Jane Harris (Neighbours)

Jane Harris is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Annie Jones. She was created by writer Ray Kolle and debuted during the episode broadcast on 30 July 1986. Jones originally auditioned for the role of Charlene Mitchell (Kylie Minogue), but she was not successful. This prompted Jones to telephone the producers for two months asking for a role in the show until eventually she was cast. In 1989, Jones decided to quit the serial in order to pursue other projects and the character departed on 9 September the same year. In 2005, Jones was one of many former cast members who agreed to return to the serial to mark the 20th anniversary of Neighbours. On-screen she was featured making a cameo in Annalise Hartman's (Kimberley Davies) documentary about Ramsay Street. Jones reprised the role again in 2018 for two guest stints starting on 6 April and 26 November 2018. She returned on 10 February 2020 as part of the serial's 35th anniversary celebrations, before returning to the regular cast from 8 July 2020. Her final appearance aired on 28 July 2022 in the Neighbours finale. She reprised the role as part of the series' continuation, via Amazon Freevee, on 18 September 2023 until the final episode on 11 December 2025.

During her early episodes she held the nickname "Plain Jane Superbrain", for her intelligent, yet geeky image, which she was referred to by other characters and media alike. She is portrayed as a mousy type character, going on a journey of self-discovery as she transformed into a heartbreaker. Her most notable point in this storyline is her makeover in which she wears make-up in place of her glasses and dresses attractively in order to win Mike Young's (Guy Pearce) heart. Her makeover has been well-documented by critics and holds a place in popular culture, where she is often referred to in cases of extreme makeovers. However, some academic publications have criticised her makeover for conforming to the stereotype that females cannot be sexy and intelligent at the same time. Following her return for a guest stint in 2018, Jane has a brief relationship with Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis). A involving Jane in a mother daughter conflict later unfolds through the introduction of her daughter Nicolette Stone (Charlotte Chimes). In the finale episode, the character's love life plays a major part as she reunites with Mike. This continues through the revival and their subsequent breakup allows for Jane's love life to be explored further. She has a brief reunion with her newly introduced ex-husband Victor Stone (Craig Hall), and is later involved in a secret fling with a younger man, Clint Hendry (Jason Wilder). Jones also received the Logie Award for Most Popular Actress in 1989 while portraying Jane.