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Reference > Erinsborough News > Neighbours Star Axed!

The Neighbours axe has fallen again, with Richard Norton, who plays Ryan McLachlan, leaving the series. His one-year contract ends in February and will not be renewed.

“I was really counting on the next six months to be working, but that’s the way it goes in this business,” Richard, 20, says. “It was my first experience in television so I’ve learnt a lot. When I started, I didn’t know what I was doing. You get a one-page synopsis on your character and that’s it.”

“You can’t see where your character’s going, why he’s doing what he’s doing or where he’s been. He’s just there, at that moment. What I found out later is that you’ve got to grab the character at the start and decide on something then.”

“I didn’t do that because I was scared. I was scared by it all. It was six months of just being there before they’d worked out what I could do. I’m not unhappy with what I’ve done, because it was my first time but I would have liked more communication with the writers and directors about the character.”

Another disappointment is the imminent departure of his Swedish girlfriend, Kajsa, whose holiday Visa has expired.

“Yes, she’s blonde, with big blue eyes,” he says with a laugh. “We’ve been having a great time but she’s got to go. She wants to apply for residency. I’ll miss her when she goes, for sure.”

This article originally appeared in TV Week magazine dated 22nd December 1990 and was written by Chrissie Camp

Article submitted by Steve