Terence Donovan (actor)

Terence Donovan (born 28 October 1942), also billed as Terence J. Donovan and Terry Donovan, is a British-Australian actor of stage, television and film, and the father of actor and singer Jason Donovan (from his marriage to actress and journalist Sue McIntosh).

Donovan worked in his native England, but is best known to audiences for his roles in Australian soap opera including ''Neighbours'' as patriarch Doug Willis and in ''Home and Away'' as Al Simpson''. ''He has appeared in Australian TV drama series since the 1960s, including police drama series ''Division 4'' and ''Cop Shop'', as well as minor parts in numerous serials including ''The Prisoner'', '' Sons and Daughters'', ''A Country Practice'' and '' E Street.''

Career

Donovan, who was born in Staines-upon-Thames, Middlesex (now in northwest Surrey) England, United Kingdom, has been a staple of Australian television since the early 1960s, when he had minor roles in episodes of the court-room drama series '' Consider Your Verdict'', several ABC drama plays, and the children's series '' The Magic Boomerang''. After moving back to the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s he had guest roles in series including ''The Champions'', ''Man in a Suitcase'', and ''The Prisoner''.

After returning to Australia and appearing in guest roles in the Crawford Productions series ''Homicide'' and ''Hunter'' in 1968, he was placed on contract, going on to appear in ''Division 4'', as Detective Mick Peters from 1969 to 1975. In 1976, he played in a popular mini-series adaptation of the novel '' Power Without Glory'' by Frank Hardy. From 1979 to 1981, he starred in ''Cop Shop'' as Detective Sergeant Vic Cameron.

Between 1981 and 1984, he had minor roles in Australian television programs, and acted in the film '' The Man from Snowy River'' in 1982, playing Henry Craig. 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 '' The Flying Doctors'' and ''G.P''.

in 1990 he starred in ''Home and Away'' as the second actor, after George Leppard, to play Al Simpson, the father of original character Bobby Simpson. He followed this immediately with the role in ''Neighbours'' of Doug Willis, a character he played regularly until 1994, and made a brief appearance in 2005, when he reprised his role for the show's 20th-anniversary special. He returned in that role again in 2014.

Donovan appeared in a documentary special celebrating ''Neighbours'' 30th anniversary titled '' Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite'', which aired in Australia and the UK in March 2015. He reprised the role of Doug Willis in episodes of the serial in 2016, culminating in the character's death. 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).

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, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on 2 February 1978. (Donovan also appeared in the 1980 film ''Breaker Morant'', but in a subsidiary role, rather than as the title character). In the UK in the mid-1990s Donovan featured in a tour of a musical version of ''Peter Pan'' as Captain Hook alongside co-stars Nicola Stapleton, famous for her role in ''EastEnders'', and a young Laurence Mark Wythe (who has since become a composer and lyricist in musical theatre). In 2007 Donovan performed in the Magnormos production of ''Mary Bryant'' as Boswell. He also played in the Sydney Theatre Company production of Kander as slick, but dishonest lawyer Billy Flynn and Ebb's ''Chicago''.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

Interview with Terence Donovan at classicaustraliantv.com
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Donovan, Terence
1942 births
Living people
British emigrants to Australia
Australian people of English descent
Australian male television actors
Terence
English male television actors
British male television actors
People from Staines-upon-Thames
Place of birth missing (living people)