Lou Carpenter

Lou Carpenter is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Tom Oliver. He made his first screen appearance on 30 March 1988. Oliver appeared for a brief time, having been initially contracted for six months, before leaving and returning in January 1992 as a regular cast member. In 1996, Lou was written out of Neighbours, a move that shocked Oliver as his character had become popular with fans. Neighbours viewers created petitions calling for his return and the strength of their reaction caused the producers to reconsider their decision and reinstate Oliver. Lou became one of the longest-serving characters in the serial's history, playing the role continuously for 24 years. From March 2009, Lou became a part-time regular character, with Oliver alternating between two-month blocks of filming and two-month breaks. In May 2015 Lou departed as a regular cast member, but returned for guest appearances until the end of the 2016 season.