Sarah Potts

Dr. Sarah Marjorie Potts is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, who was portrayed by Amanda Billing from her first appearance in September 2004 until the character's on-screen death in August 2014. Arriving as a love interest for established character, Craig (Renato Bartolomei), Sarah became the centre of a high-profile storyline when it was revealed her young brother Daniel (Jarred Blakiston) was in fact her illegitimate son. Sarah and Craig's romance carried on for four years and climaxed in what has been described as "Shortland Street's steamiest ever scene." Sarah's romance storyline's again took a high-profile role with her pairing to TK Samuels (Benjamin Mitchell) in 2006. Over the next 8 years the two were involved in a "will they-won't they" situation that involved the two getting married, divorced, having a child, and engaged for a second time. Public interest was high for the romance and boosted the show some of its highest ever ratings; the Prime Minister Helen Clark also expressed her interest in whether the two would end up together. In 2008 the character was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in a storyline producers intended to use to explore the long-term effects of the illness and help educate New Zealanders. The character of Sarah has seen high acclaim for the show and Billing's acting. She has been nominated and won multiple awards including a nomination in the New Zealand Television Awards for "Best Actress". The characters diagnosis with multiple sclerosis has seen huge acclaim, with sufferers and health advocates praising the show for bringing the illness to such a high-profile programme. Creation and casting Amanda Billing previously auditioned for the roles of lesbian nurse Maia Jeffries and the ill-fated Avril Luchich before she was offered the role of Sarah in early 2004. Sarah made her debut on 14 September 2004. The character was described as "a good looking, vivacious and driven woman in her early 30s" and was "liked, easy-going and good-humoured". In the casting of Sarah, it was suggested that producers were carrying on the tradition of placing talented unknowns in starring roles. Sarah was written off the show in late 2010 when Billing took a four-month break to star in a play. Her exit storyline was purposefully ambiguous so that the audience was not aware Sarah would return.