Marilyn in 2021
Marilyn Chambers is one of Home and Away's longest serving characters, though she has not appeared continuously. She was first seen in May 1989 (Episode 309) and left in 1992. She returned from 1995-1999 before leaving again. She made a guest appearance in 2001 and returned full-time in 2010. Originally a ditzy blonde, Marilyn has grown up over the years since but has never lost her innate kindness. She has been played by Emily Symons since 1989.
| Marilyn Chambers | |
|---|---|
Character Profile
| |
| Birthday: | March 1969 |
| Birthplace: | Australia |
| Father: | George Davidson |
| Mother: | Heather Davidson |
| Siblings: | None |
| Spouse: | Phil Bryant (1992-95), Donald Fisher (1996-2001), John Palmer (2014-21) |
| Children: | Heather Frazer, Byron Fisher (deceased), Jett Palmer (adoptive) |
| Occupation: | Businesswoman |
| Played By: | Emily Symons |
Backstory[]
Marilyn was born in March 1969, the daughter of George and Heather Davidson. The Davidsons were travelling entertainers who quickly tired of raising a child on the road. They put young Marilyn in a children's home where she lived for some years. Marilyn was later taken out of the home by Heather's sister Jean and lived with her until adulthood. Marilyn was led to believe that her parents had died but found out the truth from Jean in 1991. She managed to find her parents but cut ties with them.
1989-1992[]
Marilyn's very first scene
Marilyn first appeared in May 1989 (Episode 309) when she came to visit her boyfriend Lance Smart. Although she returned to the city, she soon decided to move to Summer Bay. She later made a play for Lance's best friend Martin Dibble. Marilyn got a job working in The Bayside Diner but that was nowhere nearly as glitzy as her brief career as a pop star. Image was a manufactured group created by Stacey Macklin and Nina Olivera and had a line-up of Marilyn, Lance and Martin. With people like that in the group, what could possibly go wrong? Erm...
In 1990 Marilyn began a relationship with Adam Cameron. Although that relationship didn't last, they remained friends. She got a job working as an assistant in Alf Stewart's store, beginning a long-running double act with the legendary curmudgeon! Marilyn also became close friends with Bobby Simpson.
Although she appeared to be quite ditzy on the surface, Marilyn decided to return to school and study for her HSC. She sat her exams in 1990 and did surprisingly well. Although she could have attended university, she opted to stay in Summer Bay which was where her friends were. Towards the end of 1990, an old lady she had befriended some years before died and left her a large sum of money. This windfall helped Marilyn buy the Beach House which she head been renting. When Alf's supermarket closed in early 1991, Marilyn tried her hand at earning a living in different ways. Her most memorable one was probably her disastrous attempt at running a child-minding service. It was for the best when Alf opened a new, smaller store and re-employed Marilyn.
Marilyn and hubby #1
In 1992, Marilyn met 40 year old widower Phil Bryant who had travelled to Summer Bay with his teenage daughter Toni. Toni was participating in a student exchange program and staying with the Stewarts. After Phil crashed his car, he stayed in the Beach House while waiting for it to be repaired. Romance blossomed between him and Marilyn. Before you could say "But you only know him for 5 minutes and he's twice your age", the pair were engaged. Marilyn left town with him and Toni.
In 2022, the years after Marilyn left to marry Phil were retconned. Under the original timeline, she married Phil and split from him in 1995. She learned he had had an affair and she returned to Summer Bay almost immediately. Phil phoned her asking for another chance but she decided against it. Under the new story, Marilyn ended up travelling with a boyfriend before splitting up with him. She then took a job working as a housekeeper on a cattle station. She had an affair with her married boss - Tim Frazer - and became pregnant. After giving birth to baby Heather, Marilyn was left with few options. She gave baby Heather to her father, who then raised her along with his wife. In 2022 Heather travelled to Summer Bay in search of Marilyn.
1995-1999[]
With Donald and Byron (1999)
Marilyn returned to Summer Bay in 1995 to rebuild her life. She began an unlikely relationship with her old headmaster Donald Fisher later in the year and they married in 1996. This relationship had its ups and downs and at one point, Marilyn had a brief fling with Haydn Ross. Haydn, who had returned to town in the wake of his father's death, had befriended Marilyn while he was still a teenage schoolboy. This wasn't Marilyn's only fling with a younger man she'd first known when he was at school - she and Steven Matheson also locked lips in the early days of her return to the area.
Marilyn and Donald had a son called Byron in 1999 but their joy turned to heartbreak when he was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer. Marilyn and Donald travelled to the United States to have him treated there. Tragically, their efforts to save him were in vain and Byron died. His death brought Fishers' ailing marriage to an end. Donald returned to Summer Bay alone and Marilyn cut contact with him.
2001[]
Marilyn in 2001
By 2001, Marilyn had moved to London and was working as a childminder. Unexpectedly, she came face to face with Donald who happened to visiting London (what are the chances?....) Donald was promoting a children's book he had written, inspired by Byron. The pair met up in a park and had a heart to heart. Although they still had feelings for each other (especially Donald), too much water had passed under the bridge for them to reconcile. They parted on good terms and later divorced. In real life, Emily Symons had moved to the UK and had begun an 8 year stint as Louise Appleton on British soap Emmerdale.
2010-[]
Marilyn and John
In 2010 Marilyn returned to Summer Bay again. She had a relationship with doctor Sid Walker and almost got to adopt a baby. That turned out to be a messy affair, tied up in no small way to her grief at losing Byron years before.
In 2013, she began a relationship with widower John Palmer. They married in 2014 but split up in 2020. During their marriage, Marilyn adopted Jett Palmer who had previously been a foster son of John's. They also fostered Raffy Morrison and Ty Anderson.
In 2021 Marilyn was injured during an organophosphate attack at Salt. Although she seemed to recover, it turned out that the gas had affected her psychologically. Marilyn's personality changed and she required medication to get herself back onto an even keel. She left the Bay to visit Jett and to recuperate.
In 2022 it was revealed that newcomer Heather Frazer was Marilyn's secret daughter. Heather turned out to be an embittered young woman who bore an enormous grudge against Marilyn. In the denoument to the story, Heather lured Marilyn and some of her friends to a hotel where she revealed the truth and drugged them all. Heather then tried to kill Marilyn by taking her off a balcony. In the end, both women survived. In the hospital, Marilyn made the decision to cut Heather from her life.
In order to help pay for Jett's wedding, Marilyn signed up as an ambassador for Stunning Organics. When Roo Stewart suffered an allergic reaction to one of their face creams, Marilyn contacted the company. At first she was ignored but after she and Kirby Aramoana started posting about the company on social media, they began to receive sinister threats. After Marilyn gave an interview about the company she was sent some boxes of products. A bomb was hidden in one of the boxes and it detonated. Mali Hudson, John and Roo were all injured in the blast. Eventually the CEO was arrested but not before Marilyn and Roo had a falling out. Irene was forced to act as the peacemaker.
Memorable info[]
Birthday: 29 March 1969
Full Name: Marilyn Chambers (later Bryant and Fisher)
Nicknames: Maz, Mazza
Trivia: Marilyn shares her name with a now deceased American adult entertainer. Perhaps this was an in-joke back in 1989.
Family[]
Father George Davidson
Mother Heather Davidson
Spouse Phil Bryant (1992-1995), Donald Fisher (1996-2001), John Palmer (2014-2021 )
Children Byron Fisher (1999), Jett James (2014, adoptive), Heather Frazer (1995)
Aunts Jean Chambers