List of Home and Away characters (2020)

Gemma Parata, played by Bree Peters, made her first appearance on 27 January 2020.[2] Peters' casting was confirmed in November 2019,[3] and her character details were revealed in 25–31 January 2020 issue of TV Week.[2] Peters said she had some initial nerves about joining the show, but had felt welcomed by the other cast members. She continued, "Being a new family on a show like Home and Away is great. New people to play and act with comes with a lot of excitement."[2] Gemma is the mother of Nikau Parata (Kawakawa Fox-Reo) and Ari Parata (Rob Kipa-Williams) and Tane Parata's (Ethan Browne) sister-in-law. Peters took inspiration from her friends for Gemma's personality. She described her character as a matriarch, who is surrounded by boys, and said "She's the kind of mum on the sidelines of a rugby game, but also the one who will look after the girls."[2] Peters also said that family means everything to Gemma, and an Inside Soap writer added that while "misfortune" has befallen the Paratas, Gemma dares to dream of a better life.[4] The character made an unannounced departure on 8 July 2020, as she returned to New Zealand to scatter the ashes of her husband Mikaere.[5] The serial's UK broadcaster Channel 5 later confirmed that the episode was Gemma's last,[5] while Peters also confirmed the news on her social media and paid tribute to the producers for introducing Māori characters to the show.[5] Stephanie McKenna of The West Australian thought the New Zealand trip would end badly, writing "it's the happiest Gem has been in a long time and she has a beaming grin. But of course, it wouldn't be Home and Away if nothing bad happened."[6]

After learning that her brother-in-law Ari Parata has been involved in a hostage situation at the Northern Districts Hospital, Gemma makes her way there to see him. Ari later tells Gemma that Marilyn Chambers (Emily Symons) has invited them and Gemma's son Nikau to dinner. Nikau is rude to Marilyn when she defends Ari, and Gemma makes him apologise to Marilyn the following day. Nikau blames Ari for their situation, as the family are struggling financially and are living in a motel. Gemma believes that he will come around eventually. Gemma is offered a job at the Pier Diner and she and Ari decide to stay in the Bay. But Gemma has to take food from the Diner to feed Nikau and the family are forced out of the motel when they cannot pay the bill. They spend the night in their car, before Marilyn invites them to move in with her. Marilyn's husband John Palmer (Shane Withington) clashes with Ari, who moves into the Caravan Park. John finds out that Ari was in prison and Gemma's husband Mikaere was shot by police during a robbery. Gemma and Nikau's presence causes problems between John and Marilyn, and Nikau worries that the family will be run out of town due to Ari and John's feud. Gemma tries to reassure him, while also warning Ari that his new relationship with Mackenzie Booth (Emily Weir) is making him the subject of town gossip.

Gemma attempts to apologise to John, and they end up talking about their families and Gemma's late husband. They agree to a fresh start. Gemma supports Nikau when Bella Nixon (Courtney Miller) has a violent reaction to his romantic advances and self-harms. John also helps Nikau and he and Gemma bond over their sons. Ari's brother Tane turns up in the Bay and Gemma has to break up a fight between them. Tane later rents the family a house and Gemma secures a new job at Salt, after her shifts at the Diner are cut. The family invite their friends to a hāngi, and Gemma befriends Ben Astoni (Rohan Nichol). Ben's estranged wife Maggie Astoni (Kestie Morassi) later sees them flirting at Salt and confronts Ben. He and Gemma get drunk and go back to his motel room, where they share a kiss. But Gemma pulls away and tells Ben that she is not ready to move on from Mikaere. They fall asleep on the bed together. Nikau confronts his mother for spending the night with Ben and accuses her of disrespecting his father's memory. They later fight, but Nikau soon apologises. Ben and Gemma decide to remain friends after facing objections from their families. After the Diner is robbed, Colby Thorne (Tim Franklin) asks Gemma if he can take her fingerprints, but she refuses. The Paratas remain the prime suspects in the robbery and a later carjacking. Gemma decides that it is time to spread Mikaere's ashes in New Zealand, and Ari, Tane and Nikau agree to come with her. At the airport, Gemma makes it through passport control, but Ari, Tane and Nikau are stopped. Tane calls Gemma and encourages her to go to New Zealand, as they will catch up with her, and Gemma leaves alone.

Nikau Parata, played by Kawakawa Fox-Reo, made his first appearance on 28 January 2020.[7][8] Fox-Reo's casting was announced alongside that of Rob Kipa-Williams (Ari Parata) in a November 2019 issue of TV Soap.[9] Further casting and character details were announced on 29 December 2019.[7] Three months after securing a place at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Fox-Reo was offered the role of Nikau, and he chose to give up his place at the academy to accept it.[7] He admitted that he has been suffering from home sickness since relocating to Sydney, where the show's studio is located.[7] Fox-Reo, Kipa-Williams, and Ethan Browne (Tane Parata) form the serial's new Māori family. The actors worked with the show's writers to make sure the family were authentic.[7] Fox-Reo explained, "My desire and my wish is that when people watch it back home, they see a world that's real familiar to them – how we treat each other as a family, our sense of humour. I've tried my best to integrate as much of my upbringing into this character and hopefully people back home like it."[7]

Fox-Reo described Nikau as "impulsive at times", not shy with girls, and close to his mother Gemma (Bree Peters). He added "ultimately, as with any new environment, he's trying to find his place in Summer Bay."[2] The character will initially interact with Jade Lennox (Mia Morrissey), who released a sex tape and made a false allegation against Ryder Jackson (Lukas Radovich). Nikau ends up punching Ryder after he tries to warn Nikau about Jade.[10] Nikau will also be a love interest for Bella Nixon (Courtney Miller). Following a day getting to know each other, they share a kiss on the pier, but face disapproval from Dean Thompson (Patrick O'Connor).[9]

Tane Parata, played by Ethan Browne, made his first appearance on 10 February 2020. Browne's casting and character details were announced on 29 December 2019.[7] Home and Away marks Browne's first television role. He admitted that his family are fans of Home and Away, saying "Grandma Minna is a massive fan and she couldn't believe I got the job."[7] Browne's character Tane is the brother of Ari Parata (Rob Kipa-Williams), who was introduced at the end of 2019. They, along with Nikau Parata (Kawakawa Fox-Reo), form the serial's new Māori family. All three actors worked with the script writers to make sure the family were authentic.[7] Holly Byrnes of The Daily Telegraph reported that Tane's character brief was "a saucy one, with notes like 'most likely to be drunk and disorderly' and 'most likely to bring home a different partner every week.'"[7] Browne also described his character as "a mischief maker, the cheeky brother and quite free-spirited."[7] He added that Tane loves and takes care of his family.[7]

Marco Astoni, played by Tim Walter, made his first appearance on 12 March 2020.[11] Walter previously appeared in the show in 2008 as Aaron Copeland.[12] Marco is the brother of established character Ben Astoni (Rohan Nichol) and his introduction helps explore Ben's backstory further.[12] Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy said Marco has been in love with Ben's wife Maggie Astoni (Kestie Morassi) since he was a teenager. After witnessing an argument between Marco and Maggie, Ben assaulted his brother, who then reported him to the police and left him estranged from the family.[12] Producers described Marco as "confident" and "smooth-talking". He runs the family business, but as he "doesn't always make the best decisions", it has suffered and Marco now needs money.[12] Kilkelly reported that Marco "arrives in the Bay under the guise of repairing his relationship with Ben and opening the door to family reconciliation through a joint business venture, but his arrival puts Maggie on edge."[12] He added that Marco's introduction would "shake up the entire family."[12]

Marco comes to Summer Bay to visit his estranged brother Ben Astoni on his birthday. Despite Ben's anger towards him, Marco assures Ben that he wants to reconcile, as he has missed him. Ben's daughter Ziggy Astoni (Sophie Dillman) convinces her father to let Marco stay, but her mother Maggie is uneasy and it emerges that she and Marco had a one-night stand 22 years ago, after she and Ben broke up after a fight. Ben and Marco reconcile their differences. They go out drinking and Marco tells Ben about an investment opportunity. Maggie is against the idea, but Marco threatens to tell Ben about the one-night stand, unless she convinces Ben to invest. Maggie tells Marco that she and Ben recently had financial difficulties and Ben had depression. Marco later helps Ziggy at Ben's surf board shop and learns Maggie is talking with Ben, who wants to discuss the proposal further. Once Ben agrees to invest, Maggie asks Marco to leave, but he refuses. On the day Ben and Marco are due to exchange contacts and money, Maggie tells Ben the truth about her one-night stand with Marco. Ziggy and Marco find Ben on the beach and he is tempted to hit his brother, but walks away instead.

Marco confronts Maggie and tells her that he just wanted to save the family business. He also says that no one has hurt Ben as much as she has. Marco admits to Ziggy that he always loved Maggie and hoped that it was all over between her and Ben, but they got back together, married and nine months later Ziggy was born. This leads Ziggy to question her paternity. Ben also realises that Maggie and Marco were arguing about their secret on the night he was arrested for assaulting Marco. Ben suggests that they take a paternity test, so Ziggy knows for sure who her father is. Marco returns on the day the results, which confirm Ben is Ziggy's father. Maggie says that she regrets their night together and for not telling Ben the truth sooner, which prompts Marco to admit that he loves her. Marco finds Ben at the Surf Club and tries to get him to have a drink with him, but Ben tells Marco that he has no brother and orders him to leave. Marco catches Ben at the beach the following morning and tries to reconcile, but Ben is adamant that they are done and tells him to go home. Maggie asks to meet Marco and threatens to tell his parents that he ran their business into the ground if he does not go. Before he leaves the Bay, Marco tells Ben that he wins, Maggie loves him and he should be a proper husband to her.

Evan Slater,[13] played by Cameron Daddo, made his first appearance on 14 May 2020.[14] Daddo's casting was announced in November 2019,[15] while his character details were revealed shortly before his debut.[14] Daddo was contracted for a two-month stint.[13] Of his casting, he said "Summer Bay is everything and more, it's a delightful place to be. I didn't think I would be adding an early evening serial to my resume at this stage in life. As an actor, you don't know what you're doing month to month so I'm really grateful, especially being an artist because a lot of my contemporaries are doing it tough."[13]

Evan is the long lost father of established regular Ryder Jackson (Lukas Radovich) and a potential love interest for his aunt Roo Stewart (Georgie Parker).[16] Ryder is "naturally confused, puzzled and suspicious of the stranger", while his grandfather Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher) is wary of Evan's arrival.[16] A TV Soap columnist wrote that when Ryder's mother Quinn Jackson (Lara Cox) made an appearance three years ago, she said she had a brief relationship with Ryder's father when they worked as musicians on a cruise ship. After learning Quinn was pregnant, he wanted to settle down with her on the Gold Coast, but he did not follow through with that plan, leaving Quinn to raise Ryder alone.[16] This leads Alf to give Evan a "less-than-pleasant welcome", prompting him to almost leave Summer Bay.[16]

Amber Simmons, played by Madeleine Jevic, made her first appearance on 23 July 2020.[17] The character and Jevic's casting details were reported on in the 22 June 2020 issue of TV Soap.[18] Jevic, who was a fan of Home and Away when she was younger, began filming in January and said the cast and crew had been "welcoming and warm" towards her.[17] Jevic previously played nurse Lee Radcliffe in Wentworth and found Amber to be a completely different character, which made the role more appealing to her. She commented, "I love my character, she's fun to play."[17] Amber is a home carer hired to help John Palmer (Shane Withington), who has been left wheelchair bound following a stroke. Don Groves of IF Magazine described her as "loyal, funny and tough."[17] Writers gave her connections to Willow Harris (Sarah Roberts), Dean Thompson (Patrick O'Connor) and Colby Thorne (Tim Franklin), as she grew up in Mangrove River with them. Amber and Dean used to date, and "old wounds are reopened" when she meets Colby and learns he is a police officer.[17]

Amber comes to meet John Palmer, who is in need of home care following a stroke. Amber sends John's wife Marilyn Chambers (Emily Symons) away and tries to get him out of his wheelchair. John does not like Amber's attitude and threatens to have her fired. She tells him that she needs the job and he needs a carer, so they should work together. As she is encouraging John to walk, Amber mentions his wife and marriage, which John takes offence to. He tells her to leave, as she is fired. Amber gets a drink at Salt, where she meets her old friend Dean Thompson and asks him to take her home to bed, however, he tells her he is waiting for his girlfriend, Ziggy Astoni (Sophie Dillman), who arrives shortly after. The following day, Amber comes face-to-face with Colby Thorne on the beach and she punches him. She then turns up at John's place and tells him that she is staying, despite his protests. Amber takes John to the gym to continue his rehabilitation, where she is confronted by Colby's sister Bella Nixon (Courtney Miller). Amber tells John that Colby is responsible for her brother Jai's death, and she later tells Colby that she will never forgive him for walking away from the car crash. Amber also learns Willow Harris lives and works in the Bay, but is cold towards her. Colby tells Amber that he is sorry, but she should not take out her anger on Dean and Willow, as they did not do anything wrong. Amber finds Willow and asks her to meet up for a drink at Salt, having forgiven her and Dean. Amber leaves with Tane Parata (Ethan Browne) and they spend the night together.

Owen Davidson, played by Cameron Daddo, made his first appearance on 24 August 2020.[19] The casting and character details were confirmed by Women's Day on 17 August 2020. Owen is the estranged twin brother of Evan Slater, also played by Daddo.[19] Of playing two different roles on Home and Away, Daddo said "Fortunately, I had some time between playing the two characters. I was able to put Evan 'to bed' and then create the backstory of Owen. Thankfully, I never played the two at the same time... now that would have been fun!"[19] Daddo explained that when he joined the cast of Home and Away as Evan, he knew there would be an end date, but he soon wanted them to extend his time and joked that the producers could have found a cure for Evan's terminal illness. He said he was "thrilled" when they pitched the character of Owen to him.[19] Owen also becomes a love interest for Roo Stewart (Georgie Parker). The character's exit scenes aired on 12 November 2020.[20]

Taylor Rosetta, played by Annabelle Stephenson, made her first appearance on 26 August 2020.[21] The character and Stephenson's casting details were announced on 1 August 2020.[22] The actress originally recorded an audition tape for the serial in 2019 while she was living in Italy, but she did not get the role.[22] After returning to Australia, she secured the role of Taylor. Stephenson found the filming style more relaxed, commenting "It's the Aussie spirit, it's so welcoming. You just come in, do your job and leave."[22] Taylor Rosetta is married to Angelo Rosetta (Luke Jacobz), who returns to Summer Bay after a long absence.[22]

Christian Green, played by Ditch Davey, made his first appearance on 16 September 2020.[23] The character and Davey's casting details were announced on 19 June 2020. Davey felt fortunate to receive the role, saying "It is never a bad time getting a job but particularly at the moment, I am very fortunate. It just felt like a good fit at the moment."[24] Christian is a doctor who is "brought in to try to resolve a health crisis and becomes intertwined within the community."[24] Jess Lee of Digital Spy said the character is billed as being arrogant, which "puts a few noses out of joint at the hospital", but he also has a softer side and a sense of humour.[25] Later casting details confirmed that the character is a neurosurgeon, who comes to Northern Districts Hospital to consult on Justin Morgan's (James Stewart) spinal tumour diagnosis.[23] He is also a love interest for Justin's sister and fellow doctor Tori Morgan (Penny McNamee).[23]

Kieran Baldivis, played by Rick Donald, made his first appearance on 26 November 2020.[26] Donald's casting was confirmed by his appearance in a promotional trailer for the show's upcoming storylines,[27] while further details about his character were revealed on 23 November 2020.[28] Donald previously appeared in Home and Away as guest character Dean O'Mara in 2011, which was one of his first television roles.[28] He admitted that he was "instantly keen" when the show's producers told him about Kieran. Of re-joining the show, he commented "I'm now living up in Palm Beach, which is where they shoot the show, so being able to literally walk to work has been pretty amazing – especially during all of this coronavirus madness."[28]

Kieran is Martha Stewart's (Belinda Giblin) estranged and "deeply troubled" son.[28] Donald was excited to join the Stewart family and work alongside Giblin, Ray Meagher (Alf Stewart) and Georgie Parker (Roo Stewart). He stated "I knew Kieran was going to come in and be a bit of a tornado in the Stewart household. He turns up when he was told not to, and is very keen to put things right with his mum."[28] Donald also explained that Kieran has "some mental health issues and he has some addiction problems", which means he is not a regular "bad boy" character.[28] Donald liked that there are a lot of layers to Kieran, adding "he's trying to turn it all around, so that was pretty exciting for me – the fact that there's a real three-dimensional character in Kieran."[28]

Lewis Hayes, played by Luke Arnold, made his first appearance on 30 November 2020.[29] Arnold's casting was confirmed in early November,[30] while his character's details were revealed later that month.[29] Of joining the show, he commented "Almost every other Aussie actor I know has had their turn on Home and Away over the years, so I'm stoked to finally get my shot."[29] Arnold told a Who reporter that he would be with the serial for "a few months."[29] He confirmed that his character, Lewis, is on "a revenge mission" and will also be a love interest for Jasmine Delaney, played by Sam Frost.[29] Like Jasmine, Lewis is a nurse. Arnold was given help and advise from the nurses employed by Home and Away to portray his character's occupation accurately.[29] Explaining their characters' fictional backstory, Arnold said "Lewis and Jasmine had a fling back in the day. But once that ended, he went off, found the love of his life but unfortunately she passed away."[29] Lewis initially comes to Summer Bay to confront Christian Green (Ditch Davey), the surgeon who he blames for his partner's death, but after meeting Jasmine again he is "torn" between their potential relationship and his obsession with Christian.[29]

• Characters and cast at the Official AU Home and Away website
• Characters and cast at the Internet Movie Database