In this tribute, we remember the beloved actors from the iconic Australian soap “Home and Away” who have sadly passed away. Over the years, they brought unforgettable characters to life, and their presence both on and off the screen left a lasting impact on fans worldwide.
CHARLES ‘BUD’ TINGWELL (1923-2009)
In 1995, Tingwell played Dr. Gordon, who treated Angel Brooks when she was hospitalized after being hit by Alf Stewart’s car. He died from prostate cancer, on May 15th, 2009.
He was 86.
CORNELIA FRANCES(1941-2018)
She played the character of Morag Bellingham since 1988, after leaving the series she made numerous guest appearances, before re-joining the series as a permanent cast member in 2001. She died from cancer on May 28th, 2018, aged 77,
HEATH LEDGER (1979-2008)
Ledger played the the role of bad boy, Scott Irwin in 1997.
He died from an accidental overdose of
prescription medications.
BEN UNWIN (1977-2019)
Unwin played the character of Jesse McGregor in Home and Away from 1996 until 2000, and again from 2002 to 2005. He was found dead at the 100m-high Minyon Falls in remote forest west of Byron Bay on August 14, 2019. He was 41.
BELINDA EMMETT (1974-2006)
Emmett was the third actress to play Rebecca Nash (née Fisher). She appeared on Home and Away between 1996-1999. In 1998, aged just 24, she took time off from the show to undergo treatment for breast cancer. She died from the disease in 2006 aged 32.
JESSICA FALKHOLT
(1988-2018)
She appeared in 16 episodes of Home and Away as Hope Morrison in 2016. Jessica and her family were involved in a serious car accident on the Princes Highway at Mondayong on the New South Wales coast.
Jessica, her parents and sister passed away due to their injuries.
CATHY GODBOLD
(1974-2018)
Godbold played the character of the terminally ill Meg Bowman in 1992. Dying from leukaemia, she had a short but intense relationship with Blake Dean. Her death on the beach in his arms is an iconic moment from the show’s early years. Sadly, Cathy’s life was cut short by cancer too. In a tragic case of life imitating art, she died
from brain cancer, aged just 43
RUSSELL KIEFEL
(1951-2016)
Kiefel played the character of Roy O’Neale in Home and Away from 1993 to 1994 He died after falling ill during a theatre performance. He was 65.
ANNALISE BRAAKENSIEK
(1972-2009)
Braakensiek was an model, actress and television presenter. She appeared in one in July 1998 playing a character called Heavenly. She was found dead in her
apartment in January 2019, aged just 46
MEGAN CONNOLLY
(1974-2001)
Connolly temporarily replaced Belinda Emmett as Rebecca Nash in Home and Away. Megan died from a heroin overdose on September 6th, 2001 at the age of 27 while staying at a relative’s home in New South Wales, Australia.
JAI EVANS (1981-2024)
Jai played a student on Home & Away in 1997 but he then moved away from a career in the spotlight as an actor. He instead went on to build a career as a PR guru. He was found dead at his apartment in Sydney at the age of 43.
JOHNNY RUFFO
(1988-2023)
In 2013, he made his acting debut in Home and Away, portraying the role of Chris Harrington until 2016. Ruffo was first diagnosed with brain cancer in 2017 and after treatment it went into remission. In 2020, he announced that his cancer had returned. He died in 2023, aged 35.
DARIUS PERKINS
(1964-2019)
Darius Perkins played the character of Gary Samuels in 1988.
He had also played Scott Robinson on Neighbours in 1985, before the role was taken over by Jason Donovan. He died of cancer, aged 54.
SYD CONABERE (1918-2008)
Conabere played the character of Gerry in three episodes in 1994.
He died from natural causes at the age of 90.
GWEN PLUMB (1912-2002)
Plumb played Doris Peters in the pilot episode of Home And Away. In 1995. she returned for some guest appearances as Elizabeth Clarke.
She died from natural causes,
aged 89.
FRANK LLOYD
(1929-1994)
He played the role of retired carnival worker Neville McPhee. He appeared in the first 109 episodes, opposite Sheila Kennelly who played his wife
Floss. Lloyd died in, New South Wales, on 15 December 1995, age 67, from
unspecified causes.
DIETER BRUMMER
(1976-2021)
Best known for playing Shane Parrish in Home and Away, Dieter also appeared on Neighbours as Troy Miller in 2011-2012. He tragically died in 2021 at the age of 45.
