STARS FROM THE STREET

August 8, 2022

WHO

AS NEIGHBOURS ENDS ITS 37-YEAR RUN, WE TAKE A LOOK BACK AT THE CELEBS WHO FOUND FAME WELL BEY OND ERINSBOROUGH

Guy Pearce ‘I’m a very nostalgic person’

It might be almost 33 years since his character, Mike Young, was last seen in Erinsborough, but Guy Pearce’s Neighbours legacy is strong. Along with Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Annie Jones, the foursome were the soap’s teen core when it began airing on Network 10 in early 1986 and, as a result, Pearce quickly became one of the show’s most-popular stars.

Catapulted to fame here in Australia and then overseas as Neighbours began screening internationally, Pearce was able to transition into a highly successful career in film and television after he left the series in 1989.

Back on the set of the show that gave him his first acting role, the 54year-old tells WHO about the mix of emotions he felt and the Hollywood star who was thrilled to see him return.

What does it feel like to be back on Neighbours?

It’s sort of everything. Surreal. It’s really lovely to be working again with the likes of Paul Keane [Des], Annie Jones [Jane], Stefan [Dennis, who plays Paul Robinson], of course, Geoff Paine [Clive], and Peter O’Brien [Shane] – it’s just remarkable. I’m an incredibly nostalgic person anyway, so I’ve always wanted to step back onto the show at some stage – and of course with the sad news that the show is finishing, it seemed like the appropriate time. Thankfully, I was planning a trip back home anyway, so it just worked.

Tell us about when you were first on the show.