When Terence Donovan died peacefully in Melbourne on Saturday night at the age of 90, his son Jason posted a tribute that ended with the words: “In life it’s either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” That line could have been his father’s motto. The London-born actor, best known to British audiences as Doug Willis in *Neighbours* and Al Simpson in *Home and Away*, packed six decades of television, film and stage work into a life that also helped shape the Australian screen industry—and by extension, the soap operas that became a staple of UK daytime TV.
Terence Donovan was a British-Australian actor whose career began in the early 1960s after moving to Australia as a teenager. He started as a singer before making his screen debut. His most famous television roles were Detective Mick Peters in the 1970s police drama *Division 4*, Detective Senior Sergeant Vic Cameron in *Cop Shop*, Doug Willis on *Neighbours* (which he joined in the early 1990s, shortly after his son Jason left the show), and Al Simpson on *Home and Away*. He also appeared in acclaimed films such as *Breaker Morant* (1980) and *The Man from Snowy River* (1982), as well as on stage. His final appearance as Doug Willis came in 2022.
“Terence Donovan, Neighbours and Home and Away actor, dies aged 90; his legacy and impact on UK TV explained.”
Why did an actor from Australian soaps become such a familiar face in the UK? The answer lies partly in the long-running popularity of *Neighbours* and *Home and Away* on British television—shows that have aired for decades on BBC One and ITV respectively. But Donovan’s impact goes deeper. In the early 1970s, he used his profile to campaign for an Australian film and television industry, protesting against the influx of US and UK content. His son Jason wrote that the result was “an obligation on commercial television broadcasters to broadcast Australian stories.” Without that campaign, Jason argued, Australian classics such as *Picnic at Hanging Rock*, *Priscilla, Queen of the Desert*, *Muriel’s Wedding*, *Crocodile Dundee* and *Strictly Ballroom* might never have been made—or at least might not have found the same audience. For UK viewers, that means the quirky, sun-drenched dramas and soaps they grew up with owe a debt to Donovan’s activism.
For UK readers, Donovan’s legacy is personal. Millions of British households tuned in to *Neighbours* and *Home and Away* after school or during weekday afternoons. His character Doug Willis was a beloved figure in Ramsay Street, and his family connection to Jason—who played Scott Robinson—added to the fascination. Jason himself became a global pop star after his role alongside Kylie Minogue. The acting talent has now passed to a third generation: Jason’s daughter Jemma Donovan played Harlow Robinson on *Neighbours* from 2019 to 2022.
Q: How did Terence Donovan die? He died peacefully at the age of 90 in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday night (18 July 2026), surrounded by his sons Jason and Paul. The family thanked the staff at Cabrini Hospital for their care.
Q: Which Neighbours characters did Terence and Jason Donovan play? Terence Donovan played Doug Willis, a long-running resident of Ramsay Street, from the early 1990s until 2022. His son Jason played Scott Robinson, the heart-throb whose romance with Charlene (Kylie Minogue) became a cultural phenomenon.
Q: What was Terence Donovan’s role in Australian TV history? In the early 1970s, he led a campaign to require commercial TV broadcasters to air Australian content. This helped boost the domestic film and TV industry, leading to major Australian productions that later became hits worldwide.
What happens next? Donovan’s family have asked for privacy. His son Jason said they take comfort “knowing he lived life to the max.” The actor’s final appearance on screen as Doug Willis remains available on streaming services, and his legacy as a campaigner for Australian storytelling ensures his name will appear in retrospectives of the country’s television history.