Neighbours and Home and Away star’s sad ‘cursed’ death days after quitting soap
Neighbours and Home and Away star’s sad ‘cursed’ death days after quitting soap
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
Actor Ben Unwin (1977 – 2019) with his sister at the first Australian Cosmopolitan Annual Style Awards at the Director’s Suite at Fox Studios in Sydney. (Photo by Patrick Riviere/Getty Images).
Australian soaps have certainly produced some incredible TV stars over the years. Two of the most notable are Neighbours’ alumni Kylie Minogue, who played Charlene and is Australia’s top-selling recording artist with over 80 million albums sold worldwide, and Margot Robbie, who portrayed Donna and starred in the box office hit Barbie.
Other actors who’ve made the leap from Aussie soapland to global 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 have continued to shine 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 set to appear in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, alongside names like Geordie Shore’s Vicky Pattison and TV presenter George Clarke.
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Sadly, not all Australian soap stars have been as lucky, including actor Ben Unwin, who played the role of bad boy Jesse McGregor in Home and Away from 1996 to 2000 and again from 2002 to 2005.
The character was specifically created for Ben, earning him a nomination for Most Popular New Talent at the 1997 Australian TV Logie Awards.
After his acting career, he delved into the music industry, directing videos for bands like Culture Club and Chumbawamba, including their massive hit, Tubthumping, reports the Mirror.
Later on, he obtained 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, according to 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.
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Upon learning the devastating news of his death on 14 August, 2019, co-star Ada Nicodemou, who plays 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 struck the Home and Away cast when Dieter Brummer, who portrayed the soap’s heartthrob Shane Parrish in the early 1990s, was found dead at his parents’ Sydney home.
The actor had been thrilled 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 related note, Darius Perkins, the original Scott Robinson from Neighbours before Jason Donovan assumed the role, tragically passed away in 2019 after a fight with cancer.
Home and Away has been a staple on our telly for 37 years, while Neighbours had a run of 40 years before its cancellation – the final episodes are set to air this December.
The programme was picked up by Amazon, but they have unfortunately announced the cessation of production.
