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Actor, Cameo & Crew Profiles > Actor Profiles > Jason Donovan

Jason Donovan was born in Malvern, Melbourne, Australia on 1st June 1968 to parents Sue Menlove and Terence Donovan. After his parents’ separation and divorce in 1972, Jason was brought up by his father.

Jason made his first television appearance when he was eleven years old, playing a guest role on the Australian series Skyways in 1980. In the episode, his on-screen sister was played by future Neighbours co-star Kylie Minogue. He also appeared in the series I Can Jump Puddles in 1981 and Golden Pennies in 1985.

In 1986, Jason made his debut in Neighbours as Scott Robinson, replacing actor Darius Perkins, who had played the role for the first year of the series. Jason quickly formed a very popular partnership with Kylie Minogue, who played Scott's girlfriend, and later wife, Charlene. Jason won his first Logie Award for "Best New Talent" in 1987 and received a commendation in the category "Performance by a Male Actor In a Series" from the Television Society of Australia's Penguin Awards. In 1988 Jason was awarded the Silver Logie for the "Most Popular Actor" on Australian television. Jason left Neighbours in 1989. Alongside Neighbours, Jason appeared as Happy Houston in the 1988 Australian World War II mini-series The Heroes and won the 1990 Logie Award for "Most Popular Actor in a Mini-Series".

Following Neighbours, Jason embarked upon his singing career: his first single, Nothing Can Divide Us, was released in 1988. Jason’s next single was a duet with Kylie titled Especially for You. In December 1989, Jason again sang with Kylie, as they btoh took part in Band Aid II's version of Do They Know it's Christmas. Between 1988 and 1992, Jason had sixteen Top 40 hit singles in the UK.

Jason maintained his acting career alongside his music success, and in 1990 he appeared in his first feature film, Blood Oath (this was released in some countries as Prisoners of the Sun). In 1991, Jason took on the lead role of Joseph in the London Palladium version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This led to Jason’s third solo UK No. 1 single with one of its songs, Any Dream Will Do. In 1998, Jason played the lead role of Dr. Frank N. Furter in the UK touring production of The Rocky Horror Show. It was during this tour that Jason met stage manager Angela Malloch, the two went on to marry and have a daughter, Jemma, in 2000. Jason went on to star in MDA between 2003 and 2005, on Australia's ABC network.

In late 2004, Jason starred in the stage musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium and continued his stage career in 2006, starring in a UK tour of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. Back in Melbourne, Jason starred in David Eldrige's Australian transfer of the London drama Festen. Jason took part in I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2006, finishing in third place, and in 2009, he took on the part of Tick (Mitzi) in the London stage musical production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre.

In 2010, Jason took part in the BBC television series Who Do You Think You Are?, tracing his family tree back several generations. Jason's fifth studio album, Soundtrack of the 80s, was released in 2010 and in 2012 Jason released a new album of covers, Sign Of Your Love. In 2013, Jason reprised his role as Tick/Mitzi in the popular UK national touring production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In March 2015, Jason took part in Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite, a documentary marking 30 years of the soap, with past and present actors looking back on working on the show and how it affected their careers.

In May 2015, it was announced that Jason would spend 2016 touring the UK with his Greatest Hits tour, celebrating the songs of his debut 1989 album Ten Good Reasons.

Profile by Debbie