Will Griggs is a fictional character from the Australian Network Tensoap operaNeighbours, played by Christian Clark. The character debuted on-screen in the episode airing on 12 October 2006. He was introduced into the serial as part of a group of four characters branded as "20 somethings". Clark quit the series prematurely to concentrate on a film career and Will departed on 23 January 2007. Upon his departure from the serial, his younger adoptive brother Oliver Barnes was written into storylines.
Character development
Will was created in 2006 along with another three characters created at the same time as part of a new group of characters branded "20 somethings". Nicky Whelan, Ben Lawson and Natalie Saleeba were cast as Pepper Steiger, Frazer Yeats and Rosetta Cammeniti respectively, around the same time as Christian Clark was cast as Will. Clark said that his agent suggested he audition and received the part the thereafter he stated it all happened really quickly. Their inclusion in the serial was part of the producers attempts to introduce more contemporary characters, despite not knowing each other they all share the same house upon their on-screen debuts, a first for the series. Before appearing on-screen Will was described as "a drifter on a steep learning curve." Upon his arrival Will was described as a "slacker rich kid" and turning up on Ramsay Street made him "find rarefied air suffocating and decided to search out a "real" life." It was revealed that he was, in fact, imitating his brother Oliver Barnes, who had left his family to find freedom. Channel Ten publicity describe will as being "shallow" and unable to cope with his new life, also branding him "irresponsible" they also compare him with Oliver, stating he does not have genuine sentiment behind his good-looking façade. Before Will had appeared on-screen it was announced by the ChannelTen network that after his initial 12 week contract had expired Clark decided he did not want to renew his contract, after a short period of time Will departed from the serial. Clark later described Will during an interview stating: "Will was a great character to play, who had a lot of depth and past."
Storylines
Before arriving in Erinsborough, Sebastian changed his name to Will Griggs. Will moves into Number 30 Ramsay Street with Frazer, Pepper and Rosie. Rosie becomes attracted to him instantly and writes about her feelings for Will in her diary, which Will sees. Rosie sets Will up on a date with her sister, Carmella Cammeniti, which she accepts. Will and Carmella have a good first date, but Will refuses to talk about his past. Will begins receiving strange offerings, such as keys to a new car. Will, however, rejects the offers. It is soon revealed that he is the heir to a large fortune, including a 2% stock of Lassiter's. Paul Robinson discovers this, along with Will's real name. He promises to keep Will's secret, as long as he votes against the Timminses at the next board meeting, as Paul cannot purchase the stock from Will. Carmella wants to meet Will's parents, though as he did not want to tell her that his parents were dead, keen to hide his past, he paid his mother's assistant, Selma, to play the role of his mother. Carmella eventually finds out when she saw Will paying Selma, and she broke up with him, furious for him lying to her. Desperate to get back with her, he revealed the truth to her, that his real name is Sebastian Barnes, and that he is actually rich, as he inherited money and stock from his family, part of the stock being 2% of Lassiter's Hotels. Carmella didn't believe him, so he proved it to her by taking her in a limousine to a penthouse that he owns. Carmella began to believe him, but when she tried to call him Sebastian, he said that he prefers Will, as that is who she fell in love with. Carmella accepted him for who he is, but broke up for good with him, again for lying. Elle Robinson, Paul's daughter, later on found out about him being Mr. 2-percent, and she tried to seduce him, but he rejected her. Elle's boyfriend, Dylan Timmins, became suspicious about Will and Elle. Carmella left a message for him on his voicemail, which was when Oliver first appears. Oliver explains everything about Will to Carmella, and that Will has decided to leave and has fled overseas. In June, Oliver had resigned from Lassiter's and Will had inherited his 49%. In October, Will contacted Elle through his lawyer, Tim Collins. Tim told Elle that she could work for the Barnes Corporation and she and Will could be business partners, Lassiter's stockholders – on one condition. If Elle wanted all this, she had to sack either Paul or Oliver. In the end she resigned, realising that Paul and Oliver were the perfect team for Lassiter's.
Reception
Upon Oliver's arrival to the show, Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture called Will, the "fit brother". She also added that the audience "preferred the fit brother" to Oliver. The Daily Record branded Will "a rather attractive young man".
