Gabrielle Jacobs (Shortland Street)

Doctor Gabrielle Jacobs is a character in the New Zealand soap series Shortland Street.

Character creation
Actress Virginie Le Brun watched video diaries and read books by autistic people to research the character. Gabrielle's wardrobe was constructed to be simple and functional, with minimal accessories.

Biography
Gabrielle appeared in season 18 and left in season 19 (spanning 2009-2010). A year later, she returned for another run in season 20 before definitively leaving the series in 2012.

Autism
Gabrielle is described as having "Asperger's syndrome, a type of high-functioning autism" on her character page.

Reception
Gabrielle was named the series favorite female character in the 2009 Throng Shortland Street Fan Awards. She was also runner-up for favorite new character and a notable mention for funniest thing. Autism New Zealand praised the character and actress for a balanced and fair portrayal.

Trivia

 * One of the show's writers would refer to Gabrielle and her love interest Chris Warner as Spock and Kirk.