Dylan Russell

Home and Away

Company type	Television series
Industry	Television soap opera
Founded	January 17, 1988 (1988-01-17)
Headquarters	Australia
Website	7plus.com.au/home-and-away

Home and Away is a long-running Australian soap opera that premiered on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. This section outlines the characters introduced in 2002 during the tenure of Series Producer Julie McGuaran. The show’s fifteenth season commenced airing on 14 January 2002. Sebastian Elmaloglou joined the cast as Max Sutherland in January, Rhett Giles appeared as Paris Burnett in April, Laurie Foell took on the role of Deputy Principal Angie Russell in September, and Brett Hicks-Maitland was cast as her son Dylan in October.

Max Sutherland

Max Sutherland, played by Sebastian Elmaloglou, made his first appearance on 21 January 2002 and exited the series on 1 September 2004. Prior to this role, Elmaloglou had performed in guest spots on various television programs; Max was his initial regular character. He characterized Max as "very cheeky" and quite different from his own personality. Around the time of his debut, Elmaloglou revisited earlier episodes of Home and Away featuring his sister Rebekah Elmaloglou, who portrayed Sophie Simpson.

Max arrives in Summer Bay accompanied by his father Pete (Christopher Mayer) to live with his uncle Rhys (Michael Beckley) and aunt Shelley (Paula Forrest). When Pete absconds to Hong Kong due to gambling debts, Max’s residence becomes permanent. He quickly forms a friendship with caravan resident Colleen Smart (Lyn Collingwood) and frequently has conflicts at school alongside his cousin Kirsty Sutherland (Christie Hayes). Max assists Colleen in authoring a book under the pseudonym "Maxine Peterson" and becomes involved in a fleeting romantic triangle with Tamara Simpson (Sophie Luck) and Caitlin (Bree Beadman).

Max also befriends a confused Tasha Andrews (Isabel Lucas) before entering into a relationship with new student Eloise Lennox (Suzanne McEachern), who is terminally ill with leukemia. Max supports Eloise until her passing; she dies in his arms following a date. In her memory, Max constructs a tribute inside an abandoned mineshaft, which subsequently collapses, but he and others are rescued.

After Rhys remarries Beth Hunter (Clarissa House), Max faces challenges adapting to her twins Henry (Tobi Atkins) and Matilda (Indiana Evans), initially experiencing friction but eventually building friendships with them. Feeling unsettled due to family dynamics and Rhys's renewed relationship with Shelley, Max declines an invitation to move to the city with them and instead leaves Summer Bay to attend boarding school.

Elmaloglou received a nomination for "Best Young Actor" at the 2004 Inside Soap Awards for his portrayal of Max. Channel 5 recognized the 2003 season finale featuring the mineshaft collapse as one of the series’ standout episodes. In 2017, Digital Spy commended Max’s story arcs for their complexity and diversity. Conversely, Inside Soap criticized the terminal illness storyline as repetitive, drawing comparisons to earlier plots involving Blake Dean and Meg Bowman.

Paris Burnett

Paris Burnett, brought to life by Rhett Giles, debuted on 29 April 2002 and departed on 10 September 2003. Giles had previously appeared on All Saints, which was filmed nearby at the Seven Network studios, returning there after completing his role on Home and Away.

Paris arrives as the new principal of Summer Bay High, taking over from Donald Fisher who was suspended amid departmental efforts aimed at closing the school. He quickly establishes a rapport with Irene Roberts, though both initially resist acknowledging their mutual attraction. At a flat-painting event hosted by Noah Lawson and Hayley Smith, Paris and Irene discover common ground through shared experiences including past relationship losses.

Armed with damaging evidence about departmental mismanagement provided by Brett Egan, Paris plays a key role in preventing the school's closure. His bond with Irene deepens, although he hesitates to pursue a relationship when Donald is reinstated. After becoming stranded together during Summer Bay’s 150th anniversary dinner, they share a kiss and begin dating. However, Irene’s foster son Nick disapproves of Paris due to his youth. Paris later receives a job offer in Orange but returns briefly to say goodbye to Irene.

Months later, Paris comes back to replace Donald permanently following his retirement, sparking tension with Angie Russell who had anticipated promotion. Despite Nick’s objections, Paris works to revive his relationship with Irene. They reunite after Irene is diagnosed with depression; however, Paris soon must leave town to care for his orphaned niece and nephew after a family tragedy. He invites Irene to accompany him, but she declines. They part ways after a heartfelt farewell before Paris departs once more.

Angie Russell

Angela "Angie" Russell, brought to life by Laurie Foell, made her debut on 26 September 2002 and exited on 21 March 2003, with an additional spectral appearance in May 2004. The disclosure of Angie's murderer attracted an audience of 1.5 million viewers in Australia, outperforming the Nine Network's Big Brother Australia 2003. A writer for What's on TV listed Angie among "The 50 most evil soap villains of all time," praising Foell's compelling performance as both Angie and later her cousin Josie. The Sunday Mercury labeled Angie a "crackpot," commending the show's efficient conclusion of her storyline.

Dylan Russell

Dylan Russell, portrayed by Brett Hicks-Maitland from Adelaide, first appeared on 8 October 2002 and departed in 2003, with a brief return in 2004. A graduate of NIDA, Hicks-Maitland moved to Sydney for this role and was offered an extended contract due to his impressive portrayal. He remains closely associated with the character Dylan years later.

Hicks-Maitland described Dylan as a responsible yet still maturing 17-year-old who is both empathetic and witty. At age 24, playing a younger role provided him with career sustainability. According to the official website, Dylan is tall, good-looking, socially skilled but somewhat reserved, possessing a sharp wit similar to Nick Smith's.

Dylan arrives in Summer Bay after his mother Angie takes up the position of Deputy Principal. He begins dating Kirsty Sutherland; however, Angie disapproves upon revealing that Rhys, Kirsty's father, is also Dylan’s biological father. This discovery ends their relationship. Dylan finds himself torn between loyalty to his new family and Angie, whose mental instability intensifies.

Following a boating accident that necessitates a blood transfusion revealing he is not biologically a Sutherland, Dylan feels betrayed but is accepted by the family. Efforts to rekindle his romance with Kirsty fail. After Angie's mental health deteriorates further, Dylan attempts to get help for her but unintentionally causes her death during a confrontation. Initially, Rhys is suspected and charged before Dylan admits guilt; he is ultimately acquitted at trial.

Dylan reconnects with his half-sister Tasha Andrews and later reaches out to Josie Russell, Angie's lookalike cousin living in the city when Tasha goes missing.

The episode featuring Dylan's confession, written by Fiona Kelly, received an Australian Writer's Guild Award nomination in 2004.

Others

Date(s)	Character	Actor	Role Summary
21 January – 13 March	Pete Sutherland	Christopher Mayer	Rhys Sutherland’s brother and Max’s father. Pete visits his family but flees with Max due to gambling debts. They return later; when creditors pursue him again, Pete leaves Max under Rhys and Shelley's care.
22–24 January	Brian Alcott	Richard Healy	Father of Miles Alcott who attends Miles' coronal inquest following a car accident. He supports Brodie, Miles' girlfriend, and eventually reconciles with Alex Poulos post-trial.
23 January	Mrs. Alcottt	Uncredited	Mother of Miles Alcott present at his inquest.
5–13 February	Justin Bell	Mitchell Eirth	Troubled teenager with violent tendencies and homelessness history. His mother Maggie expels him and later attempts blackmail. Justin's interactions with Flynn Saunders lead to allegations and legal issues.
5 February – 1 April	Patricia Morgan	Gennie Nevinson	Principal of Reefton Lakes High School who opposes Summer Bay High over proposed closures. She offers a misleading deal favoring her institution; her son Ethan supports Summer Bay's campaign.
6 February – 8 March	Maggie Bell	Helen O'Connor	Justin Bell's mother who expels him due to violent behavior and unsuccessfully blackmails Flynn Saunders.
11 February – 12 April	Grace O'Connor	Mary Docker	Nurse at Northern Districts Hospital caring for Justin Bell and Nick Smith after incidents. Briefly dates Nathan Roberts before leaving town.
18–20 February	Mr Atkins	David Webb	Lawyer representing Vinnie Patterson during fraud charges; unsuccessful in defense.
19 February	Greg West	Dane Carson	Josh West’s father who encourages university attendance and later requests Josh manage his business due to illness.
20 February	Governor Williamson	Alistair Duncan	Judge presiding over Vinnie Patterson’s fraud case sentencing him to two years imprisonment.
21 February – 8 April	Ethan Morgan	Ben Connolly	Leader of the Student Committee at Reefton Lakes High; spearheads campaign against school closures, organizes live stream coverage, and is briefly arrested during protests.
25 February	Jenny Latham	Fiona Hepburn	Parole officer assisting Nathan Roberts with employment opportunities.
26 February–14 August 2012	Julie Cooper	Lisa Hayson-Phillips	Nurse at Northern Districts Hospital involved in major storylines including Flynn Saunders’ funeral, a false murder accusation, and participation in a nurses' strike.
27 February – 21 March	Christopher "Kick" Johnson	Jason Clarke	Exchange teacher from Reefton Lakes High whose unconventional methods clash with Donald Fisher; leaves following impact from student bus accident.
7 March – 6 September	Kelli Edwards	Alyssa-Jane Cook	Local baker supplying Beachside Diner; ends relationship with Alex Poulos due to harassment from ex-husband Jason Edwards.
12 March – 17 April	Jemma MacKinnon	Thea Gumbert	Hairdresser and friend of Kirsty Sutherland; after being expelled by parents, supported by Jude Lawson and Flynn Saunders before returning home.
15 March – 13 September	Marie Peters	Cate Murray	Mother of Julius Peters.
28 March – 26 August	Riley Edwards	Issac Gorman	Son of Kelli Edwards.
	Brayden Edwards	Jamie Broadbent
5–30 April 2003	Jackie Turner	Julieanne Newbould	Journalist and Josh West’s mother; assists in locating Rhys Sutherland and influences significant character decisions.
17 April	Ray MacKinnon	Christopher Burke	Parent of Gemma MacKinnon; convinced by Shelley Sutherland to allow their daughter to return home.
	Carmel MacKinnon	Meredith O'Reilly
19 April – 16 July	Aimee Cooper	Rhianna Griffith	Appears at drop-in centre; participates in orienteering competition; befriends local youths but leaves town after personal difficulties arise.
23 April – 8 May	Ryan Anderson	Damien Fowler	School bully connected with Donald Fisher.
23 May	Captain Ellis	Christopher Galletti	Captain of the Mirgini cruise ship during Summer Bay’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
27 June–4 May 2004	Caitlin	Bree Beadman	Classmate showing interest in Max Sutherland.
18 July – 5 September	Mav Patterson	Clayton Williams	Cousin of Vinnie Patterson; briefly dates Brodie Hanson before departing following tragedy.
1–27 August	Jason Edwards	Benj Daddario	Ex-husband of Kelli Edwards who harasses her; involved in violent incidents and reported for theft at drop-in centre.
27 August – 6 September	Bernadette	Celia Ireland	Manager of Yabbie Creek RSL club; responsible for paying jackpot winnings to Colleen Smart.
17 October–3 July 2003	Mikey Dunn	Trent Atkinson	Autistic student who befriends Seb Miller and teacher Sally Fletcher; leaves after year-end dance but returns for Sally’s wedding before departing again.
17 October–3 July 2003	Mrs Dunn	Susan Kennedy	Mikey's mother.
17 October	Kelvin Matthews	James Donnellan	Customer at surf club gym who makes unwanted advances toward Hayley Smith; assaulted by Jesse McGregor resulting in legal consequences.
17–25 October	Tara	Rebecca Murphy	Former friend of Sally Fletcher asked to act as surrogate; departs after reconnecting with estranged family following personal loss.
6–12 November	Grigg	Amos Szeps	Former cellmate of Jesse McGregor who blackmails him and holds several residents hostage before fleeing; later found deceased in Donald Fisher’s car.