The Kiwi stars shining bright on Neighbours

He’s famous for his roles in Ugly Betty, The OC and 24. But before he made it big in America, Alan rose to stardom as Jim, the beloved patriarch of the Robinson family.

A widowed father-of-four, including Paul and Jason Donovan’s Scott, Jim was one of the original 12 characters created for the series and appeared from the very first episode.

The Dunedin-born star, 78, left the series in 1993 due to a pay dispute. He didn’t mince words when asked about his time on the show.

“My worst experience was working for Neighbours,” the father of two said in a 2008 interview. “The team practically forced us to be miserable.

“They paid us nothing. They sold Neighbours around the world and the money we got didn’t reflect that.”

The Head High star is a recent addition to the Ramsay Street crew. He made his debut in 2024 as the ex-husband of the long-running character Jane Harris, played by Annie Jones.

Jane first appeared on the show in the ’80s, but left in 1989 and didn’t return until 2018. The absent father of her two children, Vic Stone was often mentioned. However, no one ever saw him until Craig took up the role.

Craig, 51, is no stranger to the world of soaps. He has made a brief appearance on Shortland Street and viewers can currently see him on Australia’s other iconic series Home and Away.

A decade before she was stealing scenes in The White Lotus, Morgana, 39, had a memorable stint as Sheila Canning’s daughter Naomi.

In the 18 months she was on the show from 2015, the temptress made a reputation for herself as Erinsborough’s resident homewrecker. Her most notable quest was trying to tear apart the marriage of beloved actor Ryan Moloney’s character Toadie Rebecchi’s marriage to Sonya.

In real life, Morgana is happily married to her Emmy Award-winning husband Peter Salmon, 49, with whom she shares daughter Luna, nine, and son Ziggy, six. The Mean Mums star relished the chance to play someone so unlike herself.

“It’s so good exploring a character so different from yourself,” she tells. “To justify a person’s actions and behaviour, without judgement, and have fun doing it is what it’s all about.”

Zoe made her debut in 2015 as Amy Williams, the estranged daughter of notorious Ramsay Street baddie Paul Robinson, played by Stefan Dennis.

Speaking on her casting, the now-40-year-old couldn’t conceal her delight at getting to act alongside one of the original stars of the soap.

“I grew up watching Neighbours,” she said. “It’s a bit surreal to now be playing his daughter and getting into some full-on arguments with him.”

The Papamoa local made such an impact during her five-year stint, she was one of the iconic characters invited back for the 2022 finale, alongside the likes of Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce.

One of her biggest moments includes falling for Leo Tanaka – played by fellow Kiwi Tim Kano – before discovering he’s her half-brother.

A 19-year-old Jay Bunyan, as people knew him then, earned his first permanent TV role as Jack, the eldest son of the Scully family.

He made his debut in 2002 as the troubled teen who returns to Erinsborough after his football team in England dropped him.

Best remembered for his romance with Delta Goodrem’s good-girl Nina, they were an unlikely pair, but proved to be soulmates. When Jay eventually left in 2005, the producers wrote him out by moving him to America with Nina.

The Go Girls star’s gone on to become one of New Zealand’s most successful exports. He regularly appears in series like Beauty and the Beast and Netflix’s North of North, as well as blockbuster horror It Chapter Two.