Neighbours' Paul Robinson actor Stefan Dennis says he was 'chased through London' by crazed soap fans
HAVING been in soap Neighbours since its beginning episode in 1985, Stefan Dennis could be seen every bit the Aussie Ken Barlow.
Only the 63-year-one-time, who plays Ramsay Street fable Paul Robinson, reckons he has more in common with The Beatles than Corrie actor Pecker Roache.
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Stefan scored a string of chart hits in the 1980s off the back of his role in Neighbours, which airs for the final fourth dimension adjacent week.
And he says British fans went mad for him — and fellow bandage members Jason Donovan, who played his onscreen brother Scott, and Kylie Minogue, who played Scott's wife-to-exist Charlene.
Stefan said: "The term Beatlemania has been referred to in those days in the mid-to late-Eighties, particularly over in Great britain. And information technology really was like that.
"If we walked out on to the street, you'd get chased down that aforementioned street by screaming people. You couldn't become anywhere.
"It wasn't until years and years later on, decades later, that I actually was able to proceed things similar the Tube and buses or walk down Oxford Street in London without being absolutely hassled."
Back in 1989 he formed a holy trinity of Neighbours popular stars that whipped the Britain into a music frenzy.
Kylie had just released her 2nd album, Enjoy Yourself, and Jason served up his debut LP, Ten Good Reasons.
Then along came Stefan with striking Don't It Brand You Experience Good.
He said: "They were fun days — they were exciting, and they were flattering, and they were all of that — but on occasion, those moments were scary.
"Jason has told me of more than ane occasion where things got a piddling fleck scary for him with fans.
"The same with Kylie. It scared her at the start.
"It was intense and her diminutive size would take made it even more scary for her.
"It was only unlike anything nosotros'd e'er experienced before. I expect back on those days and it but seems crazy the stuff that happened to the states."
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At the soap's height, 20million tuned in to see Charlene and Scott Robinson tie the knot in 1988. And Stefan had many "pinch me" moments coming to England effectually those times.
He said: "The Who's Roger Daltrey asked me for an autograph for his girl, and I was like, 'What? No. This is supposed to be the other way around. This is non real'.
"And Rolling Rock Bill Wyman thanked me and my Neighbours co-star Kristian Schmid for making his party a success when we turned up. Information technology was insane to hear things like that.
"Merely the one absolute 'pinch me' moment was when we'd been invited to Michael Jackson's concert at Wembley.
"Within a few seconds of sitting downwards, some people in the front turned around and saw usa.
"Inside, I don't know, a very, very brusk space of time, pretty much everybody in Wembley Stadium was on their feet, applauding Kristian and myself, just for being at that place. There was about 72,000 people in in that location.
"But the ironic affair was, well-nigh v minutes after, in walks Prince Charles with his entourage and he sits a few seats upwards behind the states. There was hardly a murmur.
"I but thought, 'This is a crazy moment in my life. How did nosotros go a bigger reaction than a imperial?'."
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Kylie and Jason, both 54, are returning to make cameos in the terminal episodes of Neighbours adjacent week — and so are a string of other stars, including Hollywood's Guy Pearce, who played Mike Young.
Stefan returned to the soap a long time before though, in 2004, having quit in 1992, making him the only cast member from the outset episode even so in information technology.
Stefan recalls that despite Kylie and Jason beingness obvious stars-in-waiting, there was never any pecking lodge behind the scenes.
He said: "We were all simply actors in the same testify. In that location was no hierarchy or anything like that, not amongst us.
"Nosotros were just cast members and mates who got on with each other and seemed to enjoy doing what we were doing.
"It wasn't until nosotros got out into the earth of publicity where information technology all suddenly became about who was a lilliputian bit more popular than others. People became obsessed with that.
"But fifty-fifty and then, information technology didn't carp the states. Information technology wasn't like, 'Oh, you're getting all the attending and I'1000 non'. There'southward nada like that at all.
"Jason and Kylie did very well over in the UK from the word go.
"Fortunately, they had some very expert people behind them who were looking after them.
"Whereas the rest of us kind of went over and were like, 'Ah, this is fantastic', and not realising what we were letting ourselves in for.
"But that'southward all right. Y'all alive and you learn. It was good fun."
And it has been good fun playing half dozen-times married Paul Robinson, who was in Neighbours from 1985 to 1992, then returned a year subsequently for a invitee appearance before returning full-time from 2004 onwards.
He said: "Autonomously from the vi wives, I estimate information technology's just because, over the course of time, he's been so diverse.
"I mean, he'southward gone from being squeaky clean, to a flake of a bugger, to a criminal on the run, to a bit of a bugger once more, to large-time criminal on the run, to whatever he got upwardly to in South America, to come back to deliciously malevolently evil, then to absolutely squeaky make clean with his loss of memory, to back to being a bit of a bounder again, to where he is today.
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"The rollercoaster ride that I've had with the graphic symbol has been worth it, whether I played him for 5 years or 500 years. He's merely such an incredible character to play."
Shortly later Stefan's render to the soap in 2004, the script saw Paul having his leg amputated later on falling from a cliff.
It was replaced with a prosthetic limb and the role player has since had to remember to walk with a limp on gear up.
He adds: "People used to say to me quite often, 'Oh, how come you're not bored? Why are you yet doing Neighbours? You must get so bored playing Paul Robinson'.
"Information technology's like, 'Well, no — because it's similar playing a real-life person, only with the condensed drama. Every single day I'm doing something different with the character'.
"Christ, his six wives, that'south crazy! Not to mention his countless girlfriends. He really has been a male monarch of a character to play. If you ever wanted to play a misogynistic, antipathetic, sexist, bigoted, old-fashioned, grumpy old b*stard these days, Paul's the one to become for."
Such an incredible character to play
Stefan Dennis
In contrast to the Aussie lothario's private life, Stefan's world is much simpler — and quite British, also.
He has been married to Scottish actress and Neighbours co-star Gail Easdale for 22 years. They met doing panto in Southampton.
Together, they have sons Cameron, 20, and Declan, 16, along with a 13-yr-old daughter, Darci.
But that has non stopped the dishy dad getting some adoration from female person fans — which has been the case ever since he offset arrived in Erinsborough 37 years ago.
He said: "The mature Paul attracts the mature lady who likes the mature bad boy. It's funny, I still get all ages.
"Only it'south been a long, long, long, long fourth dimension since I have been chased down the street.
"I still do go people asking for selfies all the time.
"Even long after Neighbours is finished, I'thou certain I'll all the same get people going, 'Oh my God, yous used to be Paul Robinson'."
- The terminal episode of Neighbours will air on Channel 5 on July 29 at 9pm.
Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/19230452/neighbours-pop-fame-paul-robinson-stefan-dennis/
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