British-Australian actor Terence Donovan, known for his roles in Neighbors and Home and Away, has died aged 90, his family said. His son, actor Jason Donovan, confirmed that his father died peacefully in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday night. “Our dad was a huge character, larger than life itself. He was our best friend… our world!
British-Australian actor Terence Donovan, known for his roles in Neighbors and Home and Away, has died aged 90, his family said.
His son, actor Jason Donovan, confirmed that his father died peacefully in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday night.
“Our dad was a huge character, larger than life itself. He was our best friend… our world! We will miss him desperately, but it comforts us to know that we were all here by his side in his last days,” the post said.
London-born Donovan was also popular for his role in the Australian police dramas Division 4 and Cop Shop, which aired in the 1970s and 1980s.
Jason’s post, written with his brother Paul, said they will be comforted “knowing he lived life to the fullest. Knowing that life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all!”
“How lucky we are to have a dad like you,” they added.
After moving to Australia as a teenager, Donovan began her singing career before making her screen debut in the early 1960s.
Ten years later, he landed two of his best-known roles as Detective Mick Peters in Division 4, followed by Detective Senior Sergeant Vic Cameron in Cop Shop.
Donovan joined the cast of Neighbors in the 1990s as Doug Willis, shortly after his son Jason left the show. He also appeared as Al Simpson in Home and Away.
In addition to his six-decade career in television, his memorable film credits include his roles in The Man from Snowy River and Breaker Morant, as well as several stage appearances.
In the tribute, Jason also said his father used his profile in the early 1970s to drum up support for the Australian film and television industry after an influx of content from the United States and the United Kingdom.
“The result of that campaign was the obligation of commercial television broadcasters to broadcast Australian stories,” Jason wrote alongside a photograph of Donovan marching through the streets of Melbourne under a banner that read ‘TV DO IT AUSTRALIA NOW’.
“Without people like my dad, we might not have seen the growth of the industry during the 70s and 80s and, indirectly, Australian films like The Man From Snowy River, Breaker Morant, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Priscilla, Muriel’s Wedding, Crocodile Dundee. [and] “Strictly ballroom.”
Check back often for more exciting news!
