Denny Miller is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Jessica Grace Smith. The actress was a fan of the show prior to being cast. She originally auditioned for the role of Phoebe Nicholson, before she was offered the part of Denny in 2013, a week before she left for Los Angeles. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 12 February 2014.
Denny was introduced as the long-lost daughter of Ethan MacGuire (Matt Minto). She was portrayed as a tough, honest, self-sufficient tomboy. Shortly after her arrival, Denny was at the centre of a love triangle involving Chris Harrington (Johnny Ruffo) and Casey Braxton (Lincoln Younes). Denny and Casey then embarked on a relationship, but it was cut short following his death. Denny initially struggled with her grief, and filming the scenes challenged Smith as an actress. Denny eventually moved on with Martin Ashford (George Mason). On 14 September 2015, the character was killed off and Smith believed viewers must have cared about her to get such a dramatic exit.
Casting
On 28 January 2014, Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy announced that New Zealand actress Jessica Grace Smith had been cast as Denny. Smith had been a fan of Home and Away during her teenage years and wanted to appear on the show when she relocated to Australia. Smith originally auditioned for the role of Phoebe Nicholson, but Isabella Giovinazzo was cast instead. Having spent three years auditioning for parts, Smith planned to move to Los Angeles and was a week away from leaving when she was offered the role of Denny by the producers in late 2013. She commented, "It was crazy! My bags were almost packed for LA. I was so stoked to be a part of the show and have full time work. It's an actor's dream." Smith made her screen debut as Denny on 12 February 2014.
Development
Characterisation and family
Ahead of her first appearance, Smith described Denny as an honest and "pretty straight up" character, who was "not your typical girl". The actress later said that Denny is a tomboy and very self-sufficient. Smith was pleased that Denny was also a tomboy like herself, saying "It's really nice sharing that with her. It means I don't have to wear too many of the high heels that I'm terrible at walking in." The actress later said that she would advise Denny "to let loose a little more" and relax, as she was always doing the right thing.
Denny arrived in Summer Bay on the day of Ethan MacGuire's (Matt Minto) funeral, attracting scepticism and worry from Ethan's sister-in-law Hannah Wilson (Cassie Howarth), who wondered if she was a member of the cult that Ethan had been involved in. Smith said viewers would be surprised by Denny's true identity and teased "it's a bit of a family thing." It later emerged that Denny was Ethan's daughter. In her fictional backstory, Denny was raised by her single mother, but longed to find her father. She had trouble finding him, until she learned of his death. At the funeral, Denny learned that she had half-siblings, Evelyn (Philippa Northeast) and Oscar MacGuire (Jake Speer), and she was keen to form a relationship with them.
After moving to Summer Bay, Denny found employment at the local bait shop run by town stalwart Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher), and developed a close working relationship with him. Smith explained that Denny saw Alf as a father figure, making it the first time she had had that type of relationship in her life. Denny liked that she could talk to Alf about life's issues and get a straight answer.
Love triangle
A few months after Denny's introduction, she developed a romance with Chris Harrington (Johnny Ruffo). Smith commented that her character thought Chris was "really cute". When Denny tried to flirt with him, he was oblivious to her advances. But Irene Roberts (Lynne McGranger) noticed Denny's interest in Chris and told him to take her on a date, in exchange for adding his meal ideas to the Diner menu. Chris and Denny went on a boat ride and he enjoyed the date. However, when he accidentally revealed Irene's bribe, an angry Denny took off in the boat, leaving Chris stranded on the beach. Smith said Denny was upset with Chris because he was not honest and upfront with her. She told him to forget about the date, but Chris began pursuing her.