Bree Hamilton
Fictional character / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dr. Bree Hamilton (previously Marsden) is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, portrayed by Rachael Blampied from December 2011 to September 2012. Blampied reprised the role in late 2013.
Bree Hamilton | |||||||||||||
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Shortland Street character | |||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Rachael Blampied | ||||||||||||
Duration | 2011–2014 | ||||||||||||
First appearance | 9 December 2011 (2011-12-09) | ||||||||||||
Last appearance | 4 February 2014 (2014-02-04) | ||||||||||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||
Introduced by |
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Created and written specifically for Blampied, Bree debuted as the illegitimate sister of established character, Brooke Freeman (Beth Allen). Envisioned to initially contrast her antagonistic sister, Bree developed into a manipulative and sociopathic villain whose antagonism greatly overpowered Brooke. Her storylines included getting to know Brooke, dating Vinnie Kruse (Pua Magasiva), revealing she was not a properly qualified surgeon, holding her mother hostage, stealing Brooke's identity and attempting to murder her after she had clearly lost her mind. Blampied described Bree's storyline as a "downward spiral" and researched intensely on personality disorders. Blampied and Allen shared a dressing room together to add realism to the onscreen partnership. Bree's return in 2013 saw her be part of the Christmas cliffhanger when she murdered a man to take his money.
Bree has been labelled a "hugely popular" character and her first stint saw a favourable reception with her final storyline which saw her steal Brooke's identity, being hailed as a highlight of the 2012 season. The episodes brought in huge ratings and Blampied's portrayal encouraged writers to restyle the character's exit storyline to allow a return.