From Ramsay Street to superstardom: Neighbours cast members who hit the big time

Working as a casting director for Neighbours for more than 25 years, Jan Russ played mother figure to many of the fresh-faced actors who would go on to find international stardom. Here is a look at some of Ramsay Street's favourite neighbours who continued on to forge acclaimed careers and find worldwide fame.

Kylie Minogue (1986-88)

During her run on Neighbours, Kylie Minogue played feisty tomboy Charlene Mitchell. Minogue's character was well known for her relationship with Jason Donovan's character Scott Robinson which resulted in the iconic wedding episode in 1987, broadcast to more than 2 million Australian viewers. After releasing two successful singles in 1988, Minogue left the show to focus on her music career. Since her departure she has released 12 albums to worldwide fanfare and won a plethora of music industry awards including a Grammy and 16 ARIAs.

Jason Donovan (1986-89)

Jason Donovan was cast in the role of Scott Robinson in 1986 to replace Darius Perkins after Channel Ten took over ownership of the program and aimed to revamp it. Donovan's character was a popular male pin-up and his relationship with Charlene Mitchell was a popular storyline during their run. Donovan left the show in 1989 and pursued a music career. He has released five studio albums as well as forging a career on the stage.

Guy Pearce (1986-89)

Guy Pearce was cast at 18 to play the character Mike Young, a troubled teen who was trying to escape from his abusive father. Pearce left the show in 1989 over a disagreement with management when he wanted to play Errol Flynn in a biopic film. Pearce has continuously worked as an actor since leaving the show and landed prominent roles in Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, LA Confidential and The King's Speech. Pearce said it was the hysteria and fanfare that he experienced during Neighbours that shaped many of his later film choices, saying he had never embraced the idea of stardom.

Russell Crowe (1987)

As a 23-year-old, Russell Crowe featured in a four-episode stint on the show as Kenny Larkin, an ex-jailbird who pulls a cash scam in the local pub. After experiencing success in Australian films he shifted his focus to the American industry. His international star skyrocketed after his role in Gladiator in 2000 for which he won an Oscar. Crowe has also played notable roles in The Insider, Cinderella Man and recently the biblically inspired Noah. Crowe has been nominated three times for an Oscar, and has also won a BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe for his role in A Beautiful Mind.

Natalie Imbruglia (1992-93)

At 16 Natalie Imbruglia joined the cast to play Beth Brennan, a country girl who moves to Ramsay Street to find a new life. Storylines for her character featured a romantic relationship with Brad Willis, who eventually she leaves on their wedding day when she finds out he had been cheating on her. After leaving the show Imbruglia found worldwide success with her debut album Left Of The Middle featuring the number-one hit Torn. The album sold 7 million copies worldwide. Imbruglia went on to release another three albums before moving to Los Angeles in 2011 to pursue an acting career.

Jesse Spencer (1994-2000)

Jesse Spencer joined the Neighbours cast at the age of 15 to play Billy Kennedy, the youngest member of the new family on Ramsay Street. Spencer stayed working on the show for more than five years before leaving in 2000 to pursue a film career. He starred in a slew of films like Winning London, Uptown Girls and Swimming Upstream before being cast to play Dr Robert Chase on the popular medical drama House. Spencer is currently playing Lieutenant Matthew Casey on NBC series Chicago Fire.

Holly Valance (1999-2002)

Holly Valance became part of the Neighbours alumni at age 16, playing Felicity Scully, the middle child of the newly introduced Scully family. Valance left the show after several years to pursue her music career. In 2002 her debut single Kiss Kiss received worldwide success reaching number one on the singles charts in both Australia and the UK. After a second album in 2003 failed to find as much commercial success she returned to acting, finding roles in Prison Break and CSI, and also working alongside Liam Neeson in Taken. In 2012 she married millionaire property tycoon Nick Candy.

Delta Goodrem (2002-04)

In 2002 Delta Goodrem joined Neighbours after she was noticed by producers in her recently released music video. Goodrem originally turned down the role, thinking the character was not in line with her musical sound. She worked with producers to rewrite her role as a shy schoolgirl and aspiring singer, regularly incorporating her music into episodes, and releasing her single Born To Try. While working on the show Goodrem released her first album which became one of the highest-selling in Australian history. She left the show in 2003 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma but returned in 2004 to tie up storylines for her character. Goodrem has released three more albums and works as a judge on The Voice.

Liam Hemsworth (2007-08)

Joining the Neighbours cast in 2007, Liam Hemsworth played the role of Josh Taylor, a paraplegic who became stuck in a teenage love triangle. After leaving Neighbours he found a role on Australian series Satisfaction before moving to the US to pursue a film career. His big break came when he was cast alongside Miley Cyrus in 2010's The Last Song. He became a target of paparazzi and gossip magazines after beginning a relationship with Cyrus. A lead role in the film adaptions of The Hunger Games followed, before a role alongside Harrison Ford and Amber Heard in the thriller Paranoia.

Margot Robbie (2008-11)

Margot Robbie played popular character Donna Freedman for almost three years before quitting the show to pursue a film career in Los Angeles. She broke onto the international scene in 2013 with her role in the Academy Award-nominated film The Wolf Of Wall Street as Leonardo DiCaprio's character's wife. Robbie is set to star in a slew of Hollywood films, including the film adaption of Z For Zachariah and as Jane in the upcoming Tarzan film.