Wayne Duncan | |||||||||||
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Neighbours character | |||||||||||
Portrayed by | Jonathon Sammy-Lee | ||||||||||
Duration | 1993–1994 | ||||||||||
First appearance | 4 February 1993 | ||||||||||
Last appearance | 4 March 1994 | ||||||||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||
Introduced by | Ian Bradley | ||||||||||
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Wayne Duncan is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jonathon Sammy-Lee. He made his first screen appearance as Wayne during the episode broadcast on 4 February 1993. Wayne becomes a chemistry teacher at Erinsborough High with an unorthodox approach. He is arrogant, intelligent and articulate – all traits that make him confident in arguments. A country man and strong believer in violence when protecting property – Wayne's attitude and gun possession polarized the way other characters viewed him. He has a destructive romance with Gaby Willis (Rachel Blakely). The pair enjoy sparring throughout their relationship but eventually realise they need to separate.
Wayne also has relationships with Beth Brennan (Natalie Imbruglia) and Lauren Carpenter (Sarah Vandenbergh). One notable storyline for Wayne saw him brutally assaulted by a bike gang, which subsequently saw the leader being found dead and Wayne fighting a murder charge. Sammy-Lee was annoyed when the storyline came to an abrupt end. He decided to leave the role after one year, as he feared that staying longer would type cast him as a soap opera actor. His final appearance aired on 4 March 1994, seeing Wayne return to live on the farm. Critics have noted that Wayne was popular for his attractive appearance and smug persona.