02 August 2023 , 09:00
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Neighbours heartthrob Scott Michaelson is looking very different 30 years after giving up fame at the very peak of his soap star career.
The former actor is most famous for playing hunky surfer Brad Willis on the Australian soap between 1991 and 1993.
Yet he decided to give it all up to become a businessman and entrepreneur. Nearly 30 years later, Scott says he has never regretted stepping away from the spotlight. He went from Neighbours to landing roles in films such as Young Hercules, Flipper and Sabrina Down Under.
Scott, now 52, called it quits in the late 90s and decided to work behind the camera instead. He became a talent manager for emerging stars and signed aspiring models and actresses. Neighbours stars Kimberley Davies and Nicola Charles were both signed by Scott and later went on to become his real-life love interests.
Scott is now a businessman (linkedin/Scott Michaelson)
The former actor starred as Brad Willis in the soap (Getty Images)His biggest success came with signing Holly Valance and he helped her land a role on the soap in 1999. He also guided her towards a recording career. However, the pair became locked in a bitter legal battle when they parted ways professionally. In 2003, Holly was forced to hand over more than $350,000 to Scott after a court ordered her to pay for breach of contract.
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It came after the then 20-year-old chart-topper dumped manager Scott 15 months before their three-year deal came to an end. She claimed he was not qualified to handle her rising fame. Scott no longer works as a talent manager and has turned his hand to real estate.
Speaking of moving away from fame, he told Woman's Day: "I wasn't happy with not being able to control my own destiny and wanted a sense of security around my future. You're always at the behest of someone else [in the entertainment industry]. I just felt that people who control their own destinies seemed a lot more content with their lives."
He now runs his own business Smile Elite where he manages top real estate agents. He previously co-owned a pub in St Kilda, opened Melbourne's first solarium tanning salon, and developed a skincare range that was awarded Skincare Brand of the Year in 2009, according to his LinkedIn page.
Scott still has a bit of Brad Willis in him as he likes to surf when he has the time. He has also coached local football teams. Neighbours fans were left devastated last year after the show came to an end after almost 40 years. Many of the Australian series' best loved stars returned to Ramsay Street in 2022 for the show's 'last ever episode'.
However, it won't be long until Neighbours will be back on Amazon Freevee on September 18 and for fans who can't wait that long, there's a trailer teasing some rather dramatic developments. The O.C's Mischa Barton has joined the cast as Reece Sinclair. She pops up in the 40-second clip alongside Alan Fletcher, who plays Karl Kennedy, and his on-screen wife Susan – Jackie Woodburne. There's also a surprise wedding, although it's not yet known who is tying the knot.
Yet the news seemingly didn't go down too well with Kylie Minogue, who returned to Australia to resume her role as Charlene Mitchell alongside Jason Donovan, who plays husband Scott. Sources in Melbourne, where the soap is filmed, revealed the Padam Padam star – whose career took off while she played the loveable mechanic between 1986 and 1988 – felt she was 'duped' into going back.
Kylie's co-star Guy Pearce, who plays Mike Young, also seemed to make a bit of a dig at the reunion, saying if Amazon came to 'save the day', the whole thing would look like "an expensive exercise".