Phoebe Gottlieb (also Bright) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Simone Robertson. She made her first screen appearance as Phoebe during the episode broadcast on 23 September 1991. Robertson joined the show on a five-week guest contract before joining the show's regular cast. Phoebe is characterised as a studious individual which earns her the title of the "school swat". To secure the role Robertson portrayed a geeky persona during her audition. The character is also noted for her liking of reptiles, particularly her pet snake. Writers developed the character further via her romantic storylines, most prominently with Todd Landers (Kristian Schmid) and later Stephen Gottlieb (Lochie Daddo). Throughout her two year duration, writers developed Phoebe from a bookish teenager into the show's tragic and tortured female character.
First her father dies and she is made homeless. She finds love with Todd until producers killed off the character and Phoebe is left grieving and pregnant with his child. She is later held hostage by Todd's father, Bob Landers (Bruce Kilpatrick) and gives birth to a daughter named Hope Gottlieb (Laura Pearson). Writers created a new relationship with Stephen and they marry and he becomes a co-parent to Hope all within the first few months of their storyline together. Writers tested their union when Stephen becomes paralysed and relies on Phoebe for support. She then became a victim to stalking from her obsessive housemate, Russell Butler (Stephen Whittaker). Producers decided to write Phoebe out of Neighbours following Daddo's decision to leave, with him complaining that his character was written entirely around Phoebe. She departed the show during the episode broadcast on 15 September 1993.
Casting Phoebe was originally created as a short-term character with Robertson hired for a five week guest role. Robertson was desperate to secure the role of Phoebe when the opportunity arose. She knew that Phoebe would be portrayed as being a "bit freaky" and decided play herself up to this persona. She attended the audition wearing thick glasses and her hair in pigtails. Two days later Robertson was informed that she had won the part. Producers soon asked Robertson to join the show's regular cast and she agreed. The role was expanded with writers planning romances for the character. Robertson told TV Week's Mark McGowan that "when I was offered the part, I knew right away I should do it." Robertson was aged fifteen when she began filming and she decided to carry on with her school work often with an on-set tutor and completed her final exams while filming. Robertson's father was also sceptical about her joining the cast because he believed it was not a viable career. Of joining the cast, Robertson stated "I love playing Phoebe - it's a fantastic role. So much happens to her I couldn't have wished for a better part."
Development Characterisation
One of Phoebe's reptiles is a pet snake named Oscar. When Robertson auditioned for the role she was asked if she liked snakes. She pretended to like them to help gain the role. But she was later confronted with snake. She was required to have large snakes around her neck. Although the actual owner was onset in case of emergency. Off-screen the snake had to be replaced a number of times due to constant mishappenings. Robertson told Lisa Anthony from BIG! magazine that "we've had three different Oscars so far, the first one died, the second one got eaten by a snake - and that one died from indigestion!"
Writers immediately established Phoebe's on-screen persona during her guest character phase. Robertson told McGowan from TV Week that "Phoebe was a real nerd at first, but people liked her being different." Writers developed Phoebe further when Robertson was hired full-time and made her "come out of her shell" via her romantic relationships. Phoebe is also characterised as strong willed and she does not conform to the social normal in society. Robertson told Martyn Palmer from What's on TV that "I like her desire to be herself. In real life you have to make compromises and pretend to be someone you're not - especially for the public. That's just not Phoebe's personality." Robertson disliked Phoebe's quirky dress sense and style and dreaded what the wardrobe department would purchase for the character next. She added "she wears some awful clothes I wouldn't be seen dead in them outside work." Throughout her duration, writers made Phoebe prone to drama and used her for the show's main storylines. Robertson said that more happened to Phoebe in one week than people experience in a life time. She added "thank heavens my life's not so complicated."
Writers often portrayed the character mourning the deaths of those closest to her, such as her father Arthur Bright (Barry Hill). Phoebe's plight was difficult for Robertson to understand. Robertson told Mark McGowan from TV Week that she struggled because unlike Phoebe, she had not lost close family or been made homeless. She added that "Phoebe's a very emotional character. There's been lots of crying to do. Phoebe has had so much upset in her life."
Relationships with Josh Anderson and Todd Landers For Phoebe's first romance, producers paired her with fellow teenager Josh Anderson (Jeremy Angerson). Phoebe begins to develop romantic feelings for Josh's best friend Todd Landers (Kristian Schmid). Phoebe decides to deal write her feelings down on a letter to Todd but does not intend to send it to him. Phoebe loses the letter and Josh finds it. She is shocked when he reveals that he has sent it to Todd. Phoebe scrambles to stop Josh and Todd from discovering the contents of her letter. Robertson defended Phoebe's deceit. She told a reporter from TVTimes that Phoebe falls in love which stops her from behaving sensibly.
Phoebe later begins a relationship with Todd and the pairing developed Phoebe into one of Neighbours central characters. For Robertson the romance provided her with a challenge. She told an Inside Soap reporter that she was inexperienced and had never been in love. While creating the duo's scenes she had to use her imagination to make Phoebe appear "smitten by Todd". Schmid revealed that he had formed a close working relationship with Robertson through the storyline. He even had to correct inaccurate news stories they were romantically involved. In April 1992, a TV Week reporter announced that the couple would lose their virginity together. Todd then seventeen and Phoebe sixteen, the storyline was issue led and Schmid said that "Neighbours is a family show, but it’s also a realistic show." Robertson was unhappy with the scenes because she believed Neighbours did not promote safe sex and condoms. She told a Daily Mail reporter that "in these days of AIDS safe sex should be in every storyline."
Neighbours soon provided the actress with another challenging storyline. The character was sixteen years-old and discovers that she is pregnant with Todd's baby. Robertson stated "when she gets pregnant, there are all sorts of problems she has to face." She felt lucky that producers has given her such an "important role" and noted that "absolutely everything happens to this girl - there's never a dull moment in her life." When Phoebe tells Todd, he is left in "shock and dismay" and even "backs off". This prompts Phoebe to make it clear she can cope alone. Then the pair have to decide whether or not to keep the baby. Schmid believed the couple should keep the baby and told Chris Twomey from What's on TV that Todd would make a good father because he is responsible. But Schmid had quit Neighbours and writers planned for Todd to leave Phoebe to live with his mother. He felt it was unrealistic and requested that his character be killed off.
In the build up to his final scenes; Todd rushes to prevent Phoebe from having an abortion but is hit by a van and dies. Phoebe decides to keep the baby. Robertson told an Inside Soap reporter that "they decide to have an abortion, but they're both having second thoughts. Just as Phoebe is about to go under the knife, Jim calls the hospital to say that Todd has been run down, so Phoebe rushes to his bedside." After seeing Todd lay in his hospital bed, Phoebe decides that she cannot have an abortion. Robertson believed that Todd's death scenes were the hardest to film. The atmosphere was so tense that they kept laughing in between takes. Todd returns soon after as a ghost to inform Phoebe that she will give birth to a girl. Todd's death leaves Phoebe struggling by herself. Robertson stated that she's mostly scared and really doesn't know what to do. She's got no family since her father died." She began to share more screentime with Dorothy Burke (Maggie Dence) who decides to take Phoebe in and help out. Further characterisation was developed as Phoebe chooses to behave responsibly and remains focused on her education. She accepts that she must move on from Todd but still reminisces about their relationship during turmoil.
In one of her most memorable moments, Todd's father Bob Landers (Bruce Kilpatrick) holds Phoebe hostage. He wields a gun at a shocked Phoebe, who did not expect to ever share an encounter with Bob. Robertson told TV Week's McGowan that Bob wants to secure Phoebe's inheritance she received after her father died. Phoebe is rescued by Brad Willis (Scott Michaelson), but Bob shoots and injures Brad. Robertson concluded that it was "just another drama for Phoebe."
Teenage pregnancy The storyline was controversial and had much shock value for the show's characters. The issue of teenage pregnancy being portrayed in Australian television during the 1990s was rare. Robertson relished the opportunity to portray an issue lead story. She told a reporter from TVTimes that "teenage pregnancy is an issue that most television shows don't dare tackle, despite its relevance to a young audience." The abortion issue also proved controversial in the industry. Robertson told Hilary Kingsley from that "it was a very moral storyline, a difficult one for the scriptwriters to write." Robertson believed that her generation were more willing to discuss the issue. After the scenes were broadcast, Robertson received many letters from teenagers requesting information about abortion. She stated that she was pro-abortion and politics and law should not prevent it.
Robertson was portraying a character two years her senior and portraying pregnancy proved difficult. She told McGowan from TV Week that "I can't possibly understand what it must be like for Phoebe." Robertson researched teenage pregnancy via magazine articles published at the time. She also sought advice from a member of the show's make-up department who was pregnant. Following the birth of Hope, Robertson struggled with scenes because she was not used to working with child actors. She also claimed that the storyline put her off having children of her own.
Robertson did not enjoy filming pregnancy scenes. She told Kingsley that she dreaded going into the wardrobe department to have special padded clothing fitted. During the initial stages of pregnancy she was given a thick waist to wear. Later came a large bra followed by a "huge padded stomach and bum". Deciding to keep her baby created even more stories surrounding the issue. After Todd's death Phoebe considers giving birth on his grave. She is met with opposition when fellow characters tell her it is a "ghoulish idea".
Marriage to Stephen Gottlieb The show cast Lochie Daddo as Phoebe's new love interest Stephen Gottlieb. Phoebe meets Stephen while she visits Todd's grave and he visits his dead lover, Libby's grave. He tracks her down to Ramsay Street where she attempts to put him off her by showing him her pet snake. Daddo told Shelli-Anne Couch from The Sydney Morning Herald that "It sort of turns into a little bit of a romance, starting very quickly".