Will Griggs

Will Griggs
Other names	Sebastian Barnes
Occupation	Fictional character
Years active	2006–2007 (in Neighbours)
Known for	Character in Neighbours

Will Griggs (also known as Sebastian Barnes) is a fictional persona featured in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, broadcast on Network Ten. The character is enacted by Christian Clark and made his first appearance on 12 October 2006. Will was introduced alongside three other characters in their twenties to rejuvenate the show's ensemble. Clark opted to leave the series early to focus on a film career, resulting in Will's departure on 23 January 2007. Following this, his younger adoptive sibling Oliver Barnes (David Hoflin) became more prominent within the narrative.

Development

In 2006, Will was developed simultaneously with three additional characters—Nicky Whelan portraying Pepper Steiger, Ben Lawson as Frazer Yeats, and Natalie Saleeba as Rosetta Cammeniti—to bring a fresh, modern group of young adults to the storyline. Although these new characters were strangers initially, they shared a household upon their introduction, an unprecedented setup for the series. Will was originally depicted as "a drifter experiencing a steep learning curve," characterized as a "privileged slacker" who found his affluent lifestyle confining and yearned for a more genuine way of living.

Will rapidly entered into a romantic relationship with Carmella Cammeniti (Natalie Blair), who fell for him and decided against returning to her convent life. Their relationship advanced swiftly, culminating in intimacy by late 2006. Nevertheless, doubts about Will’s intentions soon surfaced; he was portrayed as "rather dubious," frequently telling contradictory stories that aroused suspicion. Producer Peter Dobbs suggested a significant plot twist would unfold when the program resumed in 2007. It was unveiled that Will had been impersonating his brother Oliver Barnes, who had left their family seeking independence.

Network Ten described Will as "superficial," "irresponsible," and lacking sincere emotions beneath his charming exterior, presenting a stark contrast to Oliver's more substantial character portrayal. Prior to his debut, it was announced that Clark would not extend his initial 12-week contract, which led to an early exit for Will. Reflecting later, Clark remarked that Will was "a compelling character with considerable depth and history."

Storylines

Will takes up residence at Number 30 Ramsay Street alongside Frazer, Pepper, and Rosie. Rosie quickly develops feelings for him and records her emotions in her diary, which Will eventually finds. She arranges a date between him and her sister Carmella Cammeniti, which he agrees to attend. Their first date goes well, but Will remains reticent about his background. Unusual gifts begin arriving for Will, such as keys to a new vehicle, which he declines. It soon emerges that he stands to inherit a substantial fortune, including a 2% ownership stake in Lassiters Hotel. Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) discovers Will’s true identity and agrees to keep it confidential provided Will votes against the Timmins family at the upcoming board meeting, thereby blocking Paul from acquiring Will’s shares.

Carmella requests to meet Will’s parents; however, he hires Selma Atkins (Anne Cordiner), his late mother’s assistant, to impersonate his mother. When Carmella uncovers this ruse, she ends their relationship. To regain her trust, Will discloses that his real name is Sebastian Barnes and admits to inheriting wealth along with Lassiters shares. Carmella initially remains skeptical until he takes her by limousine to a penthouse he owns. She accepts him for who he truly is but ultimately ends their relationship after catching another lie from him. Paul’s daughter Elle Robinson (Pippa Black) learns about Will’s 2% share in Lassiters and attempts to seduce him; he declines her advances. Elle’s boyfriend Dylan Timmins (Damien Bodie) becomes suspicious of the situation.

Oliver Barnes arrives in Erinsborough and reveals that Will has fled abroad. Oliver remains in town to work at Lassiters before resigning from his position. Subsequently, Will inherits Oliver’s 49% stake in Lassiters, increasing his ownership to 51%. Represented by his lawyer Tim Collins (Ben Anderson), Will proposes a deal offering Elle partnership in the Barnes Corporation along with Lassiters shares if she dismisses either Paul or Oliver. Instead of choosing between them, Elle resigns after concluding that Paul and Oliver form the optimal leadership team for Lassiters.

Reception

When Oliver made his debut, Ruth Deller from Lowculture referred to Will as the "attractive sibling" and observed that viewers favored him more than Oliver. The Daily Record characterized Will as "a notably handsome young man."