Remember Neighbours Cast? This Is Them Now!
With their catchy theme tune – everybody needs good neighbours – the Neighbours cast have always been a piece of TV familiarity and comfort.
Home to huge names such as Kylie Minogue, Russell Crowe and Margot Robbie – the long running show is still going strong to this day.
But Hollywood superstars aside, what have the other inhabitants of Ramsay Street been getting up to? The cast members we often (shamelessly) forget about…
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Plain Jane, Jane Harris (Annie Jones) – THEN
She sounds like a superhero, but Jane was given the nickname due to her geeky, mousy and intelligent image; in a story reminiscent of almost every high-school teen movie, Jane went on a journey of self-discovery to transform from “plain” into a total stunner, with killer moves such as wearing make-up instead of glasses (though, in my opinion, wearing glasses, no make-up and being intelligent also equals total hottie).
The neighbours star goes on to steal Mike Young’s heart – though I can’t help but wonder if he wouldn’t have been interested before her make-over – though their relationship is doomed due to Jane’s new found confidence and effect on men.
Actress Annie Jones has won two Logie Awards and also starred in the show Sons and Daughters; she has also starred in sitcoms such as Newlyweds and even children’s TV.
In April 2018, alongside her many acting conquests, Annie returned to the role of Plain Jane in Neighbours – back to break some more hearts!
Annie Jones (Plain Jane) – NOW
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Jarrod ‘Toadfish’ Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney) – THEN
With an attractive nickname like ‘Toadfish’, it’s no surprise that Jarrod has been one of the longest running characters on the soap – who would want to get rid of him with a name that funny?
His length of stay on the suburb of Erinsborough has shown his transformation from original bad boy and rebel to a pillar of the community – and he’s even had more than one Mrs Toadfish during his time on the show. He’s served as a barman, DJ and is currently a lawyer – not too shabby Toady!
Ryan Moloney spends most of his time still playing his famous Neighbours role, but alongside the show, he has appeared in pantomimes such as Cinderella and Dick Whittington and has also appeared in Celebrity Big Brother, where he finished third.
Apparently, he despises the nickname ‘Toadfish’ – and we’ve no idea why.
Ryan Moloney (Jarrod ‘Toadfish’ Rebecchi) – NOW
Harold Bishop (Ian Smith) – THEN
One of the true greats of the Australian soap, the coffee-shop-running vegetarian with his trademark glasses stole all our hearts when he wagged that darn finger at us.
Harold’s time on the television soap opera had not been easy, as – during the course of his life – he was run over, suffered a heart attack and stroke, had amnesia and was swept out to sea; but he had his beloved Madge at his side throughout the majority of it.
After recovering from his heart attack, Harold left our screens to live with his granddaughter; but, unable to keep away, he returned in 2011 and 2015, and we thank him for it.
Neighbours has been a huge chunk of Ian Smith’s professional career, but he has also appeared on various daytime TV shows such as Loose Women, The Big Breakfast and Little Britain Down Under.
In 2012, Ian was immortalised by having his Madame Tussaud’s waxwork unveiled in Sydney – and that’s when you know you’ve made it!
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Ian Smith (Harold Bishop) – NOW
Madge Bishop (Anne Charleston) – THEN
Harold’s better half, Madge, was strong, hot-headed and a wonderful wife and mother; and her husky voice had us hanging on her every word.
Like her husband, Madge had also gone through the wars, suffering loss of eye-sight and eventually pancreatic cancer which she unfortunately died from – and broke all of our hearts. Madge left behind a beloved legacy, and had all viewers on the edge of their seats wondering how poor Harold would ever cope without his darling wife.
Alongside Neighbours, Anne Charleston has also appeared in Emmerdale, TV show Wentworth and has also dabbled in radio and theatre. Anne also had cosmetic surgery performed on her neck live on British TV for the show Cosmetic Surgery Live – rather you than me, Anne – and has appeared on BBC’s Masterchef.
Anne Charleston (Madge Bishop) – NOW
Henry Ramsay (Craig McLachlan) – THEN
Henry was the son of Madge Bishop to her first partner and the brother of Kylie’s character Charlene; he was also the guy who simply would not stop stealing things.
Henry’s father disowned him due to this, but it didn’t deter Henry, who continued to commit theft and was sentenced to 18 months in prison as a result. When he eventually put his criminal days behind him, he re-located to New Zealand with his bae Bronwyn and the two later married.
Alongside acting, Craig is also a musician, singer and composer, and has produced albums for stage shows such as Rocky Horror and Grease. Craig has also appeared in fellow Australian soap, Home and Away, along with a string of successful TV and film roles. In 2018, however, he was charged with indecent assault, and is yet to appear in court.
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Craig McLachlan (Henry Ramsay) – NOW
Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher) – THEN
Karl’s job as the local GP means he has connections and relationships (whether good or bad) with pretty much everybody on Ramsay Street; and as a series regular, it seems he’s not going anywhere soon! Karl married his childhood sweetheart, Susan, and their relationship throughout the series has been fraught with affairs, passion and a whole lot of making-up.
But the final straw has to arrive sooner or later, and eventually Susan filed for divorce after Karl hooked up with Izzy – just one of his many conquests following his split from Susan.
Alan Fletcher is a member of the Media, Arts and Entertainment Alliance – and is quite vocal about it too! He’s made various theatre and stage appearances, including a production of My Fair Lady and a pantomime version of Peter Pan (oh yes he has!).
He’s also the lead singer of his band, The Waiting Room (inspired by his GP character Karl, perhaps?) and has toured the UK many times with them.
Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy) – NOW
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Joel Samuels (Daniel MacPherson) – THEN
Joel was the ‘surfer-dude’ looking-guy who was a Marine Biology student and a Sports Shop Assistant (both admirable vocations); he was a hit with the ladies, but actually quite naive in terms of noticing when somebody was throwing themselves at him.
Following an accident, Joel became trapped under a car in a riverbank and, as a result, suffered injuries affecting his ability to walk – and thus affecting his triathlon dreams. Luckily, he recovered – and was later offered a job in Queensland by fellow marine biologist Vernon Wells, which Joel accepted.
In a nod to Joel’s fate, actor Daniel MacPherson married his long-time love on a beach in Queensland in 2015; he’s also starred in The Bill (and we love a man in uniform!), Wild Boys and The Shannara Chronicles. His film credits include Infini and A Wrinkle in Time.
Daniel MacPherson (Joel Samuels) – NOW
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Billy Kennedy (Jesse Spencer) – THEN
Billy was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed addition to the family occupying Number 28 Ramsay Street; Billy’s storylines mainly consisted of various love interests and his misdemeanours therewith.
Billy had awkward hook ups with Melissa Drenth and Anne Wilkinson; but despite communication breakdown with the latter, Anne and Billy actually eventually ended up happily married after Billy left Ramsay Street to re-locate.
You may recognise actor Jesse Spencer as an integral part of Hugh Laurie’s team in the hit show House; he also stars in the American drama Chicago Fire and has appeared in various films such as Lorna Doone, Stranded and Winning London.
Jesse was engaged to his House co-star Jennifer Morrison for a time, but the couple have since called off their engagement. He’s also an accomplished musician!
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Jesse Spencer (Billy Kennedy) – NOW
Jim Robinson (Alan Dale) – THEN
Jim was one of the original pillars of our favourite soap (sorry Coronation Street); he began his time as a widower, and during the years was involved in many storylines with new romances and baby drama, including miscarriages and failed adoption.
Jim also suffered a massive heart-attack and ended up falling for the nurse who cared for him; unfortunately for Jim, she already had a husband – as if his poor heart could take any more! And apparently it couldn’t – for after being duped by a gold-digger, Jim suffered another heart attack and died.
Following Neighbours, according to the Radio Times, Alan Dale was the victim of typecasting and struggled to find work, at first; but his re-location to the US proved fruitful, and he went on to gain a glittering career with many big-times roles such as Lost, Ugly Betty, Once Upon A Time and The O.C, to name only a few. He is happily married to former Miss Australia and has 4 children.
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Alan Dale (Jim Robinson) – NOW
Lolly Allen (Adelaide Kane) – THEN
Lolly has been played by two different actresses, but it’s Adelaide Kane’s contribution that we remember the most; as the name certainly suggests, she began as a sweet young girl who transformed into a rebellious, attention-seeking teenager.
Lolly’s attitude can’t very well be judged, however, when it turned out she was being abused by her step-mother, Sandy; in a bid for revenge, Lolly sabotaged Sandy’s car – but her plan failed, leading to an altercation where Sandy fell in a pool and hit her head.
Lolly’s Jiminy Cricket kicked in and she did save Sandy – the truth about her abuse came out afterwards, to Lolly’s good fortune. Hoorah!
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Adelaide Kane is these days most recognisable for playing Mary, Queen of Scots in TV show Reign; she’s also appeared in Teen Wolf and Once Upon a Time. She was most recently seen in the TV film A Midnight Kiss in 2018.
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Adelaide Kane (Lolly Allen) – NOW
We’re looking forward to seeing where the current Neighbours cast – Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis), Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne), Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor), Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou) – are in ten years time!
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