Ben Unwin played Jesse McGregor in Home and Away from 1996 to 2000 and then again from 2002 to 2005, with the role being written specifically for him – he sadly died six years ago
Australian soaps have undoubtedly churned out a host of international superstars over the years. Two of the most prominent being Neighbours alumni Kylie Minogue, who portrayed Charlene and is the top-selling Australian recording artist of all time with over 80 million albums sold globally, and Margot Robbie, who played Donna and starred in the blockbuster film Barbie, which has smashed box office records.
Other stars who’ve transitioned from Aussie soapland to greater fame include Home and Away’s Ryan Kwanten (Vinnie), Isla Fisher (Shannon) and Chris Hemsworth (Kim), as well as Neighbours’ Jason Donovan (Scott), Guy Pearce (Mike) and Jesse Spencer (Billy). Some actors have continued to thrive in their original soap roles for years, such as Home and Away’s Ray Meagher (Alf), who holds the record for the longest-serving actor in an Australian drama series, and Lynne McGranger (Irene), along with Neighbours’ Ian Smith (Harold) and Stefan Dennis (Paul).
Stefan is now lined up to star in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, alongside names including Geordie Shore’s Vicky Pattison and TV presenter George Clarke. In other soap news, a Coronation Street and Mrs Brown’s Boys actor has died after a short illness.
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Regrettably, not all Aussie soap stars have been as fortunate, including actor Ben Unwin, who portrayed bad boy Jesse McGregor in Home and Away from 1996 to 2000 and again from 2002 to 2005. The role was specifically written for Ben, earning him a nomination for Most Popular New Talent at the 1997 Australian TV Logie Awards.
After his acting career, he ventured into the music industry, directing videos for bands like Culture Club and Chumbawamba, including their massive hit, Tubthumping.
Later, he earned a law degree and became a solicitor in Newcastle, New South Wales. Tragically, six years ago Ben was found dead at the base of a ‘cursed’ waterfall – he was only 41 years old, reports OK!. Local Aboriginal tribes in Australia believe the secluded 300ft Minon Falls in Whian Whian are “cursed” and harbour “bad spirits”, having claimed numerous lives.
Upon hearing the heartbreaking news of his death on 14 August, 2019, co-star Ada Nicodemou, who portrays Leah, wrote: “I just woke up to the tragic news of Ben’s passing, my heart goes out to his family.”
Just two years later, another tragedy befell the Home and Away cast when Dieter Brummer, who played the soap’s heartthrob Shane Parrish in the early 1990s, was found dead at his parents’ Sydney home.
The actor had been excited to be starting a new job as an aerial window cleaner, but his life had been disrupted by the onset of Covid-19.
In a similar vein, Neighbours’ original Scott Robinson, portrayed by Darius Perkins before Jason Donovan took over the role, sadly passed away in 2019 following a battle with cancer.
Home and Away has now graced our TV screens for 37 years, while Neighbours ran for 40 years before being cancelled – final episodes will be on our screens this December.
The show had been taken on by Amazon, but it announced it was sadly stopping production.