Legendary Australian actor Terence Donovan died in Melbourne on Saturday, aged 90.
The iconic Neighbours stars death was announced on Instagram by his actor son Jason Donovan in a statement.
‘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,’ Jason began.
‘Obviously this is an extremely emotional time and we ask you to respect our privacy.
‘We want to pay tribute to all the wonderful staff at Cabrini Hospital Melbourne who looked after him in his final days.’
Jason went on to reveal exactly what his legendary father meant to him.
Legendary Australian actor Terence Donovan died in Melbourne on Saturday, aged 90. The iconic Neighbours stars death was announced on Instagram by his actor son Jason Donovan in a statement
The iconic Neighbours stars death was announced on Instagram by his actor son Jason Donovan in a statement
‘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,’ Jason added.
‘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 was one of Australia’s most renowned actors with a career that spanned almost seven decades, beginning in the early ’60s.
Some of his most famous roles include the movies Breaker Morant and The Man from Snowy River and the TV shows Homicide and Sons and Daughters.
He also appeared on Neighbours, alongside his son Jason and granddaughter Jemma.
Terence was born in London in October 1935 and moved to Australia in the late 50s, which is where he began his celebrated acting career.
He was married to Australian TV presenter Sue McIntosh from 1965 – 1972, with the pair welcoming their son Jason in 1968.
His final acting role was in 2022, when he reprised his iconic character Doug Willis on Neighbours.
He also appeared on Home and Away, A Country Practice, Blue Heelers and The Flying Doctors.
Jason and Terence have acted alongside each other many times, including on Neighbours, the ABC drama MDA and the 2003 comedy movie Horseplay.
The veteran performer turned 90 on October 28.
He is also the grandfather of Jason’s actress daughter Jemma, 26.
Jemma continued her family’s legacy as she appeared on Neighbours as Harlow Robinson from 2019 – 2022, carrying on the same family name as her father’s character Scott.
She previously revealed her dad burst into tears when he discovered she landed a recurring position on the long-running soap as she spoke about relocating to Melbourne from London.
