Frank Morgan (Home and Away)

In Frank's backstory, he is a product of a broken home, born to a criminal father and an alcoholic mother. His father was sent to prison and his mother became incapable of looking after him. As a result, Frank became wayward, but that changed after he was fostered by Pippa and Tom. Frank's ethnicity is Greek Australian;[7] and he fills the role of the serial's first heart-throb.[8] He is characterised as having "streetwise ways" and a "disarming smile". Frank has rock and roll ambitions because he has never been academically successful. He faced hardship to get through school. Frank only just managed to pass his exams into Year 10. However, his ambitions are reachable as the "only thing" he is good at is playing the guitar. Frank wants to get a job and form his own band.[8]

In Kesta Desmond's Home and Away Annual, he is described as being "coaxed away from a life of crime" by Tom and Pippa. Frank enjoys a "relatively stable home life" which they provide for him.[9] In his book Home and Away Special, said that Frank had was "streetwise" by the age of eight, when he first "fell afoul of the law".[10] Papp's mullet hair style became a trademark of Frank. Papps said that it was fashionable at the time and while he had originally sported the style for a previous project, it "evolved into the Home and Away mullet".[11] Papps told Clayden that Frank was so ignorant that at times he wanted to "shake him".[12]

Justine Clarke (pictured) plays Roo Stewart.

Frank is given a love interest in the form of Roo Stewart (Justine Clarke).[13] In the storyline Roo becomes pregnant by Brett Macklin (Gerry Sont) and tells Frank that he is the father. The character fills the role of "the bitch" and the storyline turned Roo into a public hate figure. While doing promotional events, Clarke was called a "slut" for Roo's deception of Frank.[14] Clarke had tried to lead a normal life away from filming, she even left her home phone number in the telephone directory. She was forced to change her number after fans repeatedly rang her asking how Frank was and what would happen next in their storyline.[15]

Frank and Roo decide to get married because she is pregnant. Downing said that the serial was approaching sex before marriage in a liberal way. The writers dealt with it "sensibly" because Frank and Roo make up their own minds. She added that it was important to let teenagers show their maturity if they want to marry.[16] Roo keeps her baby's paternity a secret until the wedding day. In the middle of exchanging vows, Roo decides to be honest and tells Frank the truth.[17] A wedding scenario had been planned for Roo, by the serial's writing team from the off-set.[18] Bateman said that the wedding was not just to attract more viewers. He opined that people think that weddings were always based on the "consummation of love". Roo and Frank's wedding highlighted that it does not always work that way. The wedding episode resulted in a ratings boost and heightened media interest for Home and Away.[17] Magazines and newspapers labelled it as a "shotgun wedding".[19] Frank and Roo's wedding storyline was also covered by TV Week as their main story. Papps and Clarke were the first ever Home and Away cast members to feature on the cover of the magazine.[20] Papps told J Clayden that Frank would never get over Roo lies about the baby's father.[21] When Frank learns the truth, he leaves Roo at the altar. He then crashes his car and which leaves Frank in a coma.

"Instead of saying 'I do' when she walked down the aisle with Frank, she said, 'I can't; it's not your baby.' He ran out of the church, got in the car and drove off a ravine."[22]

— Clarke recalling Frank and Roo's wedding day. (2011)

When Roo gives birth to Martha (Burcin Kapkin) prematurely she calls out Frank's name. It was a "poignant moment", of which Clarke said "Roo wants him because she is still in love with him. But it is here she finds out that Bobby Simpson (Nicolle Dickson) and Frank are together." Roo cannot handle Frank moving on with Bobby and Clarke added that Roo would do anything to be with Frank again.[23]

When Bobby's friend Alan Fisher (Simon Kay) dies, it has an upsetting effect Bobby. Papps told J Clayden that "When Alan is dying; Frank sees a sensitive side to Bobby which he likes. They've always been close."[21] Frank later begins a relationship with Bobby; Papps thought that his character's romance with Bobby was more genuine than the one he shared with Roo.[21] Dickson told Catherine Maloney from TV Guide that she was nervous about Bobby and Frank's first kiss. She explained that she had not kissed anyone in the business before and was fretting while filming. Papps told Dickson: "Shut up and kiss me" and they played out the start of their characters romance.[24] The actress stated that her character just puts on a "tough exterior" but longs for somebody. She added that during the storyline, viewers had sided with Bobby and not Roo.[24]

The serial's writers decided that Frank and Bobby should marry; but were unsure how viewers would react.[26] Papps and Dickson embarked on a promotional event in a shopping centre. Their presence attracted crowds and Papps shouted "let's have a scream from those who want Bobby and Frank to marry". The crowds went "berserk" and voiced their approval – which gave the go ahead for their on-screen marriage plans.[26] The storyline played out on-screen when Frank decides that he should ask Bobby to marry him, despite still feeling hurt by Roo's actions.[27] He picks Bobby up from school wearing a tuxedo in a Rolls-Royce and takes her to a picnic in the woods. He sets up a meal of fish and chips. Frank proposes and says; "I can't offer you a Rolls-Royce lifestyle but you can have a life of fish and chips with me." Frank also writes a song titled "When Best Friends Fall in Love" and this was played during the scenes.[27] They later face problems and Frank takes Bobby to his childhood home and he explains to her about how important marriage is to him.[28] In the episode Frank also has flashbacks of his childhood; in which he was played by Michael Scilusa.[28] Dickson told J Clayden that everyone wants her character to attend University and "Bobby knows that getting married isn't the right thing to do [...] but she doesn't want to lose Frank."[21]

Papps revealed to a reporter from TV Life that he would never marry as young as Frank did.[29] While he told Eithne Power of TVTimes that he thought Frank and Bobby rushed into marriage without any "proper understanding of each other". Frank thinks that marriage is a partnership where he will be "strong, the big provider and the breadwinner". Papps said that it was a "chauvinist view" but due to his childhood he wants the option of security. Papps said that Bobby wants the same because of her bad childhood, but they both "approach marriage from different angles."[30] Dickson agreed and admitted that there were times she wanted to scream at Bobby and tell her to "get her act together" where their marriage is concerned.[30] Frank later decides to comfort Roo when Brett blackmails her to get access to Martha. Bobby becomes jealous and paranoid. Dickson said that "Bobby has caught Frank on the rebound, and she knows it. Frank is the closest thing poor Bobby has ever had". Tom thinks that their marriage was a mistake, Dickson said that "deep down" Bobby knows that is too young, but she is a character "who can't be told".[30]

Papps decided to leave Home and Away to join the cast of The Flying Doctors; but he was still contracted to appear as Frank until May 1989.[12][31] The actor told TV Guide's Maloney that he would miss his fellow cast members the most because he had become very close to them. However added that he was looking forward to a "less hectic work schedules and a change of routine".[24] He later told Desmond that "the danger in staying in soap too long is that people start seeing you as that character."[32] Dickson revealed that the rest of the cast were behind the idea of Frank's exit storyline. They did not want him to be killed off because that would have been "too boring". She added that the serial's producer accepted their idea of Frank leaving "with a bang".[24]

In 1991, Papps reprised the role for four weeks. Franks return with the build-up to Home and Away's annual "cliff-hanger" episode.[33] The storyline featured Frank's attempts to win Bobby back. However, she is now engaged to Greg Marshall (Ross Newton).[34] Dickson told Robyn Willis of The Sun-Herald that choosing between Frank and Greg is a "difficult decision" for Bobby. Dickson added that her character is "split in half" because for different reasons, one half of her wants to be with Frank, while the other wants to be with Greg.[34]

In 2000, Papps filmed a guest appearance as Frank, which sees him attend the wedding of his foster sister, Sally.[35] Papps returned once again in 2002 as part of a special fourteenth anniversary storyline.[36] When Frank returns he reveals that when he finished traveling, he had decided to settle down in Sydney "living a quiet life".[37] In 2010, Papps joined the serial's writing team.[38] He said that he enjoyed writing for the character of Roo, who was reintroduced into the series. He also remained open minded about Frank returning to the series.[39]

Lucy Clark of The Sun-Herald said that Frank was "a bit of a toughie" and correctly predicted that he would "become a childhood sweetheart of teenage girls across the country".[40] Michael Quin of the Melbourne Weekly said that Papps will always be remembered to "legions of Australian girls" as "Frank Morgan: the hot guy with the mullet".[11] Robin Oliver writing for The Sydney Morning Herald said that Frank was Home and Away's "good-looking young hero".[41] Linda Barnier and Ben Doherty of The Newcastle Herald summed Frank up as "the bloke who married tomboy Bobby after he left Roo at the altar, after he recovered from a serious car accident that left him in a coma at a general hospital and before he ran off to the States for a sea change."[42] Doherty also named Frank an "old favourite" of the series.[43] Although Matt Buchanan from The Sydney Morning Herald admitted that he could not remember the name of the character that Papps "once pretended to be".[44] Helen Mitchell of the Evening Times said that "hunky Frank" was Home and Away's answer to Michael J. Fox and "the local heart-throb".[45]

Eamonn McCusker of The Digital Fix said that Frank was a "decent-but-dim sort of man". He thought that Frank made a habit of walking down the aisle.[46] McCusker also opined that the serial's romances were "relatively straightforward affairs"; but thought all that changed with the Frank/Roo/Bobby storyline.[47] A columnist from TV Life said that Papps was the "resident heart-throb" and Frank did not have a problem free life and was much "better at guitar than academic work".[29]

A writer from Inside Soap included Frank and Roo's "shotgun wedding" in their "great moments in soap" feature. They opined that "it was destined to be the wedding from hell" and noted that it "certainly went with a blast". The writer added that nothing could have made the wedding more entertaining because it had "a congregation of jilted ex-lovers, an illegitimate child and a very dodgy motor."[48] A fellow columnist from Inside Soap later named Frank's proposal of marriage to Bobby as "golden moment in soap". They said that "there was never a soap romance more turbulent as Frank Morgan and Bobby Simpson's". They opined that Bobby had always fought a losing battle to win Frank's love and that admitted their sadness that "the tale turned sour".[27] Discussing Frank and Bobby, a reporter from Soap World wrote "this torturous, star-crossed path to the altar and back broke H&A fans' hearts."[49] Inside Soap ran a feature compiling "The 100 greatest soap stories ever told". They featured Frank and Roo's wedding story as their 66th choice.[50]

The role made Papps a favourite with the viewers, won him many fans and made him famous.[11][30] The Seven Network received fan mail for Papps before the series even debuted.[40] While interviewed in 1989, Papps explained that he would never admit to being the "sex symbol" that he was labelled as. He thought it was "nice to be loved and accepted" but the fame the role generated became an "intrusion" on his privacy.[24] He told TVTimes' Power that he could not relate to the perception of him and added "I know who I am and I'm not the person hyped out there".[30]

Papps was still recognised as Frank in public twenty years later, despite mainly playing the role in his teenage years.[52] Papps told Kate Ritchie on Nova 93.7, that the attention he received from Home and Away fans "wasn't as mental as people would like to think". Due to his popularity he said that he avoided many situations which would become "mental". He chose not to attend promotional appearances for the serial, aside from those he was obliged to do.[53]