father grew. He accepted Peter’s cash, but not his love. "Drew is very stubborn, pig-headed – I guess a typical teenager," says Bobby. "He’s very angry about losing his father and not fitting into the whole family unit, he’s a bit of a loner, an outsider."

Drew’s attitude didn’t go down very well at his new school. He was surrounded by wealthy kids from seemingly loving families who showered their offspring with money, attention and anything else they wanted. Drew continued his act of bravado and strength and found comfort in causing chaos wherever he went.

After Peter’s death, Drew’s uncle, Dan Baker, brings him to the Bay – a young, angry kid who now has to reconcile the differences he had with his old man without ever getting the chance to know him. He isn’t interested in fitting in and continues to act up, as he does best. “He rustles up a few feathers, breaks a few hearts – his own, included!" grins Bobby.

"We all know what its like to be an angry young person, to be misunderstood and to feel like everyone’s pushing their thoughts and their ways that you should act onto you," Bob says. “He feels like he’s got a lot of pressure from Dan and Leah to conform and he feels that no one understands him. I think we’ve all been in a position where no one can really understand what you’re going through and you’ve got to do what you want to do to get through it, but people don’t understand that and they judge you for it."

One thing’s for sure: Summer Bay will get more than they bargained for with the rebellious Drew Curtis!

[Oxidizer]

I can definitely see Drew being one of my favourite characters!

[Lilone]

So now that Dan has found out about Drew being Peters son I wonder how Drew will be effected by his dads death?

Plus Drew is a very handsome actor

[Oxidizer]

Good point. I hope he mentions Zoe. I agree - he's a very good-looking guy.

[Lilone]

I can't wait until he finds out about Dan being his uncle....

[Oxidizer]

Haha me neither. Jeez we're turning into Drew groupies

[angelgirl]

Well what can I say he is a hottie!

[Natasha]

This is a bit strange starting an appreciation thread when we haven't even SEEN the guy on Home and Away yet. Aren't we jumping the gun a little here folks?

[~Lynd~]

enough said!

Probably Natasha,but he's such a spunk!