Mackenzie Hargreaves is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Georgie Stone. She made her first appearance on 30 August 2019. Mackenzie is the soap's first transgender character, added to the series after Stone wrote to executive producer Jason Herbison to pitch the character. She arrives as a new student at Erinsborough High School and is connected to the established Rebecchi family, who she knew prior to her gender transition. Following her initial guest storyline, Mackenzie was a central character in spin-off series Neighbours: Erinsborough High before being promoted to the regular cast of Neighbours in 2020. She remained with the series until its finale episode, broadcast on 28 July 2022, and reprised the role when the series resumed in 2023.
Following an initial focus on her transgender identity, Mackenzie's later storylines aimed to treat the character similarly to other female soap characters. The character is portrayed as ambitious and desiring "fairy tale" experiences where she is fully treated as a woman. Her relationship with Hendrix Greyson (Ben Turland) led to marriage after he is diagnosed with a life-threatening condition; he dies shortly after the wedding, leaving Mackenzie a widow. The character and the soap's use of transgender storylines were positively received, though Mackenzie's "self-righteous" stage and her lack of a happy ending following Hendrix's death received some criticism.
Creation and casting
Stone's casting was announced on 23 March 2019. Mackenzie is the show's first transgender character, and the second trans actress to portray a trans character on Australian television. She had approached the show about introducing a transgender character in 2018. She wrote a letter to executive producer Jason Herbison with some ideas and received a response two hours later. Following an audition, Stone was cast in the role and she worked with the producers for eight months to ensure that parts of her own story would be included in the character's storyline. Of her casting, Stone stated "I am so excited to be joining such an iconic show. Neighbours is all about telling stories we can connect to, stories that reflect our society today. It has progressed so much since it first began, which is why I thought it was time to have a trans character on the show. I can't wait for everyone to meet her!" Herbison added that during her audition, he became aware that Stone "would be able to tell the story truthfully and authentically".
Stone began filming her scenes in June 2019, with her initial storyline running for two months. Mackenzie is connected to a member of one of the show's families and attends Erinsborough High. Stone worked with the Neighbours writers to ensure Mackenzie's transgender identity was portrayed authentically. Stone was complimentary of the experience, stating that "I was surprised at how switched on the writers were, at how eager they were to get this right. They were really good listeners." Stone explained to a columnist for The Australian Women's Weekly that she knew her character's story would have to have drama, but she helped to "ensure it's truthful at the same time" by including various experiences that trans people go through, including coming out, relationships, and shame due to bullying. Stone also wished for Mackenzie to be "just be a regular teen at the same time, and get caught up with the teen drama which has nothing to do with her being trans."
In a guest editorial for Metro, Stone outlined her motivation for pitching the character and the choices made to bring her to the screen, stating that "when we can see ourselves reflected in the characters on our screens, it allows us to feel seen and acknowledged". Stone claimed that "I wanted to tell an overall positive story for all the young people who watch the show, while not shying away from some of the difficult experiences trans people face (these stories need to be told). I wanted the message to be, ‘you will be OK, you are loved’, not ‘you are the problem, this is your fault and you will probably die alone’." She described the aim of the character as "educational and hopefully beneficial for the trans community but, at the end of the day, remain[ing] an exciting and compelling story that fits in with the wider world of Neighbours." Ultimately, Mackenzie avoids being a "token trans character" and "isn’t used as a tool in other characters’ stories, but is given her own arch where she can grow and evolve, and bring other people along with her." Stone affirmed that Mackenzie is "absolutely the character I wish I had seen as a kid."