23 September 2023 , 13:08
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Dan Falzon has come a long way from his showbiz days, having once starred on the same Australian show that gave Barbie icon Margot Robbie her big break back in 2008.
The 50-year-old actor, best known for playing Rick Alessi on Neighbours in the mid 90s, looks completely different in 2023 from his heartthrob character on the long-running soap. Falzon's portrayal of the rebellious teenager earned him plenty of praise from viewers and critics alike, along with a snazzy nomination for Most Popular Actor at the 1st National Television Awards.
After three years bringing all the drama to the fictional suburb Erinsborough, Falzon left Neighbours in 1995. "I had a phenomenal run on the show and leaving was a big decision to make but there comes a time when you know that it's finally right," he said at the time. Rather than pursue acting, however, Falzon decided to take an entirely different route with his career.
Dan has a very different career these days (Instagram/sanctuary_nt)He went on to train in healthcare, qualifying as a paramedic with St. John's Ambulance – a skill he later shared with the public in the 2014 Channel 9 docuseries Outback Paramedic. He also started an alternative rock band called Milk in 1997 with his brother, only to quit after releasing just one single, and had a short stint as an environmental Youtuber in 2008.
Today, Falzon is the managing director of operations at Earth Sanctuary, an eco-tourism and astronomy business. The company, which was founded in 1999 and is located near Alice Springs, aims to promote positive solutions in sustainable living in the face of a worsening climate crisis.
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Falzon's two brothers, Ben and Tom, as well as his father, Joe, are also members of the team at Earth Sanctuary. When the former soap star isn't busy running the business, he's getting his hands dirty giving tours to visitors as a Senior Adventure Guide. “We have built the business up to offer award – winning day and evening tours to visitors to the central Australian outback. Our vision is to be Australia’s leading provider of 100% carbon – neutral education, tours and events," the brothers told the media. In his personal life, Falzon is now married to Alana, with whom he shares a daughter.
Neighbours is set to return to our screens tonight following the Australian soap airing it's supposed final episode last year. The Neighbours finale in July 2022 saw Kylie Minogue, Margot Robbie, Jason Donovan and more former stars return to bid farewell to Ramsay Street. However, Neighbours make and comeback and will be available in the UK and US on Amazon Freevee and Prime Video for Australian fans from September this year, with a brand-new family joining the cast. Amazon saved Neighbours following its axe last year and has since added old episodes from over the years on Freevee for soap fans to catch up on ahead of new episodes dropping in September.