| Ric Dalby | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Home and Away character | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Mark Furze | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2004–2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 15 September 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 24 July 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former, regular | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Julie McGauran | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Eric "Ric" Dalby is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Mark Furze. He appeared in the series from 15 September 2004 until 24 July 2008. Furze was cast into the role after an audition and a screen test impressed producers. Furze said he was attracted to the role because of Ric's characterisation. Ric was initially portrayed as a bully of vulnerable people and held no respect for authority. Through his storylines, Ric transforms into one of the serial's "good guys" but his violent temper remained. Both Furze and interested media noted that Ric getting involved in fights became a dominant feature throughout his tenure.
Ric's use of violence has been central to various plots which have led him into trouble. In one Ric faces a murder charge for a crime he did not commit. Ric later becomes embroiled in an illegal bare-knuckle boxing plot which endangers his life. Furze trained and carried out research for the storyline, which certain media outlets compared to the 1999 film Fight Club due to their similar narratives. Ric's backstory has been attributed to forming his persona, in which he was abused by his father, Owen Dalby. Upon moving to Summer Bay, the serial implemented family links when he is revealed to be the grandson of long-standing character Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher). Flynn Saunders (Joel McIlroy) and Sally Fletcher (Kate Ritchie) also give him a home and foster him. Ric maintains various relationships during his time in the series. Early examples include romances with Cassie Turner (Sharni Vinson) and Belle Taylor (Jessica Tovey) and a prominent relationship with his best friend Matilda Hunter (Indiana Evans).
Ric has generally received favourable reviews from critics. Jim Schembri of The Age said behaved in an "honourable manner" in his relationship with Matilda. Nick Levine of Digital Spy has praised his physical appearance, while Greg Hassal of The Sydney Morning Herald praised Ric's storylines. Though, Scott Ellis from the publication opined that Ric managed to annoy nearly every regular character featured in Home and Away. For his portrayal of Ric, Furze has been nominated for various accolades, some of which were in the categories of "Best Actor" and "Most Popular Actor".