Jason Donovan on Kylie Minogue: ‘It was absolutely perfect’

In a candid new interview, Jason Donovan opens up about his battle with drugs, what he makes of the nepo–baby debate — and what his wife really thinks about his relationship with Kylie Minogue.

Ina new episode of the Stellar podcast Something To Talk About, the Australian star opens up on Neighbours, nepotism babies and navigating the media’s enduring interest in his decades-long friendship with Kylie Minogue.

On the term “nepo baby” (Donovan is the son of actors Terence Donovan and Sue Menlove. His daughter, Jemma, is also an actor, starring on Neighbours herself for three years): “I’m just like, ‘Are you joking?’ What a load of bollocks. It’s drive, it’s passion. You might be able to get through the door, but sometimes those things can be a negative as well. I think of people like Stella McCartney, Paul McCartney’s daughter, [or] of other successful and sometimes not-so successful stories relating to parents who have been in the public eye. It’s about your passion. It’s about your work ethic. It’s about your timing. These terms leave me bewildered. Nepo baby? Oh, give me a break.”

Jason Donovan: ‘It’s about your passion. It’s about your work ethic. It’s about your timing.’ Picture: Daniel Nadel for Stellar

On his relationship with onscreen co-star – and, for a time, offscreen girlfriend –

Kylie Minogue: “The story is pretty easy to unfold. Skyways, Neighbours... the chemistry. I mean, acting life is about how we work with each other. And we just kicked it off and that sort of unfolded into our personal lives as well. Did it help the TV series? Absolutely. But

that wasn’t a set-up, it wasn’t pre-planned. It just sort of happened that way. And, in a funny way, it was perfect for that moment, for those years. You know, it was absolutely perfect.”

On what his wife thinks about the media constantly bringing up his relationship

with Kylie: “I think initially it was tough,and I’m sure she’d probably say the same

thing if she was sitting here right now. But when you put a ring on the finger and

realise there’s a lot that I’d been through, that it was time and that she was the person

I wanted to spend my life with, and you know, my best friend, then that other stuff just becomes completely irrelevant.

Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan. Picture: @kylieminogue via Twitter

On grappling with success at a young age, and how he reflects on his struggles

with drug addiction: “Success really took me by surprise. I just wanted to go out and have a good time. And it lasted too long. That’s the bottom line. I knew I’d come through it, but I try not to concentrate too much on that because the good news is I now know what I don’t want to do, and I haven’t been in that world for nearly 25 years. The only thing I would say as an observation [is]: the only person who can change you in those circumstances is you. You have to really dig deep. It’s not a time I’m proud of, but I don’t really regret it because it’s made me the person I am. I’m just lucky I didn’t die in the process. But if you’re trying to look for some psychological [reason for abusing drugs], there are none. It was just a bloody good time and it was the 1990s, for God’s sake.”

On returning to Australia to play Frank N Furter in the upcoming stage revival

of The Rocky Horror Show: “Rocky [is] one of my favourites; one of those musical

theatre experiences that’s like being in a band. It has an incredible heart; it dealt

with diversity and people’s opinions in the ’70s, and it’s still relevant. And it’s got

bloody good songs. So it just felt right. I did the 25th anniversary tour in 1998. I’m here to do the 50th anniversary. I will not be doing the [show’s] 75th anniversary

in the mid-2040s, I can tell you that.”

Donovan appears in The Rocky Horror Show at Theatre Royal Sydney from February 14 and at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre from May 18. For tickets, visit rockyhorror.com.au.

Jason Donovan featurse in this Sunday’s Stellar. Picture: Sam Bisso for Stellar