July 19, 2026 — 2:10pmTerence Donovan, a British-Australian actor known for his roles in TV soaps Neighbours and Home and Away, has died aged 90.Born in London, Donovan came to Australia with his parents when he was 14. Before acting, he worked as a house painter and a truck driver. He starred in the films Breaker Morant and The Man from Snowy River, as well as TV series Division 4 and Cop Shop, before playing Doug Willis on Neighbours in more than 500 episodesHis actor and singer son, Jason Donovan, shared the news that his father had passed away on Saturday night in Melbourne, in an update to Instagram.Terry Donovan with his sons.Instagram“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,” the update said.“Obviously, this is an extremely emotional time, and we ask you [to] respect our privacy.”In the message, Jason paid tribute to the “wonderful staff” who looked after his father at Cabrini Hospital, in Melbourne, during his final days.“Our dad was a huge character, larger than life. He was our best friend ... our world!”Jason and his father Terry Donovan.Jason Donovan“We will desperately miss him but we take comfort knowing we were all here by his side in his final days. 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. Jason and Paul.”Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts on email or turn on notifications in the app.Kayla Olaya is a culture reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners