Terence Donovan (actor)
Terence Donovan | |
|---|---|
 Donovan in the TV series Cop Shop | |
| Born | Terence Patrick Donovan 28 October 1935 London, England |
| Died | 18 July 2026 (aged 90) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Other names | Terence J. Donovan Terry Donovan |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1960–2022[1] |
| Known for | |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 2, including Jason Donovan |
| Relatives | Jemma Donovan (granddaughter) |
Terence Patrick Donovan (28 October 1935 – 18 July 2026) was an Australian actor of stage, television and film. Donovan is perhaps known to audiences for his roles in the Australian police dramas Division 4 and Cop Shop, as well as his roles in the soap operas Home and Away as Al Simpson and Neighbours as patriarch Doug Willis. His film roles include Money Movers, Breaker Morant and The Man from Snowy River. He had guest roles in numerous serials including Prisoner, Sons and Daughters, A Country Practice and E Street. He was the father of actor and singer Jason Donovan.
Early life
Terence Patrick Donovan was born in London, England, on 28 October 1935.[1][2] He moved to Australia with his parents when he was 14, joining his older brother George.[3] Before his acting career took off, Donovan worked as a truck driver and a house painter.[3]
Career
Donovan started his career in theatre with his first professional acting job in the 1960 Garnet H. Carroll production of West Side Story.[1] After the production closed, Donovan stayed on with the Carroll organisation and appeared in the musicals The Most Happy Fella and The Sound of Music.[1] He later joined the Emerald Hill Theatre Company after meeting its founder, Wal Cherry.[1]
Donovan had minor roles in episodes of the courtroom drama series Consider Your Verdict,[4] several ABC drama plays and the children's series The Magic Boomerang.
After becoming frustrated by the lack of acting opportunities in Australia, Donovan returned to London in 1963 where he secured work with Rediffusion and Granada. He appeared in such shows as The Champions, Man in a Suitcase, Danger Man, The Hidden Truth and The Prisoner.[1][3] He had a season with the Oxford Playhouse[3] and went on to appear in No Hiding Place and the feature films Oliver! and The Strange Affair.[1] When his wife became pregnant, she returned to Melbourne as she wanted their child to be born there. Donovan took a job as an entertainment officer on a ship in order to join her.[1] After returning to Australia, Donovan appeared in a production of Oh, What a Lovely War![3] before he was offered a role in Thomas Keneally's play Halloran's Little Boat at the St Martin's Theatre. He also starred in Period of Adjustment at the same theatre.[1]
He went on to guest in Crawford Productions shows Homicide and Hunter in 1968, before he was cast in the role of Detective Mick Peters in Division 4.[1] He starred in Division 4 from 1969 to 1975.[5] In 1976, he appeared in the miniseries adaptation of the novel Power Without Glory by Frank Hardy.[5] He played the title role of Harry "Breaker" Morant in the first public performance of Kenneth G. Ross's Australian play Breaker Morant: A Play in Two Acts, presented by the Melbourne Theatre Company at the Athenaeum Theatre on 2 February 1978.[5] Donovan also appeared in the 1980 film Breaker Morant, but in the role of Captain Hunt, rather than as the title character.[6]
Donovan played the lead in the 1978 crime drama film Money Movers, which received critical acclaim, but was a failure at the box office.[5][7] From 1979 to 1981, he starred as Detective Senior Sergeant Vic Cameron in Cop Shop.[5] Donovan chose to leave the role before his contract expired and without any work lined up. However, he was offered a role in the film The Man from Snowy River as Henry Craig shortly after.[5] He also starred as lawyer Billy Flynn in the Sydney Theatre Company's production of Chicago.[8]
After his 11 month run concluded, Donovan took some time out to rest, but filled in for Jimmy Hannan, who had broken his foot, on an episode of The Saturday Show. Donovan had to learn four songs from the musical The Music Man in 24 hours ahead of his appearance.[9]
Donovan the lead role of Lt. Al Wheeler in the stage musical The Stripper written by Richard Hartley and Richard O'Brien. The musical was staged in conjunction with the Sydney Theatre Company in August 1982.[9] Between 1981 and 1984, he had minor roles in Australian television programs. In 1985, he had roles in Prisoner and Sons and Daughters. From 1986 to 1990, he had more minor television roles including the 1989 pilot episode of E Street as Ken Swanson, which was followed by guest roles in A Country Practice,[10] The Flying Doctors[10] and G. P.[11]
In 1990, he had a six-week guest role in Home and Away as the second actor, after George Leppard, to play Al Simpson, the father of original character Bobby Simpson.[10][12] He then starred in a production of Barnum in Perth, for which he learned how to juggle,[12] before playing The King of Troy in rock musical Paris.[10] He joined the main cast of Neighbours as Doug Willis in 1990.[13] He and his on-screen family were written out of Neighbours in 1994.[14] The following year, Donovan played Captain Hook in a UK touring production of Peter Pan, alongside Nicola Stapleton and Laurence Mark Wythe.[14] Donovan reprised his role as Doug for Neighbours' 20th-anniversary special in July 2005.[15]
In 2003, he appeared in the drama series MDA in the role of Eric Savage, father of Richard Savage (played by his son Jason Donovan).[16] In 2007, Donovan performed in the Magnormos production of Mary Bryant as Boswell. Donovan reprised his Neighbours role in 2014.[17]
He also appeared in the Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite documentary to celebrate the show's 30th anniversary, which aired in March 2015.[18][19] He reprised the role of Doug Willis in episodes of the serial in 2016, culminating in the character's death. Donovan later expressed his unhappiness with Doug's exit, saying that it was not the way he wanted to leave.[20] He made a cameo appearance in the show's then-finale episode in July 2022, alongside his son Jason Donovan.[21]
Personal life and death
Donovan was married to the actress and television presenter Sue McIntosh In Ashford Kent from 1965 until 1972.[22] They had a son, the actor and musician Jason Donovan, who Donovan raised as a single parent until he married his second wife, Marlene Saunders, in November 1981.[22][23] Donovan and Saunders subsequently had a son born in October 1982.[9] Donovan encouraged Jason to reject the role of Scott Robinson in Neighbours in order to finish his final year of school and get his HSC. The role was initially taken by Darius Perkins but Jason joined the serial in 1986.[22]
Donovan died in Melbourne on 18 July 2026 at the age of 90.[4]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Oliver! | Policeman (Consider Yourself) | |
| 1977 | The Getting of Wisdom | Tom McNamara | |
| 1978 | Money Movers | Eric Jackson | |
| 1980 | Breaker Morant | Captain Simon Hunt | |
| 1981 | Smash Palace | Traffic Officer | |
| 1981 | Strange Behavior | Mr. Brown | |
| 1982 | Night of Shadows | Harry Vinson / Blackie Webb | Short film |
| 1982 | The Man from Snowy River | Henry Craig | |
| 1983 | The Winds of Jarrah | Timber Marlow | |
| 1985 | Fortress | Detective Sgt Mitchell | |
| 1986 | Death of a Soldier | John Curtin | |
| 1987 | Running from the Guns | Bangles | |
| 1990 | Jigsaw | Jack McCluskey | |
| 2003 | Horseplay | Mr. Perlman | |
| 2005 | Puppy | Dr. Holden | |
| TBA | We All Have Our Demons | Abbie's Dad | Short film |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961–1963 | Consider Your Verdict | Keith Upton | Recurring |
| 1964 | Nude with Violin | Clinton Preminger | TV film |
| 1964 | The Hidden Truth | TV reporter | Episode: "One for the Road" |
| 1964 | It's a Woman's World | Jim | Episode: "Julie" |
| 1964 | The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling | Private Jenkins | Episode: "His Private Honour" |
| 1965 | Thursday Theatre | 1st newspaper boy | Episode: "Johnson over Jordan" |
| 1965 | Songs of the American Civil War | TV film | |
| 1965 | Songs of the Wild West | TV film | |
| 1965 | Chicago in the Roaring 20s | TV film | |
| 1965 | Object Z | Captain Wade | Recurring |
| 1965 | Armchair Theatre | Carrier | Episode: "The Titled Screen" |
| 1965–1966 | The Magic Boomerang | ||
| 1966 | Bat Out of Hell | Sloane | Miniseries |
| 1967 | Man in a Suitcase | Brent | Episode: "Sweet Sue" |
| 1967 | The Prisoner | Sailor | Episode: "Checkmate" |
| 1968 | The Champions | Radio Operator | Episode: "Twelve Hours" |
| 1968–1969 | Hunter | Wade / Biggs / Peter Grant | |
| 1968–1977 | Homicide | Gerald Stone / Greg Adams / Peter Mahoney | |
| 1969–1975 | Division 4 | Senior Detective Mick Peters | Main cast |
| 1974 | This Love Affair | Charlie | Anthology series |
| 1974 | Rush | Doctor Kirby | |
| 1975 | The Last of the Australians | Mr. Walker | |
| 1976 | Tandarra | Sean Daly | |
| 1976 | Solo One | Bill Morgan | |
| 1976 | Power Without Glory | Frank Lammence | Miniseries |
| 1977 | The Outsiders | Stan Fraser | |
| 1977 | Bellbird | Neil Farrer | |
| 1977 | Going Home | Miles Newton | TV film |
| 1977 | Hotel Story | Hotel manager | Main cast |
| 1979–1981 | Cop Shop | Detective Sgt. Vic Cameron | Main cast |
| 1983 | A Country Practice | Harry Taylor | Episodes: "Truth and Consequences Parts 1 & 2" |
| 1985 | A Country Practice | T. J. Riley | Episodes: "Seasons Come and Seasons Go Parts 1 & 2" |
| 1985 | Winners | Trigg | Anthology series |
| 1985 | Prisoner | Bob Taylor | Recurring role |
| 1985–1986 | Sons and Daughters | Tom Chaplin | |
| 1986 | A Single Life | Chris | TV film |
| 1987 | Emma's War | Father Grange | TV film |
| 1987 | Room to Move | Peter Trigg | TV film |
| 1988 | Australians | Episode: "Errol Flynn" | |
| 1988 | Joe Wilson | Walis | Miniseries |
| 1989 | E Street | Ken Swanson | Episode: "Tuesday" |
| 1989 | Mission Impossible | Senator Tom Oxenford | Episode: "The Fixer" |
| 1989 | G.P. | Darcy Watts | Episode: "Second Chance" |
| 1989 | The Flying Doctors | Jim Cardaci | Episode: "The Chips Are Down" |
| 1989 | A Country Practice | Joe Baxter | Episodes: "Fly Away Home Parts 1 & 2" |
| 1990 | Home and Away | Al Simpson | Guest |
| 1990 | Flair | Sergeant Doogan | Miniseries |
| 1990–1994; 2005; 2014–2016; 2022 | Neighbours | Doug Willis | Main cast |
| 1999 | Heartbreak High | Warwick | Guest |
| 1999 | Blue Heelers | Ian Waldron | Guest |
| 2002–2003 | Signs of Life | Travis | |
| 2003 | MDA | Eric Savage | Episodes: "A Closer Walk", "A Reasonable Passion" |
| 2013 | House Husbands | Doug | Guest |
| 2015 | Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite | Himself | TV special |
| 2015 | Neighbours: Hey Piper | Doug Willis | Web series |
Theatre
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Terry looks back in anger". TV Week. 15 November 1969. pp. 6–7.
- ↑ Donovan, Jason [@jdonofficial]; (27 October 2025). "Terence Donovan 28th October 1935 I've spent a lifetime trying to guess my father's age !!". Retrieved 28 October 2025 – via Instagram.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gordon, Robert (16 December 1972). "If I had a million!". TV Week. pp. 20–21.
- 1 2 Brown, Melissa (19 July 2026). "Actor Terence Donovan dies aged 90 after more than half a century on Australian screens". ABC News. Archived from the original on 19 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Murphy, Jim (18 March 1981). "Terence Donovan tosses in Cop Shop to go it alone". The Australian Women's Weekly. p. 8 – via Trove.
- ↑ "Terry Donovan – Cop Shop's head man has 'settled in nicely'". The Australian Women's Weekly. 17 December 1980 – via Trove.
- ↑ "The Fluffer gets hot for The Money Movers". FilmInk. 1 December 2025. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
- 1 2 Murphy, Jim (19 August 1981). "Hitting the top in Chicago". The Australian Women's Weekly. pp. 189–190 – via Trove.
- 1 2 3 4 Fraser, Jill (17 July 1982). "Father-to-be Donovan". TV Week. p. 21.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Brown, David (28 October 1989). "Terry turns child-basher!". TV Week. p. 28.
- ↑ "TV today". The Canberra Times. 18 April 1989. p. 12. Retrieved 29 October 2025 – via Trove.
- 1 2 3 Sadlier, Kevin (21 January 1990). "'New' faces for soaps". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 October 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Brown, David (26 May 1990). "...and Terry follows Jason into Ramsay Street". TV Week. p. 11.
- 1 2 3 Dunn, Judith (13 February 1995). "Terry's hooked". Shields Daily Gazette. Retrieved 27 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ Green, Kris (14 April 2005). "More Neighbours returns confirmed". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
- ↑ "MDA". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 October 2003. Archived from the original on 18 December 2025. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
- 1 2 Kilkelly, Daniel (14 March 2014). "Neighbours: Terence Donovan returns as Doug Willis". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ Knox, David (28 February 2015). "Airdate: Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
- ↑ Kilkelly, Daniel (4 March 2015). "Neighbours 30th anniversary schedule confirmed by Channel 5". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 5 March 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ↑ Miller, Erin (16–22 April 2016). "It's not the way I wanted to go". TV Week. No. 16. p. 9.
- ↑ Epstein, Jackie (26 July 2022). "Terence Donovan, Jason Donovan and Jemma Donovan all set to star in Neighbours finale". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- 1 2 3 Bourne, Kelly (6 September 1986). "That's my boy!". TV Week. pp. 12–13.
- ↑ Murphy, Jim (18 November 1981). "Star-studded guest list for actor's wedding". The Australian Women's Weekly. p. 23. Retrieved 22 July 2026 – via Trove.
- ↑ "Terence Donovan on Doug Willis". 10 Play. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 "Terence Donovan". AusStage. Archived from the original on 9 December 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ↑ "Hamlet (1964)". University of Melbourne. Archived from the original on 21 November 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ↑ "The Marginal Farm". Theatregold. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ↑ "Hurlyburly". Theatregold. Archived from the original on 19 April 2026. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ↑ "Modern Classic" (PDF). The Trust. 12 (4): 2. May 1988. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 November 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ↑ Edwards, David. "Paris: A Rock Odyssey (Music Theatre Melbourne) – theatre review". theblurb.com.au. Archived from the original on 9 November 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ↑ "Follies: Australian Concert (1998)". Ovrtur. Archived from the original on 14 December 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ↑ "Marina Prior in Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun". The Production Company. Archived from the original on 15 February 2026. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ↑ "Travelling North". Theatregold. Archived from the original on 13 September 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
External links
- 1935 births
- 2026 deaths
- Australian male film actors
- Australian male soap opera actors
- Australian male television actors
- British emigrants to Australia
- British male film actors
- British male soap opera actors
- British male television actors
- Donovan–McIntosh family
- English male television actors
- Male actors from London