After months of mounting tension and sinister developments in Neighbours, the arc of one of the show’s most controversial characters has finally come to a dramatic close. Actor Mark Raffety, who portrayed the scheming and manipulative Dr. Darcy Tyler, has opened up about filming his character’s final scenes – and how emotionally challenging the journey was for him.
In a candid behind-the-scenes interview, Raffety admitted that portraying Darcy’s descent into full-blown villainy took a personal toll. “I was genuinely terrified of that character by the end,” he confessed. “It’s one thing to play a flawed person, but Darcy crossed so many lines that I had to remind myself it was fiction. Still, bringing him to life meant stepping into some very dark places.”
Darcy’s final chapters were nothing short of explosive. From gaslighting and sabotage to orchestrating a near-fatal medical emergency involving Karl Kennedy, his crimes escalated rapidly – leaving viewers shocked and captivated. The recent revelation that Darcy had injected Karl, leading to his coma, was the last straw not just for fans, but also for those around him in Erinsborough.
While viewers watched in disbelief as his deceit unraveled, Raffety found it emotionally taxing to keep up with Darcy’s duality. “There were days on set where I’d finish a scene and just sit in silence for a few minutes,” he shared. “He was charming, calculated, and utterly self-serving. That combination can be very unsettling to live with, even temporarily.”
Mark also spoke about the fan reaction to Darcy’s storyline: “It’s been overwhelming. People are shouting at me in the street – not out of hate, but out of total immersion in the story. It’s a testament to the incredible writing team and how invested viewers still are after all these years.”
When asked if he would ever return, considering the character’s arrest and downfall, Raffety laughed: “I think Erinsborough’s had enough of Darcy for now. But you never say never in soapland.”
As Neighbours continues its run on Amazon Freevee, the fallout from Darcy’s actions promises more emotional drama for the residents. But for Mark Raffety, the end of the line for Darcy is a chance to reflect, recover, and hopefully move on from the “evil genius” that haunted his dreams.
“Playing Darcy was an honour and a challenge,” he concluded. “But I’m very glad to close that chapter.”
