10 stars who started their careers on Ramsay Street

Neighbours hasn’t had an easy time of it lately. After the Australian soap’s future was put in jeopardy by Channel 5’s cancellation of the series in 2022, soap fans were delighted when Amazon Freevee stepped in at the last minute to save the beloved drama.

But the Australian show is more than just a soothing daytime entertainment program – it has also launched the careers of some major global stars.

Read more: The 10 most unforgettable Neighbours moments

Who knows what would have become of these famous former residents of Erinsborough if they had never had their time on Ramsay Street.

10 stars who had their big break on “Neighbours”

Kylie Minogue

She is one of the most famous women in the world, but Kylie Minogue had humble beginnings in the soap opera.

In the 1980s, she was one of the most popular characters in “Neighbours” as Charlene Mitchell, a mechanic’s apprentice who falls in love with the boy next door, Scott Robinson (Jason Donovan).

Looking back at her fame on the soap, it’s hard to believe that she actually only spent two years on the soap and was originally only signed for one week.

The show launched her extremely successful pop career, which also includes the duet “Specially For You” with Jason Donovan, which is still successful in her fifties.

Jason Donovan

Of course there is no Charlene without Scott and no Kylie without Jason.

The couple’s love story remains one of Ramsay Street’s most popular romances of all time and their wedding to the sounds of ‘Suddenly’ by Angry Anderson is often cited as an all-time TV highlight.

Scott stayed a little longer than Charlene as he was waiting to be transferred and join her in Brisbane. The couple’s first two children were introduced in 2014 and 2016 and told residents that their parents were still happily together.

Meanwhile, Jason Donovan also started a pop career in real life and had great success as a West End star in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. He also appeared in numerous British reality competitions.

Natalie Imbruglia

In the 1990s, Neighbours bosses realised there was room for another Charlene-style star and cast Natalie Imbruglia as Beth Brennan, an apprentice builder.

The character was best known for her romance with Brad Willis (Scott Michaelson), although their wedding was not quite as successful as Beth found out that Brad had cheated on her with Lauren Carpenter and dumped him.

The couple eventually married and moved to Perth, giving Imbruglia the opportunity to become a pop star and later a judge on The X Factor Australia.

Alan Dale

As one of the soap’s original characters, Jim Robinson, Alan Dale had a firmly established role in “Ramsay Street” from 1985 to 1993 as a widower who, together with his mother-in-law Helen Daniels, looked after his children Paul, Julie, Scott and Lucy.

However, when he left the production due to a salary dispute, Dale was cast in the role in Australia and started over in the US, where he landed some high-profile roles.

The actor is known for his work in “The OC,” “Ugly Betty,” “Lost,” “The West Wing,” and “Dynasty,” as well as his film roles in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” “The Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”

Margot Robbie

One of the biggest stars who started on “Neighbours” is Hollywood actress Margot Robbie.

Her first regular role on television was as Donna Freedman and she was part of the cast from 2008 to 2011. Although she was popular with fans of the soap opera, her career would experience a huge breakthrough after her exit.

Robbie moved to the United States and landed a leading role in the short-lived series “Pan Am” before becoming a movie star with “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Suicide Squad,” “I, Tonya,” “Birds of Prey,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” and most recently “Barbie.”

For her film work, she has been nominated for two Oscars and five BAFTAs and won two Critics’ Choice Awards.

Russell Crowe

Hollywood heavyweight Russell Crowe may not seem like an immediate fit for a soap opera, but one of his first roles was that of former inmate Kenny Larkin in Neighbours.

Although it was only four episodes and early in his career, Crowe told his biographer Martin Howden: “I read the script and thought, ‘This is terrible’. Then I got to the last scene and I had to punch Craig McLachlan and Jason Donovan was trying to break up the fight while Kylie Minogue was riding on my back trying to strangle me. And I thought, ‘I’m doing this.'”

Crowe’s decision seems to have been a good one, as he won an Oscar for Gladiator and had other notable leading roles in films such as A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, State of Play and Les Misérables.

The Hemsworth brothers

Liam, Chris and Luke Hemsworth all rose to fame in Hollywood after starting out in the world of Australian soap operas.

Chris is best known for his years on Home and Away but also had an early role on Neighbours, Luke has played two different Erinsborough characters over the years and Liam has appeared as Josh Taylor.

All three have launched successful careers with the show: Liam in the “Hunger Games” films, Chris in “Thor,” “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “Rush,” and Luke in the television series “Westworld.”

Holly Valance

In 1999, Holly Valance, then 16, became known to fans of Neighbours as Felicity Scully, a role she held for three years.

Valance eventually left the company to follow in the footsteps of Minogue and Imbruglia by launching a pop career with the hit single Kiss Kiss and also appearing in other TV roles, including Prison breakout and the Agatha Christie adaptation “The Pale Horse”.

After moving to the UK, she also took part in the 2011 season of Strictly Come Dancing.

Guy Pearce

Film star Guy Pearce got his first acting job in 1986 as Mike Young in the then new soap opera “Neighbours” and stayed there until 1989.

His illustrious film career since then has included leading roles in “The Road”, “The Hurt Locker”, “The King’s Speech”, “Iron Man 3” and “Mary Queen of Scots” as well as the recent TV hit “Mare of Easttown”.

Pearce has won an Emmy, been nominated for a Golden Globe, and has released two albums.

Delta Goodrem

Delta Goodrem got the perfect start to her life as a pop star in 2002 with a three-year role as aspiring singer Nina Tucker in “Neighbours”.

She then went on to become a music star in real life; her debut album, Innocent Eyes, became the second best-selling Australian album of all time.

Goodrem battled cancer at the age of 18, shortly after beginning her music career, but has since released six more albums, won countless awards and appeared as a coach on the Australian version of The Voice.

“Neighbours” premieres Monday, September 18 on Amazon Freevee.

Watch: Margot Robbie talks about homesickness