Rebecca Louise "Bec" Gilbert (previously O'Connor) is a fictional character from the Australian drama series Winners & Losers, played by Zoe Tuckwell-Smith. She made her debut screen appearance in the pilot episode "Covert Aggression in Netball", which was broadcast on the Seven Network on 22 March 2011. Tuckwell-Smith auditioned for the role of Bec. At the callback, she was introduced to Blair McDonough, who was cast as Bec's partner, before she was given the role. Having previously appeared in guest parts, Winners & Losers marks Tuckwell-Smith's major television acting debut. The series revolves around four "losers" who are reunited at their school reunion and then win the Oz Lotto.
Bec was portrayed as being "bright", "rational" and "hard-working". Tuckwell-Smith thought Bec was a typical girl next door, but with a bit more complexity. She liked her character's generosity and how she did not change after winning the Lotto. Reuniting with her friends – Jenny (Melissa Bergland), Frances (Virginia Gay) and Sophie (Melanie Vallejo) – brought out Bec's more playful side. Unlike the other girls, Bec was not given a cruel nickname at school and she knew that if she did not hang out with Jenny, she may have been popular. However, Bec stuck up for Jenny against the bullies from an early age and they remained best friends years after school.
At the start of the first season, Bec had been with McDonough's character, Matt O'Connor, for ten years, and engaged for four. Matt later called off their engagement and Bec had a brief relationship with Doug Graham (Tom Wren). Bec and Matt reunited and married in the season finale episode, which also saw Bec learn that she was pregnant with Doug's baby. Tuckwell-Smith liked that the writers had made Doug the father of Bec's baby, calling it a great opportunity for drama. The actress also enjoyed playing out a pregnancy on-screen for the first time and liked the change it brought out in Bec's personality. Bec spent the majority of the third season dealing with Matt's death and learning that he had an affair. Bec and Tuckwell-Smith have received a mostly positive reception from television critics. Tuckwell-Smith departed the show on 12 August 2014.
Creation and casting Australian writer Bevan Lee had wanted to create a television drama focusing on a group of women for a number of years before he came up with the idea for Winners & Losers. Lee also created Packed to the Rafters, which focused on family relationships, while Winners and Losers centred on friendships and was aimed at a younger demographic. Lee commented that the show focuses on the "fun and drama of how we all carry the inner loser inside us, no matter how much life makes a winner of us." Winners and Losers revolves around the lives of four women: Bec Gilbert, Jenny Gross (Melissa Bergland), Frances James (Virginia Gay) and Sophie Wong (Melanie Vallejo). The girls were "the losers" in high school, but ten years later, they realise that they are really winners once they renew their friendship at their school reunion and afterwards, win the Oz Lotto.
Actress Zoe Tuckwell-Smith was cast as Bec Gilbert following an audition process. Series producer MaryAnne Carroll stated that it was "crucial" to the show to get four actresses with the right chemistry. At the callback, Tuckwell-Smith met with Blair McDonough, who went on to play Bec's partner Matt O'Connor. Tuckwell-Smith had made several guest appearances on Australian television shows, before being cast in Winners & Losers, which marks her first major television role. Tuckwell-Smith relocated to Melbourne from Sydney for filming. Of the show, Tuckwell-Smith said "I love that it's about friends. It has great pace; the dialogue is witty. It takes you on a journey."
Development
Characterisation Describing Bec, a writer for the show's official press pack said "Rebecca Gilbert is the kind of girl you'd want as your best friend. She's fair, rational and considered, with a mischievous sense of humour and a sexy smile that lights up the room." Lorelei Vashti from The Sydney Morning Herald called Bec "bright" and "hard-working", while Tuckwell-Smith thought her character was a typical girl next door only with more substance, complexity and spunk!" She admired Bec's generosity and that she looked out for other people, and added that Bec "has an awareness beyond herself and that's really uplifting to play." Tuckwell-Smith said that Bec was not really affected by winning the Lotto and she did not change who she was just because she became a millionaire. Bec continued to work in her beauty salon and did not want to spend the money on thing she did not need. Tuckwell-Smith thought it was "sweet" and showed that Bec was "a strong character."
Friendships
The first episode of Winners & Losers saw Bec, Jenny, Francis and Sophie attend their high school reunion. The girls were "thrown together" in school as they each tried to avoid the attention of the school bully Tiffany Turner (Michala Banas). They attended the reunion to try and prove that they were no longer losers, but rediscovered their friendship when they realised that Tiffany had not changed. Series producer MaryAnne Carroll stated "The heart of the show is the idea of friendship and the relationship you have with friends that you've known for a really long time." Carroll told Michael Idato from The Sydney Morning Herald that there was "something really magical" about Bergland, Gay, Tuckwell-Smith and Vallejo, which no other combination of actresses had. Carroll added that it felt like the actresses had known each other since school.
Tuckwell-Smith said it was good for Bec to reconnect with her friends, as she had been "very safe in her world" with Matt and her business. The girls brought out Bec's playful side and shook things up for her. When asked why Bec and Jenny were friends, Tuckwell-Smith called them "the perfect odd couple" and explained that they were both loyal and had similar values when it came to family and friends. Out of all the girls, Bec was never given a cruel nickname and she knew that if she was not friends with Jenny, then she may have been popular. However, Bec stuck up for Jenny against the bullies from an early age and they remained best friends. Bec can depend on Jenny no matter what, as she is always there for her. The main storyline for the first season revolved around the girls winning the Oz Lotto, which was bought during the reunion night. Lee explained that introducing the "unexpected windfall" not only helped cement the girl's friendships, but also threw them into several conflicts.
Family problems When Jenny throws Bec and Matt a party to celebrate them setting a date for the wedding, the gathering developed into "an all-out war" between Bec and her family. Bec's calm demeanour was shaken when her mother, Carolyn (Nell Feeney), told her that Matt was not good enough for her and believed she could do better. Bec then asked her mother to leave the party. Bec's brother, Callum (Mike Smith), then compared his sister to their mother and got into a fight with Matt, which ended with him being punched. Tuckwell-Smith explained "Callum claims Bec is just like their mum and that's why Matt took so long to set the wedding date – because he didn't really want to marry her. Bec's very hurt by that. She wanted to make the whole marriage fun and breezy, but her family's getting in the way."
Bec's family's problems continued when her father, Steve (Greg Stone), introduced Bec and Matt to his much younger fiancee, Brandi (Maya Aleksandra). Bec tried to welcome Brandi into the family by hosting a hen's night for her, but she was shocked when a drunk Brandi kissed Matt. Erin Miller from TV Week commented that it was "a huge slap in the face for Bec", especially as she had been trying her best to accept Brandi. It then left Bec with a hard decision as to whether she should tell her father about the kiss or keep it to herself. Tuckwell-Smith said it gave Bec an idea of how mature Brandi was and her level of commitment to Steve. McDonough told Miller that Steve had a history of gambling and being unreliable, so Brandi did not seem like the type of person who would help keep him on the straight and narrow.
Relationships with Matt and Doug When the show began, Bec was engaged to McDonough's character, Matt O'Connor. Matt was branded the "catch" of their neighbourhood while they were growing up. He was a prospective builder, who went to school with Bec's brother Callum (Smith). After dating several girls, Matt finally noticed Bec and they began a relationship. Bec and Matt were together for ten years, and engaged for four at the start of the first season. Tuckwell-Smith found it "effortless" to play a character in a long-term relationship. She thought Bec and Matt made a good couple, saying "they have their share of rough moments but learn from them and grow through them." Bec was devastated when Matt called off their engagement and ended their relationship. When Bec saw Matt with another woman, it "hit home" for her that she had to move on and that Matt had not been joking when Matt told her it was over between them. Tuckwell-Smith commented, "It really hurts her that he can move on so quickly after 10 years together, but it also makes her think, 'Ok, I need to get over this.'"
When Bec decided to get rid of Matt's furniture and repaint the house, her friend Doug Graham (Tom Wren) offered to help out. Of Bec and Doug's initial interactions, Tuckwell-Smith quipped "Doug fulfils that role as a man – someone to help her with stuff in the house – but I think it's in a friendship way." Eventually Bec ended up sharing a flirtatious moment with Doug. They were then interrupted by Matt, who could not hide his jealously. However, this made Bec decide to end things between them once and for all, by handing back her engagement ring and telling him to take his things. This led to Bec and Doug developing feelings for one another and they had a brief relationship. The pairing caused problems for Bec's friendship with Sophie, who had recently had a one-night stand with Doug and rejected the offer of a relationship. Vallejo teased the future of the storyline, saying it would have huge complications for all involved. Bec later reunited with Matt, when they realised they still loved each other, and they married.
Pregnancy During her wedding reception, Bec learned she was pregnant and soon realised that Doug was the father of the baby. Tuckwell-Smith stated that there was no doubt, as Bec and Matt did not have sex until after the wedding and were separated for months before hand. Tuckwell-Smith thought Doug being the father of Bec's baby was a great opportunity for drama, and she called the situation "very complex". Things became even more complicated for Bec when Sophie and Doug began dating. Tuckwell-Smith told TV Week's Clare Rigden that it was "a brave situation" for all the characters involved and really showed off Bec's strength. Tuckwell-Smith was pleased to show off that side to Bec during the second season. While the first season focused on Bec and Matt's relationship problems, the second season showed them on a more even level. Tuckwell-Smith explained that Matt was being great about the pregnancy because he was making up for the fact that he caused the problems in their relationship in the first place. Wren commented that Doug was "super-excited" about becoming a father, but wished it was with Sophie. Wren added that it was not an ideal situation for any of the characters to be in.