For nearly four decades, Neighbours has been a beloved staple on our screens, bringing unforgettable characters and the iconic Ramsay Street into the homes of fans worldwide.
However, some of its most cherished stars didn’t just leave their mark on Erinsborough – they went on to become global pop sensations, veteran stage performers and Hollywood A-listers.
As soap opera fans mourn Amazon’s decision to axe the show for the second time, let’s look at four actors who swapped their Melbourne beginnings for superstardom…
A natural performer, Jason Donovan started his acting career at just nine years old and shot to fame in 1986 as Scott Robinson in Neighbours.
In 1991, Donovan starred as Joseph in the hugely successful West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He also made a memorable appearance at Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, performing Any Dream Will Do outside Buckingham Palace.
Showing no signs of slowing down, the 56-year-old Australian actor and singer is currently touring the UK on his Doin’ Fine 25 tour.
Kylie Minogue first stole our hearts as Charlene Robinson on Neighbours, where her unforgettable romance with Donovan’s character, Scott, captured the world’s attention.
But it was her re-recorded version of The Loco-Motion, released in 1987, that catapulted her to stardom and solidified her place in pop music history.
Australia’s golden girl, Margot Robbie, is undeniably one of the biggest stars to come from Neighbours. After a three-year stint on the show as the bubbly teen Donna Freedman, she left in 2011 to try her luck in America.
That bold move quickly paid off when she landed her first major film role in The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013) as Naomi Lapaglia, DiCaprio’s character Jordan Belfort’s mistress-turned-wife.
Robbie and her husband, filmmaker Tom Ackerley, have also co-founded LuckyChap Entertainment, a production company dedicated to creating women-focused projects.
Another Neighbours star who soared to Hollywood fame is Liam Hemsworth, who played Josh Taylor, the surfer who became a paraplegic after a tragic accident, on the show from 2007 to 2008.
1.
The 35-year-old actor is currently in a relationship with model Gabriella Brooks and will soon appear in season 4 of the Netflix series The Witcher, replacing Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia.