Naomi Canning is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Morgana O'Reilly. Naomi was introduced as the daughter of established character Sheila Canning (Colette Mann) after producers decided they wanted to explore her background further. O'Reilly filmed her first audition in her garden in Sydney, before flying to Melbourne to audition in studio. She competed with five other actresses for the part, but she believed that she was meant to get the role as Naomi is her middle name. A week after the second audition, O'Reilly's agent informed her that she had won the role. O'Reilly then relocated to Melbourne and began filming her first scenes in November 2013. She made her first screen appearance on 25 March 2014. The character departed on 2 October 2015, following O'Reilly's decision to pursue new acting roles. O'Reilly later reprised the role and Naomi returned on 7 May 2020 and appeared in the show's final episode on 28 July 2022.
Naomi is portrayed as being spoilt, sophisticated, quirky and caring. O'Reilly did not think Naomi was truly bad, despite her questionable actions. O'Reilly worked closely with the producers, the costume and make-up departments to find the right look for Naomi, whose style she described as sassy and "quite sexual". Naomi's initial storylines focused on reconciliation with her mother, after they fell out over Naomi's affair with a married man. Naomi then tests one of the serial's established marriages after she develops feelings for Toadfish Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney) and exploits the problems in his marriage. She also engages in a casual relationship with her much younger neighbour, Josh Willis (Harley Bonner). Producers later paired her with Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor) and Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis), whom she becomes engaged to. Naomi and her storylines received mostly positive attention from viewers and critics, with one dubbing her "the best new character of the last few years" and another calling her "a breath of fresh air".
Creation and casting In October 2013, cast member Colette Mann, who plays Sheila Canning, revealed that her character's daughter was going to be introduced. Producers decided to bring in another member of Sheila's family as they wanted to explore her background further. The producers were also keen to introduce a character similar to Izzy Hoyland (Natalie Bassingthwaighte), who would provoke strong reactions among the characters and viewers. Mann added that the role was in the process of being cast and the character would arrive the following year. On 30 December 2013, it was announced that New Zealand actress Morgana O'Reilly had been cast as Naomi. O'Reilly attended two rounds of auditions before being cast. She and her husband filmed her first audition in their garden in Sydney, before O'Reilly flew to Melbourne to audition in the studio, alongside Mann and Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson).
She competed with five other actresses for the part, but she believed that the role was meant to be hers, as Naomi is both her grandmother's name and her middle name. O'Reilly also said, "When I got the scripts, I really loved how Naomi works on lots of levels at all times. That is extremely satisfying to play as an actor." A week after the second audition, O'Reilly's agent informed her that she had won the role. She and her husband then relocated to Melbourne from Sydney to be closer to the studios. O'Reilly was initially offered a three-year contract, but she felt that was too long and suggested an 18-month contract instead, which produces agreed to. O'Reilly began filming her first scenes in November 2013 and she made her screen debut as Naomi on 25 March 2014.
Development Characterisation Before her arrival, O'Reilly said Naomi was "a lot of fun", but she would be hiding some secrets and it would be interesting to see the lengths she would go to in order to keep them hidden, particularly from her mother. O'Reilly described Naomi as having a "good heart", but when it comes to getting what she wants, some of her actions are "questionable". She also said Naomi is good at turning a situation to her advantage, and likened her to a cat, as she enjoys the "finer things in life". The actress continued, "On top of all that, she is her mother's daughter. She has the Canning straight up, strength and vulgarity that her genes and upbringing have given her in spades. She's quirky but sophisticated, and at times petulant and silly. All in all, she is very, very fun to play." O'Reilly did not think Naomi is bad, but she was spoilt and always tries to get her own way. However, underneath the surface, she is kind and caring. When asked whether viewers would like Naomi, O'Reilly believed that she could turn out to be a "character everyone loves to hate".
O'Reilly explained that Naomi's style was harder to get right and she worked with the producers, the costume and make-up departments to find the right look. The actress said, "She has to have a sense of sass and sexuality about her, but she's not cheap and she has worked very hard to shake off her trashy past. What we've come up with is amazing. Some days I put my costume on for a scene and think, 'Oh Naomi, you're outrageous! I could never wear this! Oh well. Go get 'em girl!'" O'Reilly thought some of Naomi's outfits complimented her "quite sexual" nature, especially the six-inch heels and small tops. O'Reilly admitted that she did not have too much in common with Naomi, but they could both be "goofy and funny". She thought Naomi is not as level-headed as she is in real life. She also said that she enjoyed playing a character who was different from herself. Executive producer Jason Herbison told Sarah Ellis from Inside Soap that he thought Naomi's type of character – a "classic, troublemaking vixen, who underneath it all is just deeply insecure" – had been missing from Neighbours for a few years.
Early storylines Naomi's first storyline focus on her unexpected arrival in Erinsborough and her reconciliation with her mother, Sheila (Mann), who she had not spoken to in five years. They previously fell out when Sheila discovered Naomi's affair with a married man and told his wife, which Naomi had never forgiven her for. Naomi's first scenes see her meeting and flirting with Paul Robinson (Dennis), who is later surprised to learn that she is Sheila's daughter. She then reunites with her mother and her nephew, Kyle (Chris Milligan). While Sheila is pleased to see her daughter, she is suspicious of her motives and sudden urge to see her. Mann commented, "Sheila has learned the hard way that there is always an agenda with Naomi. Nothing is ever as it seems." When Sheila finds a discarded SIM card, she hopes to find some clues as to why her daughter has reappeared in her life. After seeing a lot of numbers and messages stored on the card, Sheila believes Naomi is having another affair. She then accuses Naomi of repeating her past mistakes and "a fierce war of words" erupts between the two, which results in Naomi deciding to leave. Sheila then promises not to interfere in her life and "reluctantly" offers Naomi a place to stay, until she got back on her feet.
A few weeks later, Naomi sells a valuable painting to Paul in order to pay off her debts. However, the painting was given to her by Charles Tranner (David Whiteley), the married man she had an affair with, and his wife, Polly (Michelle O'Grady), soon turns up to reclaim the artwork. O'Reilly explained that as Charles was away on business, there was no definite answer as to who the painting belonged to. She continued, "Naomi says it was a gift, and belongs to her – but Polly argues that Charles used family money to buy it, so she is the owner." Polly and Naomi later end up in a scrag fight, which has to be broken up the police. O'Reilly enjoyed filming the fight, saying she had "a great time". The police eventually confiscate the painting and Paul demands his money back. When Naomi is unable to pay him back, Paul asks her to spend the night with him for him to forget the debt. O'Reilly said that while Naomi is not amused, part of her admired Paul's tenacity.
Toadfish Rebecchi
Shortly before Naomi's first scenes were broadcast, Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy reported that she would test one of the show's established relationships by setting her sights on a married man. Ryan Moloney, who plays Toadfish Rebecchi, previously hinted that his character might be tempted by another woman and it was later confirmed that Naomi would develop feelings for Toadie. The storyline begins when Toadie hires Naomi to be his new personal assistant at his law office. While Naomi runs the office well, Toadie's wife, Sonya (Eve Morey), does not fully trust her, even after she helps Sonya out with a business problem. Naomi later convinces Toadie that Sonya would be a liability if she attended a meeting with some important clients with him, and then makes sure that Sonya is busy when the meeting takes place. Sheila, noticing her daughter's "intimate" celebrations with Toadie, then accuses her of trying to seduce another married man. This prompts Naomi to arrange a romantic evening for Toadie and Sonya, while she has dinner with Paul to throw Sheila off the scent.
Naomi later signs up for an internet dating website and uses it to drive a wedge between Sonya and Toadie. Naomi finds a guy she thought would be perfect for Sonya and then asks her and Toadie to come on the date for moral support. Naomi's date ends up having an argument with Sonya, causing Toadie to apologise to Naomi for ruining her date and comforting her. Naomi continues to cause problems for Sonya and Toadie's marriage and when Sonya goes away, Naomi decides to make her move. She invites herself over to Toadie's house, where they enjoy watching DVDs together. Moloney explained that it was all innocent to begin with, but when they begin trying out wrestling moves, Toadie should have realised that it was not a good idea. However, Toadie does not stop Naomi and she pins him to the floor and then kisses him. Moloney admitted that Toadie was "mortified" by the kiss, but it made him realise that he has no emotional investment in Naomi at all. Sheila then tells Toadie that Naomi has been trying to seduce him for weeks and Toadie feels "duped." Moloney said, "He trusted Naomi and appreciated their friendship, and now he's been blindsided. He feels utterly betrayed when he discovers the whole situation was premeditated."
When Sonya returns home and discovers what Naomi had done, she is furious with her for lying and trying to undermine her marriage. When Naomi and Sonya come face-to-face, Naomi provokes her and blames her for the troubles in her marriage, causing Sonya to "impulsively" slap her. Morey revealed that she was uncomfortable about having to film the slapping scene, as she "adores" O'Reilly. Sonya eventually apologises to Naomi, but tells her to stay away from her family and Morey called it a "pretty satisfying" moment. When asked whether the tension between Sonya and Naomi would continue to be explored, O'Reilly explained that things between them would remain awkward for quite some time, but she hoped that the characters would become friends, as she wanted to share more scenes with Morey. O'Reilly also thought that Sonya was right to trust Toadie when he re-hires Naomi, but said that it the experience would be hard for Naomi.