| Frank Morgan | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home and Away character | |||||||||||
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Frank_Morgan_(Home_and_Away).jpg) Alex Papps as Frank Morgan | |||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Alex Papps Bradley Pilato (Flashback) Michael Scilusa (Flashback) | ||||||||||
| Duration | 1988–1989, 1991–1992, 2000, 2002 | ||||||||||
| First appearance | 17 January 1988 | ||||||||||
| Last appearance | 30 May 2002 | ||||||||||
| Classification | Former, regular | ||||||||||
| Introduced by | Alan Bateman (1988) Des Monaghan (1991) John Holmes (2000) Julie McGauran (2002) | ||||||||||
| Book appearances | Home and Away: The Frank Morgan Story Home and Away: Bobby and Frank Home and Away: Family Matters | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Frank Jonathan Morgan is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Alex Papps. Frank debuted on-screen in the serial's pilot episode and was the first character to appear. Frank is one of the five foster children of Pippa (Vanessa Downing) and Tom Fletcher (Roger Oakley) who move to Summer Bay to begin a new life. The serial's creator Alan Bateman thought of the idea while observing the locals of a rural town in New South Wales opposing the idea of foster children living in the area. Papps was cast into the role and immediately began receiving fan mail. Frank has been played by actors Bradley Pilato and Michael Scilusa during flashback sequences.
Frank fills the role of the serial's first heart-throb and he sports a "trademark mullet". With a backstory consisting of an alcoholic mother and a criminal father, Frank became wayward by the age of eight. However, Pippa and Tom helped him to change his ways. Frank's main narrative is themed with romance – during his tenure his main love interests are Roo Stewart (Justine Clarke) and Bobby Simpson (Nicolle Dickson). Roo becomes pregnant by Brett Macklin (Gerry Sont) and she deceives Frank into believing that he is the father. Frank decides to marry Roo and their ceremony was dubbed a "shotgun wedding" by the media. Roo jilts Frank at the altar and reveals the truth – which results in Frank having a car accident. Frank and Bobby then start a relationship and soon marry; but both Papps and Dickson felt that their characters were too young. Papps left the series in May 1989 to join the cast of The Flying Doctors. Frank's departure storyline soon aired with his marriage to Bobby failing and him leaving her to be with Roo. Papps returned to the series in 1991 for the annual cliff-hanger episode. Frank fails to win Bobby back from her new love Greg Marshall (Ross Newton). He returned again for guest stints in 2000 and 2002.
The character became known for his "hunky" appearance and was often labelled a heartthrob. While Frank and Roo's wedding became infamous – a writer from Inside Soap said that it was one of the greatest moments in the genre. A columnist from TV Life said that Frank lead a troubled life. While Matt Buchanan from The Sydney Morning Herald said that he could not even remember the character. Off-screen the role had propelled Papps into fame and he was a firm favourite with viewers. The actor was never comfortable with the attention he received from the public. He has spoken of dismay of the "hype" surrounding the role as he believed it to be misplaced. However, Papps was still being recognised as the character twenty years later.