Neighbours star had drug habit: court
Friday Oct 21 18:53 AEST



Former Neighbours star Shane Connor had an amphetamine habit when he performed in the popular TV soap, and he wasn't the only member of the cast taking drugs, a court heard.

Allegations about drug use by Neighbours cast members emerged as Mr Connor sued the show's producer, Grundy Television, for wrongful termination of his contract in 2003. He is seeking about $200,000.

Mr Connor, 46, played builder Joe Scully for four years in the internationally successful show.

But sometimes he arrived on set affected by amphetamines, aggressive and with a twitching face, the Victorian Supreme Court heard.

He was sacked in September 2003, several months after he apologised to senior cast members when confronted about his drug problem by producers.

Cast and crew also complained about Mr Connor's behaviour and his on-screen wife didn't like him, the court heard.

Behind the on-screen marriage of Joe and Lyn Scully, played by Janet Andrewartha, there was on-going hostility.

"It was tense ... both sides," Mr Connor testified of his relationship with Ms Andrewartha.

Asked if he believed the tension showed on screen, he said: "No, I think it's a testament to both of our work that it didn't".

Mr Connor's evidence in the witness box was mixed with footage from the show.

He explained to the court why some scenes had to be repeated.

In some, his face appeared to be contorting and he had a small amount of trouble with his lines.

Other scenes were reshot for other reasons, such as poor camera work or another actor making a mistake.

Mr Connor said his drug habit began when his older brother died in June 2001, but stopped when producers confronted him in late April 2003.

"I arranged to meet with some of the senior cast members ... to acknowledge to them that I had a drug problem and to apologise," Mr Connor said.

He told the court he suffered "amphetamine hangovers" on set but never took drugs at work, and his behaviour improved greatly before he was dismissed.

Justice Robert Osborn said he would be surprised if, in a cast of 20 or 30 people, Mr Connor was the only one using drugs.

"If no one else had any drug problems, then I look forward to the evidence," he said.

Neighbours casting agent Jan Russ will give evidence that Mr Connor was not the only actor on the show to have a drug habit, Mr Connor's lawyer Dyson Hore-Lacy, SC, told the court.

Grundy has raised concerns about this evidence and does not want it identify anyone, said counsel for Grundy, Herman Borenstein, SC.

Grundy has outlined complaints from cast, crew and directors about Mr Connor's alleged aggressive behaviour, his gripes about the script and costumes, and his lateness that caused filming delays.

Witnesses for Mr Connor will include Alan Fletcher, who plays Dr Karl Kennedy on the show, as well as New Zealand-born Jay Bunyan, who played Joe Scully's son Jack.

Mr Connor, now a divorced father of young twins, joined the show in July 1999 and his contract was repeatedly renewed.

By the time he was sacked, he was earning $4,000 a week to appear in three episodes of the show or $4,700 a week for four episodes.

When his two-year contract was terminated it had nine months remaining.

Neighbours, which this year celebrated 20 years on TV, is where Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, Jason Donovan and Natalie Imbruglia launched their international careers.

The show is hugely popular in Britain and the Melbourne cul de sac where it is filmed is a mecca for British soapie fans.

Justice Osborn adjourned the trial to Monday.

Thanks for that. It's sad to hear he went on drugs after his brother died

Yeah that is really sad...poor Joe!

haha i was just about to post that but thanks

hahhahahahha

haha i read that in the paper lol

I read that on the Ninemsn site but thanks

I always wondered why he seemed to disappear from the show

whats so funny about it?

awww i feel sorry 4 him cause of his bro but u should never do drugs


laura(uk)
xx

Thanks.

Woah! it's weird that this has only come out now though! they kept it quiet for ages!

Please quote digitalspy when stealing their work.

Thanks for posting that

sorry but it wasn't digital spy but i will quote nine msn so sorry

i dont know if he should be sacked for going through a depression for the death of his brother.
Kind of slack

He was sacked for taking drugs not for being depressed.

I saw that in the paper today

so that was the reason he got sack

From the Herald Sun website yesterday:

Court told of stars' drug hangovers
by AAP

IT was not uncommon for actors on the popular TV soap Neighbours to turn up to work hung-over from drugs or alcohol, a court was told today.
The allegation was made on the third day of a Victorian Supreme Court civil action in which former Neighbours star Shane Connor is suing Grundy Television over his dismissal in September 2003.
New Zealand-born Jay Bunyan, who played Jack Scully on the long-running show between July 2002 and August 2004, today took the witness stand in the case.
When asked by Mr Connor's lawyer Dyson Hore-Lacy whether he had seen anyone affected by a drug or alcohol hangover on the Neighbours set, he replied: "Yes I have on many occasions, it's not uncommon for cast members to turn up in that state."
When asked what he had observed in the show's "green-room" he said: "You usually see it within some of the younger cast members turning up hung-over or (with) dilated pupils... as a result of drugs or alcohol," Mr Bunyan told the court.
"They usually get quick-smart into make-up to hide it."
During cross-examination by Grundy Television's lawyer Herman Borenstein, SC, Mr Bunyan agreed that he had a close relationship with Mr Connor, his on-screen father, on and off the show.
However, he denied "slanting" his evidence in favour of Mr Connor.
"I have just said what I see has happened, I wouldn't say there's slanting," he said.
Mr Connor, who played Joe Scully on the show for about four years, had an amphetamine problem while performing on the show, the court heard previously.
Mr Connor was sacked several months after receiving a written warning about his behaviour on set from producers and after overcoming his drug habit.
The case before judge Justice Robert Osborn continues.

Nah, it was in all the papers at the time he actually got sacked

Johnson, thanks for posting the update.

Court told of actor's drug binge
Mark Moor
Herald Sun, Thursday, October 27, 2005

NEIGHBOURS bosses sent drug-addicted actor Shane Connor home after an amphetamines binge because he was a danger to other actors, a court heard yesterday.
Connor turned up to work on April 24, 2003, with his two children and obviously under the influence of drugs, producer Peter Dodds told the Supreme Court in Melbourne.
A director complained to Mr Dodds that Connor had been difficult all day and seemed to be coming down off drugs.
"We thought he was presenting a danger to other cast and crew members," Mr Dodds said.
"I said he didn't look well and we were going to send him home."
Mr Dodds said he offered the actor taxi dockets, which he initially refused, saying he was going to drive home despite the fact he had his children with him.
In the end Connor accepted the dockets and was told to come back two days later in a fit state to work.
The 46-year-old actor, who played Joe Scully in the popular weekday soap, is suing Grundy Television for alleged wrongful termination of contract after the production house sacked him in September 2003.
He is seeking $200,000 compensation, roughly the amount he would have earned if he had completed the remaining nine months of his contract.
Herman Borenstein, SC, for Grundy said his clients had filed a counter claim for $25,700 -- the amount it allegedly cost them to rewrite the show around Connor's sudden departure.
Casting director Jan Russ gave evidence the show's producers were particularly concerned about Connor being around his on-screen baby Oscar, played by Ingo Dammer-Smith, while suffering from drug hangovers.
Justice Robert Osborn heard evidence from Dr Mark Lipzker that he was treating Connor for depression and anxiety in 2003.
Dr Lipzker said he issued three medical certificates for Connor after he had taken days off work.
One was issued four days after Connor was off sick in February 2003, and the doctor said he had made no patient notes listing the actor's medical problems for the other two days.
Connor worked for Neighbours for four years before being dropped from the show after many complaints of rudeness, facial twitching and lack of focus.
Up to six former and current cast members are expected to give evidence in the civil trial, which is to continue today.

Someone once told me that people that work in television don't get paid much. Ha. Yeah... right.

I guess he is trying to say that he was over the drug problem when they sacked him.

i wondered why he left the show thanks for sharing that information with us
i would never of thought he was the type

Neighbours star's booze binge
Mark Moor
Herald Sun, Friday, October 28, 2005

A LOGIE-award winning Neighbours star vanished from the set for 2 1/2 hours last week before he was found at home hung-over and reeking of alcohol, a court heard yesterday.
Dyson Hore-Lacy, QC, asked Neighbours producer Peter Dodds if it was true he was beside himself with rage when he found the unnamed actor had not returned from a location shoot and was discovered at home by an employee of the show.
"I'm not sure I was beside myself with rage . . . I was aware an artist was late and there was an alleged hangover but it was not investigated by me," Mr Dodds said. "(The actor) said he had personal relationship problems, which are confidential, and I'm inclined to believe him."
Mr Dodds was cross-examined in the civil case of former Neighbours star Shane Connor, who played family man Joe Scully in the show.
Connor is suing producers Grundy Television for $200,000 for alleged wrongful termination of contract.
Complaints of lateness, absenteeism, rudeness and drug use caused Connor, who is represented by Mr Hore-Lacy, to be dumped from the show in September 2003.
The producer admitted the anonymous star who disappeared had been warned about lateness but denied he was given special treatment because he had won a Logie.
Mr Dodds also said actor Janet Andrewartha, who plays Joe Scully's wife Lyn, and a female director were so concerned for their safety on the day Connor was sacked they were offered personal security guards by Grundy.
Mr Dodds said Connor's regular amphetamine use was such a concern to Grundy management that he banned the actor from holding his on-screen baby son (Oscar Scully, played by Ingo Dammar-Smith) for months.
"We were particularly concerned about him holding the baby. In fact, he was instructed not to hold the baby for quite a while, until we were confident he could hold the baby safely," Mr Dodds said.
He said sacking Connor was a commercial decision and denied Mr Hore-Lacy's claims that if it were Delta Goodrem, Kylie Minogue or Guy Pearce causing problems they would not have been dismissed.
Former Neighbours executive producer Rick Pellizzeri said behind-the-scenes tension was high while Connor was working there, with Andrewartha allegedly threatening to leave the show unless her on-screen husband was fired.
The Supreme Court civil trial continues today before Justice Robert Osborn.

i am so sick of hearing about the drugs at Neighbours because there has beeen an article in the newspaper everyday for the last week or more and thay are just saying basically the same thing

Two updates:

Neighbours star ticked off
Mark Moor
Herald Sun, Thursday, November 3, 2005

A NEIGHBOURS actor took time off work and developed a stress-related facial tic after a particularly difficult few days working with fellow actor Shane Connor.
Connor was sacked from the show in September 2003 after complaints of lateness, amphetamine use, rudeness and bad temper. The actor is suing Grundy Television for $200,000 for an alleged wrongful termination of contract.
Janet Andrewartha, who plays Lyn Scully in the show, said she took time off and developed a stress-related facial tic after a particularly difficult few days working with Connor.
She said the twitch meant she had difficulty shooting because she was only able to show one side of her face to the camera until it healed a couple of days later.
The Supreme Court also heard yesterday Connor, 46, yelled at actor Marisa Siketa, 13, for up to five minutes because he thought she should have been prompting other actors instead of waiting off-set.
Wardrobe stand-by Yolande Robertson said Connor chastised the diminutive Siketa, who plays Summer Hoyland, and two other females while they were in a car on the Ramsay St set waiting to be called to camera.
"He was being very aggressive with our youngest member of cast," she said.
Herman Borenstein, SC, for Grundy, said his clients had filed a counter claim against Connor for $25,700. This is the amount it allegedly cost Grundy to rewrite the show after Connor's sudden departure.

Stars on guard
by AAP

NEIGHBOURS cast and crew had to walk on eggshells around former star Shane Connor before he was sacked from the popular television soap, a Melbourne court was told Thursday.
Mr Connor, who played Joe Scully on the show between July 1999 and September 2003, is in the Victorian Supreme Court suing producers Grundy Television for wrongful termination of his contract.
He is seeking about $200,000 compensation after his dismissal in September 2003.
During his closing address to judge Justice Robert Osborn today, Grundy Television's lawyer Herman Borenstein, SC, said Mr Connor lied to the show's producers on three separate occasions before finally admitting he had an amphetamine problem in May 2003.
Mr Borenstein said Mr Connor behaved well until September 2003 when he again was aggressive towards fellow cast members and crew.
He said Mr Connor was entitled to make suggestions about the script, but he did it in an aggressive manner.
"His attitude was challenging, disregarding and refusing to recognise the authority of the directors and those that were in charge of the set," he said.
"It is not just about whether you finish 30 minutes early and have a film in the can, it is about the effect his behaviour had on those around him.
"It is unacceptable if at the end of the day people are walking on eggshells around him just to get the job done."
Mr Connor, 46, received a final written warning about his behaviour in April 2003.
He has given evidence during the hearing he developed an amphetamine problem in 2001 after the death of his brother.
The hearing continues.

Thanks for the updates. Interesting.

there is a bit in the inside soap mag (uk)

thanks i was wondering what was happening

yeah

From news.com.au today:

Judge retires in Neighbours case
by AAP

A SUPREME Court judge is considering his verdict in former Neighbours star Shane Connor's civil suit for wrongful dismissal.
Mr Connor, who played Joe Scully on the TV soap between July 1999 and September 2003, is suing producers Grundy Television for wrongful termination of his contract.
He wants about $200,000 compensation for his dismissal in September 2003, in a case being heard in the Victorian Supreme Court.
Grundy Television alleges it was entitled to sack Mr Connor on the grounds of negligence and misconduct and the fact he had already received a final written warning about his behaviour five months earlier.
The producers took issue with several alleged incidents, including Mr Connor turning up to work with drug hangovers and encouraging other actors to disobey directions.
Counsel for Mr Connor, Dyson Hore-Lacy, SC, said in his closing address that there was no evidence that several instances of poor behaviour in September 2003, just prior to his client's dismissal, had occurred or were as serious as alleged.
However Grundy Television's lawyer, Herman Borenstein, SC, said Mr Connor's behaviour in September 2003 was the last straw for his employers.
Justice Osborn adjourned the hearing to a date to be fixed.