Neighbours, an Australian soap opera, has given the world some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Gladiator’s Russell Crowe, House’s Jesse Spencer, and many others.
Neighbours, an Australian soap opera, gave us some of the world’s biggest music singers, but it also launched the careers of Hollywood legends.
Many of the original cast members, including Alan Dale, Guy Pearce, and Russell Crowe, had breakout roles in Ramsay Street before going on to become Hollywood’s biggest stars.
They paved the way for other Neighbours graduates, like Hollywood actress Margot Robbie and gorgeous heartthrob Liam Hemsworth, to follow in their footsteps.
They aren’t the only big people who have a connection to Erinsborough, and the Daily Star takes a look at the Hollywood stars you may have forgotten about from Neighbours.
Deborra Lee-Furness – Linda Fielding
Neighbours, an Australian soap opera, gave us some of the world’s biggest music singers, but it also launched the careers of Hollywood legends.
Many of the original cast members, including Alan Dale, Guy Pearce, and Russell Crowe, had breakout roles in Ramsay Street before going on to become Hollywood’s biggest stars.
They paved the way for other Neighbours graduates, like Hollywood actress Margot Robbie and gorgeous heartthrob Liam Hemsworth, to follow in their footsteps.
They aren’t the only big people who have a connection to Erinsborough, and the Daily Star takes a look at the Hollywood stars you may have forgotten about from Neighbours.
Alan Dale – Jim Robinson
Alan Dale, a Neighbours original, played Jim Robinson in the show from 1985 to 1993, before his character was killed off after a heart attack.
Alan scored roles in Lost, ER, and The West Wing after leaving Australia to pursue a Hollywood career, as well as Caleb Nichol in the adolescent drama The OC and Bradford Meade, the CEO of Meade Publishing, in Ugly Betty.
Alan’s Ugly Betty character died of a heart attack on his wedding day to Wilhelmina Slater, in a twist of fate that seemed to echo his Neighbours part.
Alan’s career did not end there, as he went on to star in TV shows such as Once Upon a Time and, most recently, Dynasty, where he played Joseph Anders from 2017 to 2021.
Away from the cameras, he is the father of three children and has married twice, first to Claire Dale in 1969 and then to Tracey Dale in 1990.
Ben Mendelsohn – Warren Murphy
When Warren Murphy, played by Ben Mendelsohn, stepped between Charlene Mitchell and Scott Robinson, it was one of Neighbours’ first stunning splits.
He ended their relationship after kissing Charlene after drinking too much, but we all know it ended happily ever after, with Scott and Charlene’s wedding becoming one of the most memorable soap moments of all time.
Ben has appeared in some of the world’s most successful films, including The Dark Knight Rises as John Daggett, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Director Krennic, and Spider-Man: Far From Home as Talos, as well as De Guiche in 2021’s Cyrano as De Guiche.
Between 2012 and 2016, the actor was married to Emma Forrest, with whom he has two children.
Russell Crowe – Kenny Larkin
Russell Crowe may have only appeared in four episodes of Neighbours in 1987 as former prisoner Kenny Larkin, but he left an impression on the Ramsay Street residents and viewers.
Since then, the Oscar nominee has appeared in a number of critically praised films, including A Beautiful Mind, Noah, Robin Hood, and Les Miserables.
He also received an Academy Award nomination for his role as Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator, as well as two Golden Globe nominations, a BAFTA award, and a plaque on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Not only that, but he’ll be starring alongside Chris Hemsworth from Neighbours and Home and Away in the upcoming Marvel picture Thor: Love and Thunder.
Russell is the father of two children and was married to Danielle Spencer from 2003 to 2018.
Guy Pearce – Mike Young
Guy Pearce, who played Mike Young on Neighbours from 1986 to 1989, was another young talent who had a breakthrough role on the show.
Mike’s will they, won’t they romance with fellow Ramsay Street resident Jane Harris captivated viewers, in addition to being a good friend of Scott and Charlene Robinson.
Guy’s career took off from there, with one of his first big roles opposite Hugo Weaving in the hit 1994 picture Priscilla: Queen Of The Desert.
He went on to star in films such as LA Confidential, Memento, and Iron Man 3 as the villain, but he just returned to television as Scrooge in the BBC’s 2019 rendition of A Christmas Carol.
Guy most recently starred alongside Kate Winslet in Mare of Eastown, which was released in 2021.
He lives with his partner, Game of Thrones actress Carice Van Houten, whom he has been in a relationship with since 2015, while he is not entertaining audiences.
Guy has one child from his previous marriage to Kate Mestitz, which lasted from 1997 until 2015.
Jesse Spencer – Billy Kennedy
In 1994, Jesse Spencer debuted on Ramsay Street as Billy Kennedy, the son of Susan and Karl Kennedy, two of the most popular characters on the show.
The blue-eyed heartthrob had fans drooling, but Jesse left the famous serial in 2000, stating in an interview at the time that “the plots were uninteresting and I wasn’t enjoying it any longer.”
However, it was not the last we saw of Jesse, as he won a prominent role in the popular drama series House as Dr. Robert Chase, alongside British gem Hugh Laurie, from 2004 to 2012.
He also played Matthew Casey on Chicago Fire from 2012 to 2021, becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognizable TV faces, and is married to Kali Woodruff Carr in his personal life.
Michelle Ang – Lori Lee
Fear Michelle Ang, who played Lori Lee on Neighbours from 2002 to 2004, was another Hollywood actress who got her debut on the show.
Her character became friends with Connor O’Neill and later became pregnant with their daughter Madeleine.
Michelle went on to star in popular Australian TV shows such as Outrageous Fortune and the TV miniseries Underemployed after leaving Neighbours to pursue her Hollywood career.
Michelle has garnered Emmy nominations for her roles in Fear The Walking Dead, NCIS: Los Angeles, Vegas, and My Life Is Murder, as well as appearances on NCIS: Los Angeles, Vegas, and My Life Is Murder.
She also has a role in the popular Star Wars animated spin-off series Star Wars: The Bad Batch, in which she voices Omega.
Liam Hemsworth – Josh Taylor
Liam Hemsworth, who starred in Independence Day: Resurgence, had one of his first appearances on Neighbours between 2007 and 2008, with his character courting Bridget Parker.
He quickly established himself as a Hollywood heartthrob, starring with ex-wife Miley Cyrus in The Last Song in 2010 and Jennifer Lawrence in the blockbuster Hunger Games film series.
He isn’t the only hunky Hemsworth sibling to have starred on Neighbours, as his brother and Marvel’s Thor actor Chris Hemsworth worked alongside Steph Scully at the garage in one episode.
From 2001 to 2002, their brother and Westworld star Luke Hemsworth also played Nathan Tyson, as well as the role of car salesperson John Carter in 2008.
Margot Robbie – Donna Freedman
Margot Robbie is a Hollywood actress who rose to stardom after portraying Donna Freedman in the Australian soap opera Neighbours from 2008 to 2011.
Donna was left distraught, along with her romance with Andrew Robinson, when her lifelong love, Ringo Brown, was killed in a hit-and-run.
She scored her blockbuster Hollywood role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf Of Wall Street after quitting the soap, before going on to play Harley Quinn in films like Suicide Squad.
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