For anyone who grew up in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, Neighbours holds a special place in the heart. From watching after school, while making dinner, or at lunchtime in your student days, many of us can recall the cast from 30 years ago easier than we can recall the cast of something we watched five minutes ago.
Neighbours is set to be back on air within months in 2023, having been cancelled after 37 years on our screens last year. No doubt those residents of Ramsay Street will bring a whole new legacy after that brief time away. The Australian TV show is loved around the world and kick-started the careers of global superstars like Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Guy Pearce. But what has happened to some of the other cast members?
Here are some of the characters who were regulars in Ramsay Street during the early days of the show - and what has happened to them since.
1. Jane Harris
Actor: Annie Jones
Jones actually auditioned for the role of Charlene, which of course ended up being played by Kylie. Known as "plain Jane super-brain" in the show, she went on to star in several programmes, including in children's TV and guest starred in many Australian series including Wentworth in 2013.
2. Gaby Willis
Actor: Rachel Blakely
Born in Borneo, Blakely was a successful model, before she was spotted by the Neighbours casting director and asked to audition for the role of Gaby. She is married to a stuntman, Sean Rigby and they have two children. She splits her time between Australia and Los Angeles and has dual American-Australian citizenship.
3. Des Clarke
Actor: Paul Keane
Another of Neighbours' original 12 characters, he took the role originally auditioned for by Stefan Dennis (who became Paul Robinson). He was married to Daphne then had a relationship with Jane. After leaving Neighbours, he took up working in a pub but struggled to cope with fame, battling a drug addiction for 10 years. He returned to the show several times: For the 30th anniversary in 2015, for Neighbours 35th anniversary in March 2020 and again in December of the same year.
4. Daphne Clarke
Actor: Elaine Smith
Elaine Smith is a Scottish-Australian actress who was married to Des in the show and was our first Neighbours shock when her character was killed off. She had asked to be written out. She said "I love you Clarkey" to Des before she died.
She went on to star in The Flying Doctors and Home and Away, then returned to university to earn a degree in teaching, and is now a drama and primary school teacher.
5. Rick Alessi
Actor: Dan Falzon
Dan Falzon was just 17 when he got the role of Rick Alessi in Neighbours. Many a poster of Dan was ripped from copies of Fast Forward magazine and put up on the wall, or was that just us? Dan also appeared in the Channel Nine drama, The Alice where he played a park ranger. Dan currently works as a paramedic in Alice Springs and he runs an eco-tourism business with his brothers, Tom and Ben.
6. Mike Young
Actor: Guy Pearce
The character Mike Young was in a relationship with Jane and moved in to live with Des and Daphne. He has starred in many huge films including: Priscilla Queen of the Desert, LA Confidential, Memento and The King's Speech. He married his childhood sweetheart, Kate Mestitz but the marriage ended in 2015 after 18 years. He is now in a relationship with Dutch actress Carice van Houten and they have a young son, Monte.
7. Jim Robinson
Actor: Alan Dale
One of Neighbours' 12 original characters, he appeared in 1,064 episodes and was the most featured male character of the 1980s. He played the character for more than 860 episodes from the very first show until his on-screen death from a heart attack in 1993.
He has continued to be a successful actor both in Australia and the United States starring in: The OC and Ugly Betty as well as Lost, 24, The West Wing. He is married to a former Miss Australia, Tracey Pearson, and they have four children.
8. Brad Willis
Actor: Scott Michaelson
After appearing in Neighbours from 1991 to 1993, Michaelson also appeared on the New Zealand series Shortland Street and in The New Adventures of Flipper and Sabrina, Down Under. Scott rang a firm Biscayne Partners used to be Holly Valance's manager, who he sued in 2003. He brought a multi-million dollar case against the firm, Bankwest, in 2013.
He now runs a business called Smile Elite and manages top real estate agents. According to his LinkedIn profile, he previously co-owned a pub in St Kilda, opened Melbourne's first solarium tanning salon, and developed a skincare range that was awarded Skincare Brand of the Year in 2009.
9. Libby Kennedy
Actor: Kym Valentine
Kym joined Neighbours aged 17 in 1994 and stayed for 10 years. She took the lead role of Baby in a stage version of Dirty Dancing at the Theatre Royal in Sydney in 2005, then rejoined Neighbours in 2007. She took indefinite leave from the show in 2011 having a year earlier, been diagnosed with a life-threatening blood clot on her lung and had collapsed on a flight in 2008.
She announced her engagement to a former Australian Rules footballer in 2015. She has two children.
10. Drew Kirk
Actor: Dan Paris
Dan Parish joined Neighbours in 1998, left in 2002. He briefly reappeared in Stephanie Scully's dreams three years later. As well acting, Dan was an athlete and over the years competed in various triathlons. In 1998 he was Sports Person of the Year (swimming) in State Country Region WA. After Neighbours, he became a presenter and hosted various natural history documentaries and travel programmes. He is a freelance photographer and plays Mark Davies in TV show The Heights.
11. Annalise Hartman
Actor: Kimberley Davies
Producers spotted Davies when she was out one night with her then boyfriend, Scott Michaelson ( who played Brad Willis). In 1996, she hosted an Australian series called Just Kidding!, which featured outrageous pranks played on members of the public. She moved to the US and played a part in a short-lived night-time soap opera, Pacific Palisades. She appeared on I'm a Celebrity... in 2005. Now 48, she is married to a former model turned doctor, Jason Harvey, and has three children.
12. Madge Bishop
Actor: Anne Charleston
She may have felt like an OG cast member but Madge actually joined in 1986 as Madge Mitchell. She left in 1992 but came back in 1996. Now 79 years old, Anne joined the cast of Emmerdale in 2006, toured with Calendar Girls in 2010 and even guest-starred in Holby City in 2011. In 2005 she had cosmetic surgery on her neck for the Channel 5 programme, Cosmetic Surgery Live. Most recently, she appeared in TV series Bloom as character Loris Webb. She lives in Galway in Ireland.
13. Billy Kennedy
Actor: Jesse Spencer
Jesse Spencer was in the series from 1994 to 2000. He went on to star as Dr Robert Chase in House and as Lt Matthew Casey in Chicago Fire. Jesse Spencer dated British actress and singer, Louise Griffiths, from 2008 to 2010.
Spencer dated Brazilian big wave surfer Maya Gabeira from 2010 to 2013. He began dating Kali Woodruff Carr in 2014 and the couple married on June 27, 2020. He lives in Los Angeles.
14. Anne Wilkinson
Actor: Brooke Satchwell
As well as being an actress, Brooke Satchwell has modelled for Pantene and been an environmental spokesperson.
She has appeared in several TV series since Neighbours, including Black Comedy in 2014 and Dirty Laundry Live.
Satchwell had a five-year relationship with actor Matthew Newton but it ended in 2006 and Newton was charged with four offences including common assault, intimidation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Satchwell.
On November 26, 2008, Satchwell was in a building when it was attacked by terrorists in the Mumbai Terrorist Attacks.
She reportedly hid in a cupboard until gunfire ceased.
Satchwell was engaged to film editor David Gross from 2012 until 2019 but seperated by long distance the pair struggled to set a date for the wedding.
15. Gail Robinson
Actor: Fiona Corke
Corke decided to leave Neighbours in 1989, after deciding she wanted to experience life outside of the show.
She commented, "I love Neighbours and I've had a ball, but it's time to move on."
Reportedly, the producers and writers were surprised but planned Gail's exit their ideas included a fatal car accident, a disappearance, or a marriage break up.
They favoured the latter option.
Corke is a now well-known wildlife activist and campaigner and is vice president of the Australian Society for Kangaroos.
She starred in several series after Neighbours and is married to Nick Carrafa, who played Tony Romeo on Neighbours.
She left Neighbours in 1989 but returned in 2019 when Gail came back to get to know her granddaughter, Harlow Robinson.
16. Caroline and Christina Alessi
Actors: Gayle and Gillian Blakeney
They arrived in Erinsborough under the witness protection scheme and lived a difficult double life.
After leaving Neighbours, in 1993/94 they released two singles in the UK as 'Gayle and Gillian'.
The twins now run successful businesses.
Gillian runs a successful scarf line.
Both are married, Gayle has three children and Gillian has one child.
In 2019, it was announced they'd return to Neighbours for a three episode stint.
17. Julie Martin
Actor: Julie Mullins
Julie married Philip Martin and became his children's stepmother.
She was killed off in 1994 during a murder mystery weekend when body was found at the bottom of a staircase.
Julie Mullins moved to Tuscany in 2008, then London in 2012 and focuses on writing: blogs, children's stories and short stories
Most recently she has played Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd at the Northern Ireland Opera and Lyric Theatre.
18. Hannah Martin
Actor: Rebecca Ritters
She made her debut in 1992 and left the programme in 1999. She toured with the British Shakespeare Company and briefly appeared on Coronation Street.
Now 38, she lives in Berlin is the current news anchor for Deutsche Welle.
19. Joe Scully
Actor: Shane Connor
After Neighbours, Connor continued to act and even worked in the UK in panto.
He also appeared as a guest in reality TV show The Salon.
In 2013, he appeared as an outback Policeman in Wolf Creek 2.
You may have also spotted him in the Network Ten TV series Prisoner, House Husbands and Wentworth.
20. Harold Bishop
Actor: Ian Smith
Many of us are still haunted by the moment Harold fell from a rock and all that was left was his glasses in a rockpool.
Sorry for reminding you.
Ian joined Neighbours as Harold in 1987 before departing in 1991 and making an incredible return five years later when out of the blue he was back... but with Amnesia.
He stayed until 2008, making him one of the show's longest-running stars.
In 2015, the 76-year-old became the face of a new video series, Ask Grandad, backing teachers who deliver health and sexual wellness education in schools.
21. Joe Mangel
Actor: Mark Little
Everybody needs good neighbours.
But the last thing the residents of a remote part of mid-Wales probably expected was for Joe Mangel from the long-running daytime drama to suddenly move in next door.
Now, unrecognisable under a bushy grey beard, he's living miles from anywhere "finessing a magic acre in the wilderness" somewhere south of Lake Vyrnwy in Powys.
In 1994, he replaced Chris Evans as presenter of the Big Breakfast. Since 2009, he has regularly appeared on The Wright Stuff. He writes and directs theatre productions and is married to longtime partner Cath Farr.
22. Brett Stark
Actor: Brett Blewitt
Brett joined the cast in 1993 along with his sister, Danni, and stayed until 1996.
After Neighbours, Brett has worked as a guest on television shows and starred alongside the Olsen twins in Our Lips Are Sealed.
He has written production companies and is in collaboration writing with former co-star Jesse Spencer in Los Angeles.
According to Wikipedia, he now runs Great Race Sydney, which aims to promote the Australian city.
23. Beth Brennan
Actor: Natalie Imbruglia
She made her debut in 1992 and married Brad Willis in 1993, with the couple leaving Erinsborough for Perth (and leaving the show at the same time).
Imbruglia went on to become a huge musical star, of course.
This year, she released her first album since 2009. She co-starred in Johnny English in 2003 and was a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor in 2010. She lives in Los Angeles.
