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Character Profiles > Jack Scully Paul Pantano, Jay Bunyan

Jack Scully 2001, 2002-2004, 2005
Lived: 26 Ramsay Street
Born: c. 1981/'82 (later altered to 1983/'84)
Parents: Joe and Lyn Scully
Siblings: Stephanie, Felicity, Michelle and Oscar
Family Tree: Scully
Occupation: Footballer, Labourer, Student

Leaving high school before completing year 12, Jack Scully headed to England to pursue his dream of becoming a professional soccer player. Although a risky decision, it paid off as Jack was signed up by Barnsford FC and he remained in the UK for a few years.

After a phone call from the team coach early in 2001, Lyn and Joe began to worry. It seemed that Jack hadn't been seen for a few days, not telling anyone of his plans. Their worry turned to joy however, when he arrived on their doorstep, explaining he needed to see them and get away from the soccer for a while. He later announced he would be giving up the soccer to return home permanently. Joe was particularly annoyed at his son's decision, but agreed to give him some work on the building site. After only a few days, Jack realised he couldn't hack it and that soccer was what he really wanted to do.

He headed back to England. While there, he met Lori Lee, a vivacious nanny from New Zealand and they started dating. Back in Australia, a young Irishman named Connor O'Neill arrived on the Scully's doorstep, explaining that his brother played soccer with Jack and that he had said he could stay if ever in the area. While Joe and Lyn knew nothing about this arrangement, they allowed Connor to stay. Jack, meanwhile, was suffering from an injury and found himself playing less and less matches. Eventually, he was dropped from the team, but, too ashamed to tell his family, he took up Lori's suggestion of going to stay with her family for a while. Jack got a friend to redirect his mail and pass on any phone messages, so his parents would know nothing. After about six months in New Zealand, Jack realised how much he was missing his family and unexpectedly arrived home just as Michelle was supposed to be leaving on a school exchange.

Despite his parents' constant questioning, Jack claimed there was nothing wrong, he just wanted to see them. However, the sudden arrival of Lori a few days later revealed the truth about his situation. Lori had made plans for them to return to New Zealand so that Jack could work for her father. However, Jack's lack of enthusiasm for this plan was obvious and he eventually told Lori that he wanted to stay on in Erinsborough. Lori decided to stay with him. Lyn began to notice that all was not well with Jack and Lori. Jack was very subdued and not entirely happy that Lori had turned up. He explained to his mother that he just felt a bit overwhelmed with how fast everything was going and that he wasn't expecting her to follow him to Australia. He managed to convince Lyn that he just needed time to adjust and that Lori was the girl he wanted. After making the decision to complete their VCE together, Lori and Jack accompanied some other high school students, including Jack's sister Michelle, on a beach trip. While there, Lori decided to talk to Jack about his recent moods and to check that he still felt the same about her. While he assured Lori he was committed to her, a glance in the direction of Nina Tucker said otherwise.

After dropping by to watch the auditions, Jack was talked into trying out himself by friends and family and managed to score the lead in the community play. Jack began acting coldly towards Lori and his mum picked up on these vibes. He admitted to her that he had feelings for another girl and didn't know what to do. As the rehearsals continued, Jack and Nina got closer and Lori decided to update the script to include more kissing scenes, little realising she was pushing her boyfriend closer to another girl. After rehearsals, Jack and Nina shared a kiss but realised it was wrong and she began avoiding him.

Jack was devastated by the news that his grandmother had died in Queensland. After another rehearsal, he walked her home and they kissed again. She couldn't face the situation and told everyone she was too sick to go to school. Jack was worried and went over there during his lunch break. Once again, they kissed, and he revealed his feelings about his grandmother's death. This brought them closer together. During a gathering to remember Nana Connie, Lori made a beautiful speech and Jack was touched and told her he loved her, leaving him even more confused. Meanwhile, Taj was trying to encourage Jack to join the school football squad, despite Lori warning him against it. Taj eventually talked him into coaching the team, although it was obvious that Jack really wanted to put that part of his life behind him. As Jack's guilt over Nina grew, after a soccer match, Jack and Taj argued and started fighting on the field. Taj and Lori were left confused by Jack's dramatic mood swings...

Jack and Nina spent a lot of time attempting to deny their feelings for each other, with  Nina deciding to pull out of the play. Harold, however, could not accept that he was about to lose his star attraction and so convinced Nina and Jack to talk things through, helping them to become more comfortable with each other. Unfortunately, this led to them rekindling their affair. The night before the performance of the play, Harold organised for the cast to sleep over at the hall where it was being performed. As Nina slept, Jack put his arm around her and the passion between the couple was extremely noticable during the play, although friends and family put it down to good acting.

After realising the strength of their feelings, Jack and Nina decided to tell the truth to their respective partners, Lori and Taj. After chickening out once already, they felt that the time was right, and Nina took Taj to one side and told him they were finished, without giving an explanation. Jack told Nina that he would wait a few days before breaking up with Nina, as he didn't want it to be too obvious. However, fate stepped in when Jack heard the news that Lori had been badly injured in an accident at the pool and he rushed to the hospital. There, he heard that Lori was unconcsious, and when she woke up, she was found to be paralysed.

At first, Jack took his guilt over the whole situation out on Taj, who had been present at the accident. He then told Nina that things couldn't continue between them, as he had to support Lori now. After Nina paid Lori a visit, Jack was extremely worried that she might spill the beans, but Nina told Jack she wouldn't. Jack explained that although he still loved Nina, nothing could happen between them now. After a chat with Libby, where she told him about her motorbike accident with Steph, Jack realised he couldn't go on blaming Taj and the two managed to make an uneasy truce. When Lori was finally allowed home from hospital, Jack did his best to make her feel comfortable and keep her spirits up. After walking in on a conversation where Lori was offering to help pay for any renovations the house needed, Jack thought his parents were asking for money from her and stormed out. Michelle followed him down to Lassiter's Lake, where he admitted to her that he'd been cheating on Lori with Nina. Jack was thrilled when, later that day, Lori was having a massage when she suddenly regained the feeling in her big toe for a moment. A confused Jack knew that he had to stick by her throughout her ordeal.

However, Jack found the strain increasingly difficult and Lori noticed that he wasn't his usual self at all. Her suspicions were aroused, so she confronted him, asking whether there was something going on with Nina and he had to admit that there was. Jack was upset when Lori decided to take up Susan's offer and go and stay at number 28 for a while. Meanwhile, Taj had called by and was shocked to hear about Nina and Jack, and the two boys ended up brawling in the street. Jack visited Lori at the Kennedy place, but she refused to see him, and Jack ended up fighting with Taj again. To add insult to injury, Nina told Jack that there was no future for them after all that had gone on.

Meanwhile, Jack put his soccer skills into practice and started coaching the girls' junior soccer team, resulting in most of the girls, including Summer, developing crushes on him. Jack noticed how much time Lori and Taj were spending together and questioned Lori about it, but she angrily told him that she couldn't move on as quickly as he had. Jack's friendship with Taj was repaired, however, when they agreed to work together coaching the girls. Jack also had to admit to himself that he wasn't over Nina at all, but he wasn't sure how to approach her. However, he soon got distracted when classmate Belinda Ewett asked him out on a date. He accepted, unsure of whether his feelings for Nina would ever be reciprocated.

However, seeing Jack and Belinda together spurred Nina on to reveal her true feelings and at Connor's birthday party, they finally shared a kiss. Jack was thrilled to have Nina as his girlfriend at last, but found that his ex still needed him when Lori decided to flee Erinsborough and keep her baby. Jack's reluctance to talk to Nina about the situation meant that cracks were already beginning to show between the couple. Meanwhile, Jack was amazed to learn that Valda was not his aunt but infact his grandmother. While Lyn shunned Valda, Jack spent time with her, making sure that she knew that she was still loved. Similarly, when Henry, the man Lyn had always believed to be her father, moved out to stay at Lassiter's, Jack made sure that he invited him back to the Scully house. After all of these problems were finally sorted out, Jack started spending more time with Nina and began hinting that they should sleep together. He found himself met with a great deal of reluctance, however, and wondered why Nina was so hesitant to go further.

When Nina admitted that she was still a virgin, Jack agreed that he would wait until she was ready to take things further. However, as his frustration grew, he arranged a room at the Yakley Hotel, where Nina was performing. She was overwhelmed by the romantic gesture, as the room was filled with candles, but she still did not want to sleep with them. Meanwhile, while at the pub, Jack bumped into the flirtatious Edwina Valdez. She did her best to tempt him away, sending him emails and ‘accidentally’ falling on top of him during a soccer match. Eventually, Jack gave in and slept with Edwina. He was therefore shocked when Nina told him, later that evening, that she wanted to take things to the next level. Out of guilt, Jack turned her down, insisting he wanted her to be absolutely ready.

When Edwina started dating Taj, Jack was convinced that his secret would soon be revealed. But he had other problems to deal with; his mother was diagnosed with post-natal depression shortly after the birth of Jack’s new brother, Oscar, while older sister Steph broke down and confided that she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer. Jack had a lot to deal with, and things weren’t helped when Nina announced she’d be going on an Asian concert tour with Robbie D. After she left, Jack phoned Edwina and asked to meet her. When she turned up to see him, she told him that she was disgusted by his behaviour and never wanted to see him again. With his girl troubles on the backburner, Jack tried to help a despondent Steph. Along with Libby, he helped her through her operation and attempted to cheer her up by taking her to a place where they’d played as kids. Steph was moved by the gesture, but told Jack it was no good, as she’d decided not to have chemotherapy. As Steph’ behaviour got stranger, the family began to worry and Joe confronted Jack, realising there was something going on. Before Jack could say anything, Steph walked in and told her parents everything.

Meanwhile, in an effort to be honest, Edwina had told Taj about sleeping with Jack. This left the Scully lad worried that his secret wouldn’t last much longer. When Nina returned from Asia, she hurried round to see Jack and quickly admitted that, while away, she had shared a kiss with Robbie D. Jack was angry and Nina stormed out, but they managed to make it up the next morning. Jack was shocked when Nina revealed a surprise to him; Melody had booked them a suite at Lassiter’s and Nina finally admitted she was ready to sleep with Jack. The following day, however, Nina mentioned to Taj that she and Jack had had a falling-out over cheating, and he mistakenly believed that Jack had told her about sleeping with Edwina. Nina was horrified to learn the truth and, despite Jack’s protests, she told him that things were over between them – for good.

Jack realised he was totally to blame for the situation, but this didn’t placate him when he realised that Nina was now getting close to Connor again. After seeing her kiss him at a charity ball at Lassiter’s, Jack headed straight to the pub, where he bumped into Izzy Hoyland. Izzy was also smarting after being rejected by a younger man in the Coffee Shop, so she quickly latched on to Jack, telling him she had a room booked at the hotel. Jack was thrilled with the attentions of this older woman and they met up on several occasions for uncomplicated sex. However, after a while, Jack wanted to spend more time with Izzy, but it became clear that she was pulling all the strings as she rejected him. After this had happened on more than one occasion, Jack started to give up hope and his focus moved on to his future. He explained to his dad that he had no idea what he wanted to do after he finished his exams. But a welcome distraction soon turned up on the doorstep when Izzy, having fallen out with Max and Steph, turned up with the offer of a weekend away…

Spending a few days together seemed like a good idea, but after running into Karl Kennedy at the local pub, they realised that they couldn’t escape from the residents of Ramsay Street. Izzy became distant with Jack again and their relationship cooled. Jack was upset and ended up causing huge problems for the Kennedys when he blurted out in front of Susan that he’d seen Karl in a country pub while on a trip with his ‘girlfriend’. New distractions quickly came along for Jack when his exams arrived. After attempting to study, he and Taj were tempted when a mate of Taj’s produced a stolen copy of their exam paper. Jack decided not to use it in the end, but his nerves got the better of him, giving him serious stomach trouble and almost causing him to be late for an exam. With the exams over, Jack began to relax a little more, but was shocked when a newspaper report revealed the exam paper scam. After a few days of worry, and an admission to his dad of what he’d been up to, Jack and Taj discovered that Taj’s mate hadn’t revealed their names to the authorities.

With school behind him, Jack began to wonder what he was going to do with his future. After spending Christmas helping Joe and Mick save the farm from the bushfires, Jack started badgering his father for some work on the site. When one of his foremen was called away to look after a sick relative, Joe asked Jack to help him out for a few days. Jack was delighted to be given a chance, however small, and set about proving himself. But Joe made it clear that there’d be no special favours and that Jack would have to work as hard as everyone else. Despite getting little encouragement, Jack persevered and was thrilled when Joe rewarded his efforts with a permanent job as a labourer. Things began to look up further for Jack when the family were selected to appear on the reality TV show, Making Mansions. As soon as the beautiful presenter, Sindi Watts, arrived at number 26, Jack knew he was going to enjoy his brush with fame.

When Joe was called away to Bendigo suddenly due to a family emergency, Jack did all he could to help out. He took a couple of trips up there to help on the farm, whilst also staying at home to look after the family business. He decided that his future lay in the building work he’d been doing, and managed to get onto a draftsman course. Jack was also delighted when younger sister Michelle returned briefly from New York, but not so happy when she started talking about reuniting with Connor. Jack mentioned to Michelle that something had happened with Lori and warned Connor not to hurt his sister again. However, they were all in for a shock when Lori suddenly returned to Erinsborough – with a baby daughter, Madeleine, in tow. Jack and Lori had a happy reunion, and he made it clear to her that he would be there to support her and the baby…

Lori eventually gave in and admitted to Jack that she wanted to be with him aswell, and the pair began to make plans to find a house together. However, Lyn wasn’t so sure that her son had Lori’s best intentions at heart. She explained the Lori that Jack may be devoted to her now, but as soon as something more exciting came along, he would more than likely be gone. Jack was furious to learn that Lyn had arranged to Lori to take a job in the coastal town of Lorne. He sadly waved goodbye to Lori and began to concentrate on filling all of his time with either work, study or clubbing. Lyn became concerned that her son was pushing himself too hard, barely getting any sleep, but Jack assured her that he had the situation under control…

It was while out clubbing that Jack met the mysterious Mac. When Jack told his mum about this new girl, she was unimpressed, accusing him of simply falling for any girl who happened to be near him at the time. She made a bet with Jack that he couldn’t just stay friends with this new girl, which Jack accepted. He continued to spend time with Mac, but before long, he realised that she thought he was gay, as he hadn’t made a move on her. Whilst arguing about the comical misunderstanding in the car, Mac lost her concentration and ran off the road, narrowly avoiding an accident. Jack was impressed with the way she handled the car, but surprised when she told him to leave as she saw a police car approaching. Jack did as he was told, and it wasn’t long before he and Mac were getting a lot closer, meaning that he’d lost his bet. Lyn wasn’t at all surprised, but seemed to accept that Jack was serious about this girl, until she realised that he didn’t even know her full name or what she did for a living. Meanwhile, Jack’s late nights were causing further problems as he had a couple of accidents on the building site, and the site cage, where all the tools were kept, was broken into after Jack failed to lock it properly. Because of this oversight, Jack was forced to borrow $1000 from Mac, who seemed suspiciously willing to throw her money around. Lyn became seriously worried for her son and confronted, asking if he had been taking drugs. He assured her that he hadn’t, and promised to make more of an effort with the family business. Things with Mac then took another strange turn as she suddenly demanded the money back from him, and it was clear that he didn’t know this girl very well at all.

When Mac came one night and found some money that Lyn had left for Jack to pay the site electrician, she convinced him to go out with her and blow it all. However, they quickly realised afterwards that they were going to need to get some cash – and fast. Mac told Jack of the only way she could think of – they would have to stage a robbery on Jack’s site. He realised that this was where she’d been getting her money from all along, and agreed to go along with it. However, things began to get out of hand when Mac turned up on the doorstep in a police uniform. She told him she was a cop, and her partner, Stuart, was on his way and they had to act like they didn’t know each other. She then managed to get Darren framed for the crime, as he had been working as an electrician on Jack’s site and had a criminal past. This worked for a while, but when Darren was given an alibi and left town, Jack started to panic again. He soon fell back into old habits, going out clubbing and taking drugs with Mac. However, the next morning, he realised what a mistake he’d made, and was rushing to work, when Mac called him to try and talk some sense into him. However, the effects of being out all night suddenly hit him and he crashed into a power pylon, causing power in the entire area to go out. Mac was extremely concerned and rushed to see him, but as it turned out, she was more concerned about getting hold of his phone, so she didn’t end up linked to the accident. As he lay in hospital, Mac visited Jack and told him that she couldn’t see him any more. Meanwhile, Steph was deeply worried about her brother, as he started to cough up blood and was rushed in for an emergency operation. She decided to keep this news to herself, and things only got worse when Jack was charged with driving under the influence.

Once he got out of hospital, things began to improve slightly for Jack, as Steph took him away to the country for a few days and he began to open up. Upon his return to Ramsay Street, Jack was in for a huge surprise when Nina returned out of the blue. She told him that she’d become a huge success in Bollywood, and was about to leave to hit the audition trail in Hollywood. Jack avoided talking about his recent problems, and made out that everything was fine. However, after Lyn returned and was furious to hear about her son’s drug problem, Jack opened up to Nina and told her everything. The following day, Mac, whose inside dealings had been revealed by Stuart, came to bid farewell to Jack at the pub, and she kissed him, witnessed by Nina. This only made Nina’s resolve stronger, and she asked Jack to go to America with her, an offer which he accepted. However, after a chat to Lyn, Nina began to wonder if running away from his problems was a good idea for Jack, and he later realised the same thing. Nina told Jack that she had already cancelled his ticket, and that she was going to stay aswell, but he told her that he couldn’t be responsible for her abandoning her dream. After one final night together, Nina left, but they promised each other that once Jack had sorted his head out, they would be together again.

Jack soon had new problems to deal with as his parents’ marriage began to fall apart. Lyn announced that she would be selling up and moving to the farm in Bendigo, but Jack wasn’t convinced that it was what she wanted. Along with Susan, he made her realise that she no longer loved Joe and wouldn’t be happy making the move. Jack explained the truth to Steph, who Lyn had tried to shelter due to her own problems with IVF, and the siblings found themselves divided over which parent to support. Whilst Steph went to visit her dad, Jack remained at home to help Lyn. And as Jack continued his quest to rebuild his life and attend narcotics anonymous meetings, he also inspired his mother to find herself a new career in life coaching. He was also there for Izzy again, when she suffered a miscarriage and they met each other in a club. Jack was only in the club to prove to himself that he could resist the drink and drugs, but Izzy was determined to blot out her painful memories. She ended up kissing Jack and he enjoyed it for a few seconds, before pushing her away. Luckily, Steph turned up and, although she witnessed the kiss, she realised that Izzy wasn’t thinking straight and Jack was only trying to be a friend to her.

When Jack’s grandfather, Charlie Cassidy, returned to Erinsborough with his sister, Doreen, to spend Christmas with the Scullys, it proved to be a turning point. Charlie was dying, and he urged Jack to follow his heart and go to Los Angeles to be with Nina, even offering to pay for the ticket. Jack decided to listen to his grandfather’s advice, and went to spend a few days in Bendigo with his dad before leaving. Prior to this, he told Izzy of his plans and they had a discussion about their love lives, with Izzy admitting that she didn’t truly love her fiance, Karl, and was only with him for the security. Returning to Ramsay Street for Christmas, Jack accidentally blurted this fact out during a conversation with the rest of the family, but left Lyn to battle with her conscience over whether to tell anyone. On Boxing Day, Jack said a sad farewell to his family, before Lyn drove him to the airport. The following day, he checked into his hotel in L.A. where he found Nina, masquerading as the maid, waiting for him. She’d just won a role in a movie and told Jack that her next part would take place in a suburban street in Australia, so they’d never have to be separated again…

Trivia Notes
• Paul Pantano originated the role of Jack for his guest appearance in 2001; Jay Bunyan took over the role when Jack returned as a regular character in 2002. Ironically, a photograph of Pantano as Jack remained on display in the Scully living room for several weeks into his successor's run

Tenure
3747-3758, 4133-4628, 4632