Callum Rebecchi (also Jones) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours played by actor Morgan Baker. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 9 June 2008. The character was introduced to the show following the decision to stop a storyline that saw Toadfish Rebecchi adopt a child from Indonesia. Baker began filming his first scenes in March. Callum departed Neighbours on 12 June 2014, following Baker's decision to concentrate on his schooling. Baker reprised the role for a cameo appearance on 17 September 2015. He has made subsequent guest appearances from 7 June until 12 June 2017 and again from 20 February until 13 March 2019. In 2022 it was announced that Baker would once again reprise the role as part of the series finale.
Callum was initially portrayed as a tearaway, who created chaos to be noticed. He is also smart, funny and cunning. Callum has had to grow up quickly and he has become "very emotionally mature". In a major storyline for the character, it was revealed that Toadie's partner, Sonya Mitchell (Eve Morey), was Callum's biological mother. Other storylines have seen Callum develop a romantic relationship with Rani Kapoor (Coco Cherian), befriending Bailey Turner (Calen Mackenzie) and dating Josie Lamb (Madison Daniel). Callum has received a mixed reaction from critics of the serial. Some praised him for his honesty, while others said he is too "brattish".
Creation and casting
The character of Callum was introduced to Neighbours after producers decided to stop a storyline which saw Toadie (Ryan Moloney) try to adopt an Indonesian child illegally. In 2008, viewers saw Toadie trying to adopt an East Timorese orphan, after claiming that he had lived in Indonesia for 12 months. Producers decided to stop the storyline at the last minute and Toadie met Callum instead. Of the storyline Moloney said "I thought was just ridiculous. And it was just to spite Steph! I was like, 'What are we doing?'" Moloney said that having the character of Callum around is "really cool".
Baker was cast in the role of Callum and he began filming his first scenes in March 2008. The actor was 10 years old when he joined the show. Baker's filming schedule meant that occasionally he could not attend school and he had to be tutored in a classroom at the Network Ten studios. Prior to his departure in 2014, Baker was one of the longest-serving out of the show's younger cast.
Development
Characterisation
Callum was initially a tearaway who stole from his neighbours and tried to stay home from school. The official Neighbours website said Callum is someone who creates chaos to be noticed. He is energetic, lively and a bit of larrikin, but under the surface he is just looking for someone to love him. The website described Callum as "smart, sharp, funny, cunning and clever." A writer for Inside Soap said Callum is a cheeky lad, who is more interested in pizza and comic books than his school work. Executive producer Susan Bower called Callum Toadie's "Mini Me." Both Toadie and Callum are fans of professional wrestling and their wrestling egos are called The Lawman and Babyface. In March 2009, professional wrestler Dave Batista made a guest appearance in Neighbours and he filmed a few scenes alongside Toadie and Callum. Following a Rebecchi family tradition, Callum was given his own aquatic nickname – Squid.
In April 2013, Baker's co-star Eve Morey explained that Callum would start to rebel against his parents in future storylines and revealed her surprise at how well adjusted Callum is. She said "I can tell you it's starting. And it's actually really good, because we're doing a few storylines now, where he's starting to explore that darker side of being a teenager. And I think that's really good for him." Morey added that Callum had to grow up quickly and be "very emotionally mature", so she was not surprised that his pent up anger begins to appear.
High school and career plans
In October 2009, Baker began shooting scenes of Callum's first week at high school. Callum finds it difficult to settle in at his new school and he finds himself "torn between his friends from Ramsay St and his new friends". Baker said "He has quite a hard time". Viewers have not seen Callum go to school before as there is not a primary school set at the Nunawading studios, where Neighbours is filmed. However, once the character joined Erinsborough High, he began to appear on the show more often and started interacting with other children his own age.