.
Reference > Erinsborough News > Why Lochie's Moving Out

Like his brothers Cameron and Andrew, Lochie Daddo plans to be an acting all-rounder. That’s why, after a year as Stephen Gottlieb in Neighbours, he has called it quits.

He finishes on August 6, although he will be seen on air until October. Neighbours was Lochie’s first ongoing acting role after hosting Countdown Revolution and Saturday at Rick’s. He knew the pace would be fierce, but he didn’t expect to be given a character who, after only six weeks on air, was married with a baby.

Some industry sources thought Lochie was “wasted” by being matched to 17-year-old Phoebe (Simone Robertson), who was already six months pregnant.

“That was a real shock,” says Lochie, 23, “I didn’t know I was going to be married off and have a kid. So when that came at me… well, there wasn’t any time to establish Stephen as a character on his own.”

“His whole thing revolved around Phoebe and the baby. Everything he did – even now, it’s like that. They never gave him a chance to be on his own.”

When Stephen recovers from his paralysis, he and Phoebe decide to leave Erinsborough. Lochie has no firm ideas about his future, only that he wants to do theatre and film – and take a break to see Cameron in Los Angeles.

This article originally appeared in TV Week magazine dated 24th July 1993 and was written by Chrissie Camp

Article submitted by Steve