Amy Greenwood

Amy Greenwood
Occupation	Fictional character
Years active	1997–2000, 2005, 2020–2022, 2023
Known for	Neighbours

Amy Greenwood is a fictional persona featured in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, brought to life by actress Jacinta Stapleton. She made her first appearance on 10 July 1997. Amy is depicted as playful and somewhat scatterbrained, with a keen enthusiasm for fashion and gossip. Her narrative arc includes a prolonged on-again, off-again romance with Lance Wilkinson (Andrew Bibby), followed by a relationship with the flight attendant Damien Smith (John Ridley), with whom she eloped after discovering her pregnancy. Amy exited the series on 21 March 2000, returned briefly for the show's 20th anniversary episode in July 2005, and reprised her role once more in December 2020 before rejoining the main cast. Her final regular appearance occurred on 28 July 2022 during the series finale, with a subsequent return on 13 November 2023 for two flashback episodes that clarified her departure from Ramsay Street.

Characterisation

Stapleton remarked that she shared Amy's "fun-loving nature" but was less "sneaky" and mischievous, though both enjoyed socializing and adopting a carefree attitude. Annette Dasey of Inside Soap characterized Amy as "sassy". Following her return in 2021, Stapleton observed that Amy’s core personality remained consistent, describing her as bold and mischievous without malicious intent. She referred to Amy as "excitable" and "a bit of a firecracker," qualities she found rewarding to embody.

Relationship with Lance Wilkinson

Amy was introduced primarily as a romantic interest for Lance Wilkinson (Andrew Bibby). Dasey from Inside Soap considered the pairing of the "nerdy" Lance with Amy somewhat unexpected, though Stapleton emphasized that Lance embodied everything Amy desired. She explained: "Lance might be a genuine dork, but she loves him for who he truly is. Unfortunately, he doesn’t realize this and tries to be someone else." Lance’s insecurities come to light when he competes with mechanic Drew Kirk (Dan Paris) to be Amy’s photography subject. Stapleton pointed out that Lance’s pale and "scrawny" look contrasts sharply with Drew’s physique, intensifying his jealousy. In an effort to outshine Drew, Lance applies an excessive fake tan, turning bright orange. Amy finds this amusing and encourages him to model in his underwear, which ultimately strengthens their bond despite neighbour Harold Bishop (Ian Smith) walking in and causing embarrassment.

In October 1998, producer Peter Dodds revealed that Amy and Lance would encounter difficulties, including Lance developing a secret gambling problem he conceals from those close to him. Bibby noted that Lance only acknowledges his addiction when Amy uncovers his losses and dishonesty; this leads her to end their relationship. Stapleton believed reconciliation was possible due to their determined personalities and mutual attraction, a sentiment Bibby agreed had been clear from the beginning.

The writers introduced blonde character Megan Townsend (Allison Byrne) as a new love interest for Lance, prompting Amy to intervene protectively. Bibby explained that Amy disliked Megan and began stalking them, resulting in jealousy-fueled interference with Lance’s romantic pursuits. Megan eventually ends things after leading Lance on; despite this, Amy continues her manipulative behavior before they ultimately make amends.

Shortly thereafter, Amy starts an affair with Damien Smith (John Ridley) and becomes pregnant. Lance discovers Damien through his sister Anne Wilkinson (Brooke Satchwell) and feels betrayed because he and Amy had planned their first intimate experience to be meaningful. Bibby described this storyline as surprising for Neighbours, which seldom tackled sexual themes so directly. He expressed doubt that Amy and Lance would reconcile under these circumstances.

Departure and brief return

In November 1999, Stapleton completed filming her final scenes, having opted to exit Neighbours in order to explore other acting opportunities. She described the decision as daunting but essential for advancing her career. Prior to her departure, Amy declines Damien’s proposal of marriage because she is concealing her pregnancy; Lance discloses this secret to Damien, which leads to their reconciliation. Amy then leaves Ramsay Street to start anew with Damien in Fiji. Bibby remarked that shooting Lance’s farewell felt like bidding goodbye to Stapleton herself.

On 14 April 2005, Stapleton returned to portray Amy once more for the program’s 20th anniversary special, after producers reached out through her agent. She embraced the opportunity as a form of closure and acknowledged Neighbours as an important foundation for her acting development.

Return to the series

Stapleton made a comeback as Amy in December 2020. Series producer Jason Herbison described Amy as "a legacy character" he had been eager to bring back. Stapleton regarded reprising Amy as a unique professional privilege, emphasizing the character’s lively nature and intricate narratives involving friendships, romance, drama, and heartbreak. Upon her return, Amy comes back to Erinsborough working in fashion design, tasked with creating new uniforms for Lassiters Hotel employees.

Amy becomes romantically involved with recently separated Shane Rebecchi (Nicholas Coghlan), but after realizing Shane still harbors feelings for his wife Dipi Rebecchi (Sharon Johal), she decides to leave Erinsborough and move to Queensland. Initially planned as a six-week guest role, Stapleton’s contract was extended to eleven weeks. In May 2021, she unexpectedly rejoined the main cast during ongoing production.

Character resolution

The final episode of Neighbours left Amy’s storyline open-ended; she reveals she has secured an anonymous sperm donor to continue with her pregnancy plans. On-screen hints suggest potential donors could be Joel Samuels (Daniel MacPherson) or Lance Wilkinson, though producer Herbison admitted he himself was unsure of the answer.

Storylines

Amy is the daughter of Tony and Josie Greenwood (Sally Keil), with brothers Jeff and Patrick. She encounters Lance Wilkinson at the Coffee Shop; despite his awkward efforts to win her over, they begin dating amid playful teasing from their peers. When their friend Jacinta Myers falsely accuses Lance of vandalizing school property, Amy orchestrates a fake breakup designed to prompt Jacinta into admitting the truth and clearing Lance’s name.

Amy and Lance’s relationship is marked by ups and downs involving jealousy and rivalry; they compete for school captaincy and ultimately share the position after a tied vote broken by Lance’s double vote. Upon discovering Lance’s gambling problem, Amy ends their romantic involvement but they remain friends.

Unable to gain university admission following her VCE results, Amy trains as a flight attendant instead. When Lance dates Megan Townsend—who is exploiting him—Amy exposes Megan’s true motives; she briefly rekindles her relationship with Lance before secretly dating coworker Damien Smith.

Amy becomes pregnant with Damien’s child and confides in Anne Wilkinson, who encourages her to tell Lance. Although initially upset, Lance remains supportive and they maintain their friendship. After accepting Damien’s second proposal, Amy marries him and moves away from Ramsay Street to Fiji.

Fifteen years later, Amy returns aiming to design new staff uniforms for Lassiters Hotel but encounters copyright disputes due to similarities with Hawke Airlines designs. With assistance from Shane Rebecchi on new prototypes, she secures the contract and begins dating Shane despite complications arising from his estranged wife Dipi.

Amy takes over management of The Flamingo Bar while dealing with tensions involving employee Roxy Willis and personal challenges such as taking responsibility for a fire caused by her daughter. She moves into Number 30 alongside Toadie Rebecchi and develops romantic connections with Ned Willis and Levi Canning.

Amy enters into a polyamorous relationship with Ned and Levi but faces opposition from family members and personal difficulties when her daughter Zara Selwyn accuses Levi of harassment. Following the destruction of The Flamingo Bar in a storm and losing her job renewal, Amy makes precarious financial choices that strain her relationship with Zara.

Recognizing her feelings for Toadie yet unwilling to disrupt his forthcoming marriage to Melanie Pearson, Amy withdraws to Cairns where she reconnects with Joel Samuels who helps her gain clarity about her emotions.

At Toadie and Melanie's wedding on Ramsay Street, Amy announces she has found a sperm donor—later revealed off-screen as Lance—and soon after gives birth to a son named Kai.

Reception

A BBC journalist emphasized Amy's memorable role in coaching the Ramsay Street men for their Full Monty act. The Age referred to her as "Ramsay Street's rebellious spirit who evolved into the queen of parties, fashion, and gossip." In 1998, Steven Murphy from Inside Soap described her as "undoubtedly the most formidable antagonist in soap opera."

External links

• Character profile at BBC Online