Australian actor Terence Donovan, star of Neighbours, has passed away aged 90.
His death was announced by his son, Jason Donovan, the actor and musician, on social media on Sunday (19 July 2026) morning.
He was best known for his 26-year stint as Doug Willis in the Australian soap, which he appeared in more than 550 times between 1986 and 2022.
Terence Donovan, who emigrated from the UK to Australia as a teenager in the 1950s, would go on to appear in some of the country’s most famous shows.
His other notable acting credits include Home and Away, Division 4, Cop Shop, Breaker Morant, Power Without Glory, and Sons and Daughters.
In the announcement of Terence Donovan’s passing, Jason and his brother Paul paid tribute to their father.
They wrote: “It is with great sadness but also a sense of celebration of a long full life that myself and my brother Paul announce our father Terence died peacefully last night here in Melbourne.
“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.
“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.”
Terence Donovan was also a strong supporter of the Australian TV industry and was part of the Make It Australian committee, and Jason has hailed his impact as “a trailblazer for Australian stories”.
In a post on Instagram, he wrote: “Without people like my Dad we might not have seen the growth in the industry during the 70s and 80s and indirectly, Australian films such as The Man From Snowy River, Breaker Morant, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Priscilla, Muriel’s Wedding, Crocodile Dundee, Strictly Ballroom etc. Without his action there would not have been Neighbours or Home and Away. All uniquely Australian. All successful on the international markets. And all providing the training and experience for the production crews and actors that are the bedrock of what is the Australian film and television industry today.
“It was his vision, his passion and his strong personal beliefs that, in a way, I, as someone who came up through serial television, benefited from, but also did countless generations of Australian audiences that were served by the entertainment industry that the Make it Australian helped to create.”
Fellow Home and Away alumni Dannii Minogue and TV presenter Gaby Roslin are among those to pay tribute by commenting on social media.
Minogue said: “I am so sorry you have lost your father. I love to hear about his achievements – this one here is incredible and it is lovely to how proud you are.”
Roslin wrote: “I am so sorry Jason for your loss. Sending you and your family my deepest sympathies and love and strength and he’ll always be on your heart ❤️”
