The ‘curse’ of Home And Away
Dieter Brummer’s death has saddened fans and added further fodder to claims of a curse on the beloved Aussie TV soap drama.
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Home And Away star Dieter Brummer’s death is the latest in a series of tragedies to befall the cast of the seminal Australian soap.
Brummer – best known for his role as Shane Parrish – was found dead in Glenhaven, in Sydney’s north west, on Saturday afternoon.
“The body of a man was located inside the home. His death is not believed to be suspicious. A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner,” NSW Police said in a statement.
Brummer shot to fame on Home And Away from 1992 -1996, becoming a teen sensation alongside co-star Melissa George. A Silver Logie winner in 1995 and 1996, he was on magazine covers and bedrooms walls not just across Australia, but the UK and beyond.
His post-soapie career was more of a roller coaster with credits including Medivac, Shark Bay, The Man from Snowy River, Rescue: Special Ops and Crash Palace. He later had adult roles in Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, Neighbours and Winners and Losers.
Brummer’s death has saddened fans and added further fodder to claims of a curse on the beloved Channel 7 show. Over the years, several actors who had appeared on the long-running soap have died in both tragic and mysterious circumstances.
Ben Unwin
Unwin died, just one day before his 42nd birthday, on August 14, 2019, with NSW Police confirming his body had been ‘located’ at Minyon Falls, near Byron Bay. Police said in a brief statement that the discovery was made during ‘a concern for welfare’ check and the death was ‘not being treated as suspicious’.
Annalise Braakensiek
Braakensiek, who played Lise for one episode of Home And Away in 1998, had raised concerns by posting a series of cryptic Instagram posts shortly before her death.
In one of her last posts from December 15, 2018, the troubled actress wrote: ‘Everything seems to feel twisted and upside down at the moment’. Police rescue and ambulance attended the apartment on January 6, 2019 after friends had not heard from the actress for days. They found Braakensiek’s body and said there were no suspicious circumstances.
Jessica Falkholt
The up-and-coming young actress, who played Hope Morrison on the soap in 2016, died on January 17, 2018 following a horror car crash. She was 28. She had spent three weeks in a critical condition at Sydney’s St George Hospital after the Boxing Day smash on the NSW south coast that also killed her parents and younger sister. Devastated family members said at the time, while it was a sad time, they were at peace knowing the actress was ‘back with her family’.
Russell Kiefel
The actor who played Roy O’Neale from 1993-1994, tragically died on November 20, 2016, after collapsing on stage in Darwin. The 65-year-old was performing in a production of And I’m the Queen of Sheba at Brown’s Mart Theatre when he fell ill, before passing away days later.
Megan Connolly
In 2001, the actress died at a relative’s home in NSW reportedly of a drug overdose. She was 27. Connolly had taken over the role of Rebecca Nash in 1998, after actress Belinda Emmett, who previously played the character, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Tragically, Belinda lost her battle with cancer in 2006, just a year after marrying TV presenter Rove McManus. She was 32.
Several cast members have also died of cancer over the years.
In January 2019, Darius Perkins, who played Gary Samuels in 1988, died of the disease aged 54. He had also played Scott Robinson on Neighbours in 1985, before the role was taken over by Jason Donovan.
On May 4, 2018, Cathy Godbold lost her decade-long fight with cancer. She was 43.
Australians will remember Cathy for playing Meg Bowman on Home And Away in 1992, and Sondra Pike on Neighbours in 1997.
Also in 2018, beloved screen star Cornelia Frances died of cancer aged 77. Cornelia was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2016 and doctors later told her the disease had spread to her hip and spine. She played the recurring role of Morag Bellingham on the soap from 1988 to 2017.
And then there’s drugs and failed marriages.
Putu Winchester-Stanton
The former Home And Away actor was among seven men charged with drug offences earlier this year following two separate investigations into the ongoing supply of cocaine in Byron Bay. Winchester-Stanton, 44, was arrested at a Mullumbimby home. He was charged with 10 offences including supplying commercial quantity of prohibited drugs and knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group. He appeared on Home And Away in 2000, Water Rats in the same year and Heartbreak High between 1997 and 1999.
Orpheus Pledger
The former Summer Bay star appeared in court earlier this month after being arrested earlier this year on drug possession charges. The 28-year-old was allegedly caught with half a gram of methamphetamine and 30 Diazepam tablets in February, and was arrested by police before being bailed. He has yet to make his plea. The actor played Mason Morgan on the soap between 2016 and 2019, and before that appeared in Neighbours as Noah Parkin in 2011.
Melissa George
The Paris-based, former Home And Away actress ended her five-year marriage to Jean David Blanc in September 2016, and has since been embroiled in a bitter dispute over the custody of their sons Raphaël, six, and Solal, four. The 43-year-old claimed she was left penniless after her marriage ended – and was forced to sell her prized collection of jewels and clothing to make ends meet. In early 2017, George and Blanc were convicted of assaulting each other following an alleged domestic dispute in 2016.
Lifeline: 13 11 14
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