Character profile — Baxter Cormack (Shortland Street)

When Baxter Cormack (Tom Hern) arrives at the hospital as a student nurse, he is eager to learn more about his future profession. But he has hardly walked in the door before clapping eyes on hot trouble-girl Claire Solomon (Emily Robins). It is obvious he is interested in Claire, and she in him; but could this genuine nice guy be biting off more than he can chew?

Baxter may be a romantic and a gentleman, but he has his own murky past and there is a lot more history to him than first meets the eye. His troubled youth has led him onto a totally unexpected path — he has embraced Christianity and is a fully paid up member of the Serenity Church. Despite being very interested in Claire, her wild-child ways sit at odds with his religious beliefs i.e no sex before marriage.

Despite their different lives, this odd twosome seem to have met halfway and have fallen in love. Claire's recent epiphany and conversion to Baxter's church has seen them draw closer together. Baxter's past caught up on him, with the release of his con-man Dad, Gus, from prison. It was then that Baxter's insecurities about his shady childhood threatened his future with Claire. Tensions with his Dad reached boiling point, so Claire secretly bought Gus off, with a $20,000 payout which enabled Gus to forge a new life out of Ferndale.

Now Baxter and Claire have become engaged, but is a future together really on the cards for these two kids from different worlds?

Meet Baxter on Shortland Street in Season 14 (2005), episode 3362 onwards, as well as in Season 15 (2006).

Source: tvnz.co.nz