Terence Donovan, the British-Australian actor best known for playing Doug Willis in Neighbours and Al Simpson in Home and Away, has died aged 90. His son, actor Jason Donovan, announced that his father died peacefully in Melbourne, Australia on Saturday night (18 July).
In a joint statement with his brother Paul, Jason posted on social media: “Our Dad was a huge character, larger than life. He was our best friend … our world! We will desperately miss him but we take comfort knowing we were all here by his side in his final days.” The brothers added that they take comfort “knowing that he lived life to the max. Knowing that in life it’s either a daring adventure or nothing at all! How lucky are we to have a Dad like you.”
“Neighbours star Terence Donovan dies aged 90, son Jason announces in emotional tribute.”
Born in London in October 1935, Donovan emigrated to Australia in the late 1950s. He began his career as a singer before making his screen debut in the early 1960s. Ten years later, he landed two of his most famous roles: Detective Mick Peters in Division 4 and Detective Senior Sergeant Vic Cameron in Cop Shop, both popular Australian police dramas of the 1970s and 1980s.
Donovan joined the cast of Neighbours in the 1990s as Doug Willis, just one year after his son Jason left the show. He also appeared on Home and Away as Al Simpson. His film credits include Breaker Morant and The Man from Snowy River, and he performed on stage throughout his six-decade career.
Beyond his screen work, Donovan used his profile in the early 1970s to campaign for an Australian film and television industry amid an influx of US and UK content. Jason wrote alongside a photo of his father marching under a banner reading ‘T.V. MAKE IT AUSTRALIA NOW’: “The result of that campaign was an obligation on commercial television broadcasters to broadcast Australian stories.” Jason credited his father’s efforts with helping to foster the growth of the industry in the 1970s and 1980s, indirectly enabling films such as The Man from Snowy River, Breaker Morant, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Priscilla, Muriel’s Wedding and Crocodile Dundee.
Donovan continued acting into his later years, making his final appearance as Doug Willis in 2022. His granddaughter Jemma Donovan, Jason’s daughter, also became part of the Neighbours family, playing Harlow Robinson between 2019 and 2022. The Donovan family asked for privacy, with Jason adding in a separate post: “We want to pay tribute to all the wonderful staff at Cabrini Hospital, Melbourne who looked after him in his final days.”