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Reference > Erinsborough News > YTT Star Makes His Mark On Neighbours

The writing’s on the wall for this young heart-throb…

Young Talent Time’s Mark Stevens has been signed to play Neighbours’ newest young heartthrob.

Mark, 16, who tapes his final YTT show this week, will play streetwise Nick Page. He begins filming his new role, as a young graffiti artist, at Network Ten this month.

Erinsborough’s newest arrival is described as rebellious but with a strong sense of responsibility. Mark says he is excited about the move, but he didn’t walk straight into the role.

“I auditioned with 41 other guys and then it was whittled down to a short list of three before I got the part,” he says. Mark spent three years as a member of the popular YTT troupe and says it’s a great training ground.

“It’ll be sad to leave,” he says. “But Neighbours will be great. I’m very lucky to go straight from one into the other. Nick’s a rough t-shirt and jeans kid. He’s also very loyal to his friends. He’s a basic down-to-earth guy. He lives with his grandmother in a caravan park. His parents died when he was eight, so he’s been through it all. He’s gutsy.”

Mark’s character has been brought in to fill the gap between the younger cast members – Kristian Schmid (Todd Landers) and Sally Jensen (Katie Landers) – and established characters – Jason Donovan (Scott), Guy Pearce (Mike) and Craig McLachlan (Henry) – who are getting older and have left school behind.

Mark is not the only former YTT member who has fallen on his feet.

His former co-star Beven Addinsall, whose days with Young Talent Time are also up, will join the big-money production of Seven Little Australians. He joins the cast headed by Alyce Platt and John O’May. The stage version of the Australian classic opens on June 22 at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre.

This article originally appeared in TV Week magazine, dated June 18th 1988, and was written by David Brown

Article submitted by Steve