Nathan Spencer is a major antagonist in the British medical drama Casualty. He is the archenemy of Harry Harper.

He was played by Ben Price, also played Chris in Blood Trails and Nick Tilsley in Coronation Street.

Biography[]

Nathan was appointed as Holby City Hospital's new corporate director in December 2005. Having come from a background as a finance director of a chain of restaurants, he had little empathy towards the patients themselves, and was more concerned with meeting hospital targets and balancing the books. He soon came into loggerheads with consultant Harry Harper, and Nathan's attitude caused him to become unpopular with many of the staff working in the emergency department.

Nathan fell for a doctor Selena Donovan and the pair began dating, although it became clear that he was obsessed with her as he began stalking Selena by keeping surveillance footage of her in his office, although he passed this off as trying to get CCTV footage of an attack on a member of staff that occurred the week prior. Despite his excuse their relationship was strained, which wasn't helped by his unpleasant behavior towards the rest of the team. Nathan was later pricked by a discarded needle disposed in a bin bag, which turned out to have been previously used by a junkie who was a patient at the ED. Nathan became terrified and was reluctant to take a test. He was comforted by a sympathetic Selena, and he confessed to her that he was already HIV positive, which was the result of a one night stand with a prostitute the year before, who was infected with the disease.

As it became apparent Nathan hadn't actually got a test, Selena probed him to get one and be sure. Nathan eventually agreed, and he was relieved to discover that he was negative. Nathan and Selena reconciled their relationship, and later got engaged. Despite things looking up for him Nathan began to sleep with prostitutes behind Selena's back. His deception was discovered by a nurse Kelsey Phillips, he began to secretly work as a prostitute in order to pay off her debts, and discovered Nathan was a regular client at the brothel she was employed at. Nathan attempted to pay Kelsey off with money to help her with her debts, but she decided to tell Selena the truth as to what man she was about to marry. A disgusted and betrayed Selena called off the marriage, leaving Nathan alone.

When the emergency department faced closure, Harry began to enter politics in order to campaign to save the hospital. Nathan, wanting to take up a new job opportunity in the event that he could undo Harry's campaign, manipulated a meek receptionist Alice to claim that Harry had sexually harassed her when he hugged her a few days prior. Alice filed a complaint which caused Harry to be suspended from the hospital and face scrutiny which could ruin his campaign. But Alice felt guilt over being used by Nathan, and retracted the complaint, which allowed Harry to return to work and win his campaign. Before Harry left for Westminster, he had dinner with Selena and slept with her. Nathan found out about their romance, and feel jealous he deleted a text on Selena's phone from Harry, giving her the impression that Harry had second thoughts on their relationship. A smug Nathan was satisfied that Selena had permanently ended things with Harry.

Despite his antagonistic behavior, Nathan did occasionally show a more tender side. During a Red Nose Day charity appeal in March 2007, Nathan had a heart to heart with a former nurse at the hospital Megan Roache, whose mentally ill grandson had been admitted to the emergency department, and began to learn to empathize with patients. This led to him giving a generous donation to the hospital's charity campaign.

Nathan hired Harry's replacement, a doctor named Theo "Stitch" Lambert. But Nathan soon came to regret the decision when he caught Stitch snorting coke in his office, and laughing in Nathan's face as Nathan would face humiliation if it ever came out.

Nathan discovered that Selena was pregnant to his child, although she was planning to abort it. Nathan tried to stop her at the abortion clinic, but an emotionally drained Selena left the clinic, giving the impression to a distraught Nathan that she had gone through with the termination. During a party, Nathan got drunk and asked began to cause a scene, and asked Selena why she got rid of their child. Selena then exposed Nathan's past exploits with prostitutes in front of their shocked colleagues. When Stitch began taunting Nathan back at the department, a sympathetic Kelsey stood up for Nathan and tended to a wound that he had accidentally inflicted when falling on a glass.

During a hostage situation at the hospital, Selena was shot in the neck. Harry - who was visiting the hospital - tried to save her life. It proved fruitless, and after knowing that she was still carrying the child, he helped to carry out a C-Section and remove the baby, despite her being premature. Nathan entered the hospital and was stunned that Selena was dead, and even more shocked that his daughter had been delivered.

Whilst the baby was on life support, Nathan was by her side all the time and began to neglect his duties at the department. The baby eventually passed away as she would not be able to live a proper life and would always rely on being on life support.

Harry returned to the hospital to help get it back on track following Stitch's departure. His first order of business was to sack Nathan due to his incompetence, although Harry was very reluctant, because despite his rivalry with Nathan he felt bad for his loss. After much pressure, Harry relieved Nathan of his duties at the hospital, and Nathan eventually departed, but not before sarcastically wishing Harry good luck.

Gallery[]

Nathan with Selena.

Nathan with his nemesis, Harry Harper.

Nathan being fired from the hospital.

Trivia[]

• Before playing the regular role of Nathan Spencer, Ben Price had previously appeared in Casualty as a guest actor in the eleventh series as a man named Jimmy Sellars.

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