Stephen Gottlieb

the American politician

Stephen Gottlieb is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Lochie Daddo. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 12 October 1992. Stephen is characterised as a compassionate record store manager. He was introduced into the series as a love interest of Phoebe Bright (Simone Robertson). Writers created a rushed romance between the pair. Phoebe was mourning her dead boyfriend Todd Landers (Kristian Schmid) and pregnant with his child. Despite this the characters were married and cohabiting after two months. Stephen and Phoebe's relationship dominated his main storylines. They included Phoebe's pregnancy dramas, her baby nearly dying and living in fear of their mentally ill lodger Russell Butler (Steven Whittaker). Stephen's most prominent story was suffering paralysis after being caught up in a gas explosion. Stephen's rehabilitation is quick but provided more turmoil for him and Phoebe. Daddo soon decided to leave Neighbours because he was frustrated with his character's stories. He believed that Stephen was nothing more than Phoebe's love interest. His departure caused producers to write Robertson out of the show too. Their departure story depicts them moving away to open a record store with the compensation received from Stephen's accident.

On 11 October 1992, Shelli Anne Couch from The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that Daddo had joined the cast of Neighbours as Stephen Gottlieb, "a record store manager with an enormous amount of compassion." Daddo was initially signed until December, with an option to extend his contract for another six months.|sign=Lochie Daddo on Stephen and Phoebe's romance. (1992)
While he was at the graveyard visiting his dead fiancée, Stephen noticed a pregnant Phoebe Bright (Simone Robertson) by the graveside of her ex boyfriend, Todd (Kristian Schmid). Daddo commented that their meeting "sort of turns into a little bit of a romance." Robertson thought the proposal was too fast, especially as Phoebe was not interested in Stephen at first and was still hung up on Todd. While Phoebe accepted the proposal, Robertson believed that she was not in love with Stephen. Hope developed breathing problems and it was left to Stephen to break the news to Phoebe that she might die. Writers created tense scenes for the nuptials with nurse Pam Willis (Sue Jones) interrupting their vows. Phoebe rushes into the Alessi house believing Hope is in peril. She is relieved when she learns Pam has discharged Hope home from hospital and the wedding resumes. Daddo claimed that Stephen was initially "really cool" with Russell living with him, but then he started to get under his skin and "a whole new side" of Stephen emerged.

Stephen was paralysed when The Waterhole exploded due to a gas leak in the basement. During filming of the explosion, Daddo revealed that he was made up to look as if his forehead had caved in. Stephen lost all movement down one side of his body and was told that he would need to use a wheelchair. Of Stephen's reaction to his condition, Daddo stated "When Stephen discovers he'll be in a wheelchair, he tries to spare Phoebe by ending it with her, saying he doesn't love her. But what he means is he loves her too much to burden her with a lifetime of looking after him." She explained that Stephen does not consider community nursing support as an option. He thinks that admitting himself into a rehabilitation centre is the best option for his wife. Camp revealed that Daddo would film his final scenes on 6 August, while his character would remain on screen until October.

Stephen was the eldest of three children born to Dave Gottlieb (David Murray; Ivar Kants) and Sally Dawes (Jane Little; Helen Rollinson) on a hippy commune. He was christened Freedom, but as they grew up, Stephen and his brother Mark rejected their parents' ways, while their younger sister, Serendipity (Raelee Hill) embraced them. When Stephen became the manager of a record store in Elliot Park, he proposed to long time girlfriend, Libby and she accepted. One night at a party, Mark spiked Stephen's drink, leaving him unable to drive Libby home. Mark, also ended up too drunk to drive Libby himself, forcing her to take a cab. Libby died when the cab crashed and Stephen blamed Mark for her death. After Mark left for France to train as a chef, Stephen finally felt he could move on with his life. Stephen first appears at the cemetery where he sees pregnant teenager Phoebe visiting the grave of her recently deceased lover, Todd Landers. The two begin to chat and they realize they have a lot in common as Stephen's fiancé, Libby had not long died in a car crash and is buried in the same cemetery as Todd. After spending a lot of time with Phoebe, Stephen begins to fall for her but he realises that she is still grieving for Todd. After several months of dating, Stephen propose to Phoebe on her 18th birthday and she accepts. The couple plan to marry before the baby is born, but on the eve of the wedding Phoebe goes into labour and Stephen delivers the baby girl in the living room at Number 30. Phoebe names her daughter Hope, after she is born prematurely. When Phoebe wants to put Todd's surname, Landers on Hope's birth certificate, Stephen feels like Todd would always haunt them. After Helen Daniels (Anne Haddy), Todd's surrogate grandmother, explains that Todd would have been happy with Phoebe's choice of husband, Stephen is reassured. On the day of Stephen and Phoebe's wedding, local nurse Pam Willis (Sue Jones) brings them a healthy Hope in time for the ceremony. After Stephen loses his job at the record store after refusing to take bribes from record companies to falsify record sales, he and Phoebe are given a lifeline by Cathy Alessi (Elspeth Ballantyne) who puts them in charge of the Coffee Shop. They job share and take it in turns to look after Hope. When the Gottliebs advertise for a tenant, Russell Butler spots the notice and takes it down so no one else will apply for the room. On the surface, Russell seems normal but as time goes on Stephen and Phoebe soon find out that Russell's behaviour is odd and he begins to drive a wedge between the couple by stirring up trouble. When Russell tries to kiss Phoebe one afternoon, she tells Stephen who demands Russell moves out. However, this is problematic as Russell intends to stay until the lease expires. After Stephen lashes out and punches Russell, he has him charged with assault and then pays Stephen rent at the last minute to avoid eviction. It is revealed that Russell had spent time in a mental institution after suffering a break down following his wife and baby leaving him, due to his drug use. Fearful for his family's safety, Stephen sends Phoebe and Hope to stay with Phoebe's former guardian Dorothy Burke (Maggie Dence) in the country for several days. In desperation, Stephen then asks Lou Carpenter to have some heavies "persuade" Russell to leave. Unfortunately the plan backfires and Wayne Duncan is mistaken for Russell and badly beaten instead. Stephen and Lou apologise to Wayne, and Russell gets the message that he is not welcome in Ramsay Street. The Gottliebs have better luck with Beth Brennan (Natalie Imbruglia) as their next tenant as she is a friend. When the local pub, The Waterhole explodes, Stephen is one of the casualties and is the first to be found in the wreckage. He wakes up in hospital and is disoriented and has no memory of Phoebe, who was keeping a bedside vigil. Stephen then has an operation to remove a blood clot on his brain and recovers and regains his memory. He is left paralysed and soon feels like a burden to Phoebe and decides to go to a rehabilitation centre but changes his mind at the last minute. Stephen struggles to come to terms with being in a wheelchair and when his estranged brother, Mark arrives in Erisborough, he is less than happy to see him as he still blames him for Libby's death. After Mark's persistence to reconcile with his brother, Stephen finally accepts him. Stephen then undergoes a gruelling rehabilitation programme. During Helen's birthday party at the newly reopened Waterhole, Stephen surprises Phoebe by getting up out of his wheelchair and walks towards her unaided. Stephen reveals that Wayne has been helping him for weeks. Several days later, the Gottliebs leave Ramsay Street to manage their own record store in Anson's Corner. Upon Mark's return to Erinsborough twenty five years later, he reveals that Phoebe and Stephen have five children.

A writer for the BBC's Neighbours website stated that Stephen's most notable moment was "Fainting while watching Phoebe giving birth on video." The Sydney Morning Herald's Shelli Anne Couch commented "Two snakes, two dead bodies, two live ones, a cemetery and a budding romance for good measure – could Lachlan Daddo have picked a better entry into the soapie world?"