| Hendrix Greyson | |||||||||||||||||
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| Neighbours character | |||||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Ben Turland | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2019–2022 | ||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 13 September 2019 | ||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 28 July 2022 | ||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Jason Herbison | ||||||||||||||||
| Spin-off appearances | Erinsborough High (2019) | ||||||||||||||||
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Hendrix Greyson is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Ben Turland. Turland's manager did not tell him that he was not what the producers were looking for when he submitted a self-tape. However, he received an audition a week later and was flown to Melbourne from Sydney for a chemistry read with members of the cast. Three days later, he was informed that he had been cast as Hendrix. He joined the main cast in his first ongoing television role. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 13 September 2019. Hendrix was introduced as the estranged son of Pierce Greyson (Tim Robards). His arrival led to further exploration of Pierce's backstory and established a new family unit in the serial.
The character was initially portrayed as an entitled, confident, 17 year old with a bad attitude. Turland enjoyed playing Hendrix bratty side, but tried to make him lovable and likeable. Hendrix's bad behaviour is linked to the hurt caused by his father's absence in his life. Hendrix eventually starts to grow up and is seen owning his mistakes. He also drops the "rich kid" act and is more open with his kind hearted and vulnerable sides. The character's early storylines often explored his bad behaviour and the poor relationship he has with his father. He makes romantic advances towards Pierce's partner Chloe Brennan's (April Rose Pengilly) and crashes his car, which endangers Harlow Robinson (Jemma Donovan). Pierce and Chloe's engagement causes Hendrix to feel left out and Turland explained he just wants his father to himself, but he is also struggling with his feelings for Chloe, whom he later kisses. The embarrassment leads Hendrix to move out and try to flee town on the day of the wedding. Producers later introduced the character's mother Lisa Rowsthorn (Jane Allsop), which continued exploration of the Greyson family's backstory and sees Hendrix reach a turning point in which he goes from brat to adult.
Writers explored the chemistry between Hendrix and Harlow throughout early 2020. Both Turland and Donovan thought they made a good couple. Hendrix often played a supportive role to Harlow, as she dealt with various issues related to her mother. Their relationship is also tested by Harlow's grandfather Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis), who dislikes Hendrix. The character was given his first major solo storyline in early 2021, as he becomes involved in gambling. As the story progresses, Hendrix gets into debt to local criminal Kane Jones (Barry Conrad) and he acquires a gun for protection. Writers used the plot to break up Hendrix and Harlow, which Turland admitted to being "quite upset" about. Hendrix then experiences a downward spiral. The character next love interest was Mackenzie Hargreaves (Georgie Stone), with whom he had shared the show's first transgender kiss. The pair establish a romantic relationship after forming a close friendship, which Stone described as "a safe place". She found that Hendrix brought out a more playful side to her character. The relationship comes under strain when Hendrix befriends teenager Zara Selwyn (Freya Van Dyke), who later kisses him.
Turland decided to leave Neighbours to try new roles and pursue work overseas shortly before the serial was cancelled in early 2022. Producers decided to kill Hendrix off, which came as a shock to Turland until the story was explained to him and he realised that his character would come full circle with his family. Hendrix is diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis as a result of saving Mackenzie from a fire. The pair took centre stage in a special episode focussing on the storyline, which sees Hendrix spontaneously propose to Mackenzie. Shortly after the wedding, Hendrix undergoes a lung transplant, but his body rejects the new lungs and he dies surrounded by his loved ones. Turland made a brief appearance as Hendrix in the show's finale on 28 July 2022. Hendrix also appears in the first Neighbours spin-off Erinsborough High (2019). The character received an early negative reaction from fans due to his questionable actions and behaviour, particularly towards women. For his portrayal of Hendrix, Turland was nominated for Best Daytime Star at the 2022 Inside Soap Awards.