9 surprising celebrities who got their start on Neighbours - including 3 A-list actors

Though it's hard to imagine her as anything other than the pop icon we know and love today. Once upon a time, before the glitz and the glam, Kylie Minogue played Charlene Robinson, the tomboy-next-door who worked as a mechanic. Her slow-burn romance with Scott Robinson (played by Jason Donovan) goes down in iconic soap history. In fact, their wedding racked up almost 20 million viewers in the U.K.

Kylie, alongside on-screen husband, reprised her role back in 2022 when the show was originally meant to wrap up before being renewed by Amazon.

"Congratulations to the @neighbours team for the heart-warming and celebratory finale. You’ll be in my heart always!!!" she penned at the time, tagging her former on-screen husband as she shared a series of pictures of their characters over the years.

Before she was Barbie, Harley Quinn, and Sharon Tate, Margot Robbie got her start on Neighbours as Donna Freedman before heading to Hollywood.

Troubled teen Donna Freedman started as a stalker fan of Ty Harper, but Margot's effervescent magnetism led to her becoming a core character of the soap during her three-year run. Donna eventually married her high school sweetheart, Ringo Brown; however, it was a fated romance with Ringo dying shortly after being hit by a motorbike. 

Donna left Ramsay Street to pursue her dreams of becoming a fashion designer in New York – mirroring Margot's real-life rise to fame in Hollywood. Like Kylie, Margot also appeared in the original Neighbours finale for Toadie's wedding. However, due to her demanding filming schedule, she appeared via video call.

"My years living on Ramsay Street were honestly some of the best of my entire life. You all stood by me," the actress said in her short cameo.

Before he was Edmund Exley and Leonard Shelby, Guy Pearce was busy bringing Mike Young to life on our screens. Mike Young was the ultimate sensitive bad boy, complete with a soap-y, tragic backstory and a heart of gold.

He was also more often than not the third wheel to Scott and Charlene, until, of course, Jane Harris came along. However, the romance was only short-lived as Mike left Erinsborough in 1989 to take a teaching job in rural Australia. In real life, Guy went on to enjoy a massively successful acting career, starring in hits like L.A. Confidential and Memento.

Like his other co-stars, Guy reprised the role of Mike Young for the original finale episode, even reuniting with Jane for the occasion. Mike and Jane ended up buying Number 24 on Ramsay Street, marking a sweet, full-circle moment.

"It's where it all started for me professionally," Guy told Metro in 2022. "I've been asked to come back on occasions over the years and wondered if it was the right thing to do, but once I knew the show was finishing, I knew I had to do it."

Originally played by Darius Perkins, Jason Donovan took on the role of Scott Robinson in 1986. Son of Jim Robinson and brother to Paul Robinson, Erinsborough's restless schemer, Scott was everything Paul wasn't: earnest, idealistic, romantic.

When he wasn’t busy foiling Paul's machinations, Scott Robinson was busy building the epic slow-burn romance of the decade with Charlene (played by Kylie Minogue). When Charlene moved to Brisbane to start a new mechanic job, Scott followed her shortly after.

In real life, Jason pivoted from acting into a stellar pop and theatre career with the release of his debut 1989 album Ten Good Reasons, which featured hits like Too Many Broken Hearts, Sealed with a Kiss, and Especially for You, a duet with his on-screen wife, Kylie Minogue.

Jason also reprised his role alongside Kylie and Guy Pearce for the original 2022 finale.

"Neighbours changed my life," he told The Standard "To have not been part of the spirit of the celebration of 36 years of an Australian TV show about suburban life that sort of made the world sit up and notice our country, and to not give a nod to that, wouldn’t have been in good spirit."

Before she became a chart-topping singer, Delta Goodrem was gracing our screens as Nina Tucker, the shy schoolgirl with a phenomenal voice. When she wasn't battling her crippling shyness, Nina was in the throes of her on-again-off-again relationship with Erinsborough heartthrob Jack Scully.

She released her debut album Born to Try while she was still on the show, which launched her ultra-successful singing career. The following year, she released her follow-up record, Innocent Eyes. That same year, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, which saw her exit Ramsay Street until 2022, when she briefly reprised the role for the finale. 

Natalie Imbruglia shot to worldwide fame with her 1997 hit, Torn. However, before that, she played Beth Brennan, Erinsborough’s resident sweetheart. Her decision to ditch Brad Willis at the altar ranks among some of the most memorable Neighbours wedding moments (see: Scott and Charlene’s puffy sleeve, mullet extravagaza wedding, and Toadie accidentally driving himself and Dee off a cliff just minutes after saying ‘I do’).

Natalie left the show in 1994 and pursued a music career instead. Her debut record, Left of the Middle, earned her MTV Awards, Brit Awards, and three Grammy nominations.

Though his brother, Chris Hemsworth, got his start on Australia’s other soap Home and Away, Liam got his big break on Neighbours. The younger Hemsworth brother had a brief stint as Josh Taylor, a paraplegic teen who is in physical rehabilitation after a surfing accident. 

Though he only appeared in the soap for 19 episodes before making it big in The Hunger Games, Liam's character was the perfect foil between Bridget and Declan burgeoning love story.

Felicity 'Flick' Scully was Neighbours' resident teenage troublemaker. Portrayed by Holly Valance, Flick had a tendency to find herself tangled in sticky love triangles and forbidden romances, including with her sister, Steph Scully's fiancé, Marc Lambert.

Steph and Flick's epic showdown after Brad dumps Steph at the altar is certainly one of the most infamous soap scraps of all time.

After leaving Neighbours, Holly released her 2002 single Kiss Kiss and pivoted into more serious acting roles in Prison Break and Taken.

The patriarch of Ramsay Street and one of the show's original characters, Jim Robinson was portrayed by Alan Dale. Jim, who was the widowed father of Paul, Julie, Scott, and Lucy Robinson, quickly became one of the show's most beloved characters.

Jim was the surrogate father to the troubled kids of Erinsborough and frequently clashed with his eldest son, Paul. He remained on the show until 1993, when he suffered a fatal heart attack.

In real life, Alan moved to the U.S. and enjoyed a successful career appearing as the stoic patriarch figure in other shows such as The O.C., Ugly Betty, Lost, and the Dynasty reboot.