Neighbours star was nearly cast as Pippa

[alexx]

Very interesting story and I can't imagine Jackie playing Pippa these days even though she would have been great in the role in my opinion.

If Jackie was cast in the role of Pippa would she have ever been able to play Susan on Neighbours. I guess it may have been possible as the writers wrote out Tom in 1990 and maybe Pippa would have left at that time as well potentially.

But Jackie would have been cast in the role to replace Vanessa like Debra did. So she would have been the 'new' Pippa from 1990 onwards.

[j.laur5]

Know I think she and Debra both try out for Pippa in 1987 and Coral got part and Vanessa and Debra and Jackie were on shortlist.

And then when Coral quit due to family reasons then Vanessa got role and when Vanessa quit in 1990 then they just asked Debra and Jackie to try out again as there were last two on sort list.

[elikell]

That's quite a good bit of trivia there. I wonder why we hadn't heard about this before now.
It would've been interesting if Jacki had've gotten the role of Pippa, who would've been cast as Susan on Neighbours.
That's actually quite a good bit of knowledge to have.
Glad that Debra and Jacki are still good friends despite it all.
Thanks for sharing the link

[Jezz]

Very interesting story and I can't imagine Jackie playing Pippa these days even though she would have been great in the role in my opinion.

If Jackie was cast in the role of Pippa would she have ever been able to play Susan on Neighbours. I guess it may have been possible as the writers wrote out Tom in 1990 and maybe Pippa would have left at that time as well potentially.

But Jackie would have been cast in the role to replace Vanessa like Debra did. So she would have been the 'new' Pippa from 1990 onwards.

You're quite right and I misread the story.

Well nevertheless if Jackie was casted as the 'new' Pippa in 1990 you wonder whether she would have been on the show for at least eight years on a full-time basis as Debra Lawrence was and if this was the case would Karl and Susan have ever happened the way it's transpired on Neighbours.

It's amazing how just missing out on the role allowed Jackie to thrive in the role of Susan for 20 years and she's still going strong on it as well on Neighbours.

[Nasty_robinson]

That would have been interesting

[adam436]

It would've been interesting if Jacki had've gotten the role of Pippa, who would've been cast as Susan on Neighbours.

There was a discussion on a Neighbours forum a while back and someone said Ailsa Piper (Ruth Wilkinson on Neighbours) auditioned for Susan

[Lesley Bee]

Jackie is one of my favourite actresses, and i'm kinda glad she didn't get the role, can't imagine her as anyone other than the wonderful Susan Kennedy

[Guest]

Interesting!

[j.laur5]

Interesting to think that if Jackie had got the part of Pippa and stayed on until the present day then we would be seeing Irene and Susan having coffee together! But only  she is Pippa.

[Gazza]

I also think Jackie would of been good in the role she's a fantastic actress, you have to think your used to seeing Jackie as Susan and Debra/Vanessa as Pippa if the roles has been reversed for example you'd be used to it being the other way around and probably wouldn't be able to imagine Debra being Pippa.