beau_t Posted January 3, 2015 Report Posted January 3, 2015 I've just been watching some 1998/1999 episodes and something struck me. It's not often a recast is better than the original but I am glad the original actress left the role as the new Natalie was much better! Not only was she hotter (the actor who played Joel must have thought all his Christmases had come at once ) but she was quirkier and added more life to the character. The original Natalie seemed very sensible and calm all the time while the new Natalie had more of a spring in her step and was quite bubbly. I also never realised how much the original Natalie was similar to Shelley Sutherland! I thought it was the same actress at first!
jodlebirger Posted January 3, 2015 Report Posted January 3, 2015 I totally disagree. The original actress was far better, the second one was far too young and sugar sweet. It was totally unrealistic to me that she was meant to be Tom and Gypsy's mother and Noel's wife. Tom looked like her lover. A ridicuoulus replacement.
beau_t Posted January 3, 2015 Author Report Posted January 3, 2015 Haha! I do see your point about her being sugar sweet... I half expect her to run through the country singing "The hills are alive!". At least you agree she was completely different anyway!
Red Ranger 1 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Posted January 3, 2015 I agree with OP.I remember someone saying at the time that after she'd been in the role for a few weeks we'd pretty much all forgotten the original version and they were right.The original was a bit of a bland generic adult character.Despite looking a lot younger and being one of my first older woman crushes, the second Natalie actually felt like a more traditional Home and Away mother figure, it's hard to imagine the original slotting into the caravan park as easily as she did.And she did have a bit of fire about her, she and Gypsy had a pretty fractious relationship until right near the end.It did change the dynamic with Jesse slightly, since they looked about the same age, but the idea of romance was quickly shot down once he hooked up with Gypsy. Actually, I think Antoinette Byron was about the right age, if you consider she played an adult character in Neighbours 15 years previous (and was nothing like Natalie, showing that a fair bit of acting went into it), she just looked about 10 years younger than she was.(See also Gillian Kearney, recently cast as the mother of 20-somethings in Emmerdale to a chorus of "Really?", at which point you remember she was playing teenagers 30 years ago and realise just how old she must be.)
Blaxland 89 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Posted January 3, 2015 I liked them both but Natalie was meant to be an ex athlete with the hope of possibly going into the Olympics one last time before she was too old. Because she missed out with the 1980 boycott. She was a rower. And she was quite muscular. But then she hurt herself from what I remember. The original actress fitted that story better which probably why it wasn't mentioned again,
Red Ranger 1 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Posted January 3, 2015 That's a fair point, actually.They had Natalie working as a PE teacher at the school, and while that aspect of the character was kept on, the second actress didn't quite fit it, so it ended up being downplayed somewhat to the point that I'm not sure you ever saw her taking a class.
alexx Posted January 3, 2015 Report Posted January 3, 2015 I was surprised when we suddenly saw her rushing to the phone at the Nash house in the 1999 premiere! At first I was very unsure because she seemed to be smiling even during quite a serious scene, but that literally lasted one or two episodes and from then on I always looked forward to her scenes, whereas before I didn't really pay much attention to Natalie. I seem to remember seeing her in her gym kit quite often, either on the way to work or out and about, didn't she train one of the characters at one point (or am I imagining that?). I did think she looked a lot younger than the original, but it didn't bother me once I'd adjusted because she was such a likeable character/the actor brought so much more life to the role. From what I remember of previous discussions on Nat#2, there are quite a few who prefer her to the original!
Blaxland 89 Posted January 4, 2015 Report Posted January 4, 2015 Natalie was a mangrove river girl. I wonder if she knew the braxtons when they were younger
jodlebirger Posted January 4, 2015 Report Posted January 4, 2015 I used to think that the first Nathalie was replaced because number two was better looking, she looked younger and fresher.... And I still wonder about that, we all know that the show is obsessed with hot bodies. She also got more storylines which suited her new "image", which was the first step towards the characters we see on the show today. Being a hot woman became the most important thing. I liked them both but Natalie was meant to be an ex athlete with the hope of possibly going into the Olympics one last time before she was too old. Because she missed out with the 1980 boycott. She was a rower. And she was quite muscular. But then she hurt herself from what I remember. The original actress fitted that story better which probably why it wasn't mentioned again, Which was sad, and proves my point. She was ribbed for personality and history with this recast.
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