User:Raintheone/Hugo Austin

Hugo Austin is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Bernard Curry. He made his first on-screen appearance on 27 January 2009.

Hugo is described as the "outdoorsy type with the physique and tan to prove it". He is also said to be charming, independent, capable and gregarious. His storylines focus on his relationships with his mother Gina" (Sonia Todd) and siblings Brendan (Kain O'Keeffe) and Xavier (David Jones-Roberts) and his romance with his cousin, Jack Holden's (Paul O'Brien) widow, Martha MacKenzie (Jodi Gordon). Hugo is involved in a year-long mystery which culminates in him being involved in smuggling illegal Indonesian immigrants and going into witness protection. Curry departed the series along with Gordon on 9 June 2010 when their characters fled Summer Bay.

Casting
Bernard Curry joined the Home and Away in January 2009. Curry previously acted in rival Australian soap, Neighbours as Luke Handley. On working in Home and Away, Curry said "I can honestly tell you I have never enjoyed working on a show as much as I have on Home & Away. The character's great, I'm really enjoying the challenge".

Characterisation
Hugo is described as the "outdoorsy type with the physique and tan to prove it". He is also said to be charming, independent, capable and gregarious. It is hard to find anyone who would say a bad word against him. Hugo is considered to be the black sheep of his family. Before he entered the show, Curry described the character of Hugo as having a dark past and a temper. Curry also called him "interesting". Curry later described his character as complex. He said "He's a bit nomadic and likes to travel the world and be in the heart of the action. He comes back because he has not had a lot of contact with his family over the last few years; he feels a sense of duty and that he needs to make up for lost time".

Development
Series Producer Cameron Welsh announced in January 2009 that there would be a year-long mystery that would "change Summer Bay forever". He said: "It will involve everybody in Summer Bay. Every character in the show is involved in some way. The audience will be looking at the characters they love and questioning who they are. Is this person who they seem to be?". Welsh added; "Of all our characters, someone is definitely not who they claim to be and they'll do anything to protect their secrets." The plot would span the year and filming for the season finale took place in September that year. A spokesperson for the serial hailed it as "The Best Ever" cliffhanger. Welsh revealed more clues in the lead up to the finale. He told TV Week that the storyline would involve the discovery of the corpses of 12 illegal immigrants. "It's a huge clue for the mystery - the biggest we've seen yet. We can tell by how doggedly Angelo Rosetta (Luke Jacobz) investigates this discovery that it's hugely important to him. Exactly why will be revealed very soon. From the moment Angelo and Hugo make their shocking discovery, the story quickly gains momentum. And the big reveal is only weeks away - it's about to explode!" He added: "We should pay attention to everything and everyone, but particularly Angelo - he's definitely the key. If viewers have followed the various storylines he's been involved in, they'll have pieced together most of the clues."

Backstory
Hugo left home at sixteen and worked many jobs, including driving trucks, working in factories and on a prawn trawler. Hugo had to grow up fast and fend for himself. He began diving and turned his love of the sea into an interest in conservation, which saw him working on the Great Barrier Reef.

2009–10
Hugo arrives in the bay with his little brother, Xavier to attend their cousin Jack's funeral. They move in with Jack's widow, Martha MacKenzie (Jodi Gordon) but it is clear there are problems between the brothers and Hugo is angry to find Xavier has been dealing drugs and challenges him about it. Xavier responds by telling him the money he was sending home was not enough and Hugo realises he is right and agrees to take responsibility for Xavier while their mother Gina (Sonia Todd) looks after their autistic brother, Brendan (Kain O'Keeffe). Another war feud breaks out between Hugo and Xavier when Xavier's girlfriend, Freya Duric (Sophie Hensser) tries to kiss Hugo.

Martha's ex-boyfriend, Roman Harris (Conrad Coleby) is suspicious of Hugo and he realises Roman still has feelings for Martha and tells her, which prompts her to end her friendship with Roman. Hugo then outlines a business proposal to Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher), Martha's grandfather, for a diving school and he accepts. Brendan arrives to stay after Gina is injured and Hugo struggles to deal with him and leaves Xavier to carry the burden. Hugo accidentally injures Brendan one day by trying to take a stick away from him, but Gina and Xavier refuse to believe him as Hugo had injured Brendan in the past when he had hurt one of his girlfriends. He later confides in Martha that his girlfriend was killed in a car accident and nearly died himself. Hugo realises this is the root of Brendan's aversion to blue cars and he and Brendan reconcile.

When Hugo goes missing for several days, a severed hand is found on the beach and he arrives at hospital badly wounded and claims he was attacked by a Tiger shark. People are sympathetic but John Palmer (Shane Withington) is annoyed about the cancellation of the surf carnival due to the shark scare and spreads rumours Hugo is lying and a massive brawl between Hugo, Roman, Miles Copeland (Josh Quong Tart), David "Gardy" Gardiner (Jeremy Sims) and John and his friends breaks out, destroying Noah's bar in the Surf Club. The Shark is confirmed to be real by Angelo Rosetta and Hugo goes on an expedition to find it but the only thing that surface are the remains of Lou De Bono (David Roberts). Hugo later admits his feelings to Martha and both are awkward around each other and he leaves the bay for several weeks. Shortly after Hugo returns, he rescues Xavier from Gardy by shooting him in the leg with a speargun. Hugo's relationship with Martha comes as a shock but the family accept it. When John's stepson Trey (Luke Bracey) plants a pressure-rigged bomb on the school bus during a trip, Hugo quickly defuses it but is injured when a secondary device detonates it. He quickly recovers after shrapnel is removed from his head. Wayan Rahardjo (Dorje Swallow), a mysterious Indonesian man turns up at the hospital and Hugo is asked to communicate with him.

Hugo quickly works out Don "Gibbsy" Gibson is behind illegal abalone poaching and works to set him up but it backfires when Gibbsy plants the Abalone and Hugo is arrested as a result. Angelo quickly works out Gibbsy is responsible and he is caught. Derrick Quaid (John Atkinson) attacks Hugo and injures Xavier. Things begin to take a darker turn when Hugo's boat is cut loose and twelve illegal immigrants are found dead. Wayan's son Bambang (Joft Prastowo) turns up at the house and Hugo convinces Martha to contact Social services. Suzy Sudiro (Tasneem Roc) arrives and tells Martha she is Hugo's wife. Hugo reveals that he married Suzy out of convenience in order to run a business in Indonesia. Martha then walks out on him and Suzy gives Hugo a ticket in order for him to follow her there. Hugo announces he is leaving town and books a flight to Argentina. Suzy stops him and demands the money from their business. Martha is then kidnapped by Suzy. Hugo then takes on Charlie Buckton (Esther Anderson) and Angelo whilst trying to escape. Suzy and Derrick are arrested but Hugo has apparently been killed after being apprehended, which leaves Martha devastated. The truth is the police are willing to cut a deal with Hugo for him to go into witness protection by faking his own death. A funeral is staged but Hugo returns several months later to see Martha and is shock to learn everyone knows he is still alive. Refusing to trust the police, Hugo goes on the run and hides out at Martha's farm. "Killer" (Mirko Grillini) comes looking for Hugo and kidnaps Martha, Xavier and Gina and he is forced to come out of hiding to rescue them.Tony Holden (Jon Sivewright) joins Hugo and helps overpower Killer. After the police arrive, Hugo flees again.

Detective Gordon Eaves (Lewis Fitz-Gerald) begins pursuing Hugo, who recognises him from being involved with the people smuggling operation. Hugo surrenders to Charlie but persuades her to let him go when they learn Eaves is on his way. Eaves then arrives and tries to kill Hugo but Angelo overpowers him. Eaves shoots Hugo in the leg wounding him, before being arrested. Angelo is then forced to arrest Hugo and Martha but releases them after realising Hugo would be killed in jail and tells Hugo to punch him in order to make it look like a struggle, which he does and he and Martha flee the Bay.

Reception
During Home and Away's annual UK Summer Break in 2012, Channel 5 chose three episodes involving Hugo as some their best ever from the past twenty-five years. They included; The episode where he defuses Trey Palmer's bus bomb, Killer's kidnapping of Hugo's family and the truth about Hugo's involvement in people smuggling. A writer for the Daily Record pondered how anyone could have it in for "poor" Hugo.

For his portrayal of Hugo, Curry was nominated for the "Best Newcomer" Award at the 2009 Inside Soap Awards.