Amy Greenwood is a fictional character from the Australian soap Neighbours, played by Jacinta Stapleton. She made her first on-screen appearance on 10 July 1997. Amy is characterised as flirtatious and ditzy, especially interested in fashion and gossip. During her original duration in the series, writers created a long-running on/off relationship with Lance Wilkinson (Andrew Bibby). Amy later begins relationship with flight attendant Damien Smith (John Ridley) and elopes with him after discovering she is pregnant. Amy departed on 21 March 2000. Five years later, Stapleton reprised her role for the show's 20th anniversary episode in July 2005. She reprised the role again in December 2020 and later re-joined the regular cast. Her final appearance was on 28 July 2022 during the serial's finale.
Development
Characterisation
Stapleton said she shared her character's "fun-loving nature", but she was not as "sneaky" as Amy and did not play around like she does. Stapleton also said she was not as "mischievous" as Amy, but they both liked to party and tried not to take things too seriously. Annette Dasey from Inside Soap described Amy as "sassy". In 2021, following her return, Stapleton thought her character's personality had not changed all that much, explaining "What I will say is that Amy is not shy! She's not a troublemaker, but she gets up to a bit of mischief, even though I don't think she means to. Amy just runs on a high frequency." Stapleton also described Amy as "excitable" and called her "a bit of a firecracker", a personality trait she found fun to play.
Relationship with Lance Wilkinson
Amy was introduced as a love interest for Lance Wilkinson (Andrew Bibby). Dasey (Inside Soap) thought "nerdy" Lance was not the type of boy people would expect someone like Amy to date, but Stapleton disagreed saying he was everything Amy wanted in a boyfriend. She explained: "Lance may be a real dork, but she loves him for who he is. But he can't see this and tries to be something he's not." Lance's insecurities about the relationship come out when he tries to compete with mechanic Drew Kirk (Dan Paris) to be the main subject of Amy's school photography assignment. Stapleton said that when Lance strips off, he is really pale and "scrawny", unlike Drew. Lance is not the ideal subject for the assignment, so he gets jealous when Amy continues to photograph Drew. In a bid to compete with Drew, Lance covers himself in fake tan, leaving him bright orange. Stapleton said Amy finds it "hilarious" and decides that his unusual skin colour will make for more interesting photos, so she asks him to strip to his boxers and pose for her. The pair are embarrassed when their neighbour Harold Bishop (Ian Smith) walks in on them, but Stapleton said that it actually helps their relationship. She explained "Lance's modesty only endears him further to Amy and she becomes more determined to have her wicked way with him."
In October 1998, producer Peter Dodds said Amy and Lance would continue to become "an ever more bizarre couple", but they would be tested when Lance has a dramatic problem which he has to navigate his way through. Lance develops a gambling addiction, which he tries hard to conceal from his family and friends. Bibby said that his character only realises he has a problem when Amy learns what is going on. Bibby stated, "She finds out he's been lying to her and has lost a lot of money. What started out as a bit of fun has become very dangerous." Amy ends their relationship as Lance's addiction proves too much for her. Stapleton thought that Amy and Lance should stop being "pig-headed" and make up with each other. She told an All About Soap reporter: "They are both very headstrong and strong-willed. Each doesn't want to be the first to say what they truly feel. I can understand how that is; nobody wants to open themselves up to rejection and getting hurt." Bibby thought that there had been a strong attraction between the characters from the start and that they meant the world to each other. He also said that they worked well together "in their funny way."