Always Greener was a sleeper smash hit for the Seven Network, airing from 2001 – 2003 in 50 drama filled episodes.
Named after the popular saying ”the grass is always greener on the other side,” the show followed the fortunes of two families – one from the city and the other from the country – when they decide to switch homes and give life in either the country or big smoke a go.
Unfortunately for fans the show did get cancelled after two seasons due to declining ratings but now, 20 years after the last episode aired, the team at TV Week are keen to catch up with the cast and see if the grass has truly been greener for them on the other side since filming wrapped….
John Howard
John is now enjoying the quiet life in the country, having picked up painting as a new hobby.
(IMAGE: IMDB / Instagram)After his role as matriarch of the Taylor clan came to an end and John hung up his boots as John (yes he played a character that happened to have his in real life name), the actor went on to play Dr Frank Campion in Aussie medical drama All Saints from 2004 – 2009.
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He then had a guest role in one season of Packed to the Rafters from 2010-2011 before his final television appearance in the first series of ABC drama Janet King.
For any science fiction fans out there you may also recognise John for his role in the 2015 dystopian smash hit Mad Max: Fury Road, where he played supporting antagonist ‘The People Eater.’
Nowadays the now 70-year-old has found joy in a new art form – painting.
Speaking to 9Entertainment, John said his passion for paint came as a shock to him.
”It certainly surprised me because I’ve never painted before,” he said.
”I think it was just watching Sophie [his partner] paint and then you know I’d finished cleaning all her 148 million brushes so I just started doing it. It seems I have a kind of feeling for it because the people who see it say, ‘wow you’ve got the spirit, you can feel the painting,’ so that’s pretty cool.”
John is now currently living north west of Goulburn amid the rolling, granite packedhills of the Wheeo district, west of Crookwell.
Michala Banas
Michala is a woman of many talents!
(IMAGE: IMBD / Instagram)When Always Greener wrapped up in 2003, Michala was quick to jump to her next project, securing a role on McLeod’s Daughters as the character of Kate Manfredi in 2004, which she then portrayed until December 2008.
From that, Michala had guest appearances on Neighbours and Winners and Loosers, filled in for radio shows on the FOX FM network and even performed in nationally touring musicals such as Avenue Q.
Most recently the actress, who played Marissa Taylor on Always Greener, stared in ABC comedy series Upper Middle Bogan as Amber Wheeler.
Anne Tenney
Anne has decades worth of acting experiences behind her.
(IMAGE: IMBD / Supplied)Well known for her portrayal of Melissa on A Country Practice (who can forget THAT heartbreaking death scene), and Liz Taylor on Always Greener, Anne faded away from the public eye, making minimal appearances over the past 20 years.
Her most recent acting gigs have been in guest roles on Underbelly: Vanishing Act and on Back to the Rafters.
Daniel Bowden
Daniel is well an truly out of the public eye. So much so that the TV Week team were unable to locate any new photos of him!
(IMAGE: IMBD)Since Always Greener wrapped up in 2003 and Daniel said goodbye to his role as Jason Taylor, the young actor has made only a handful of television appearances, including INXS special Never Tear Us Apart in 2014 and four episodes on Neighbours.
Abe Forsythe
Abe has turned his attention to directing nowadays.
(IMAGE: Instagram)Unlike some of his fellow Always Greener castmates, Abe has remained relatively busy over the years.
With guest appearances in Blue Heelers, All Saints, Water Rats and Blue Water High and critically acclaimed in television mini series Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War he’s been hot in demand.
The actor has also won awards at Tropfest for his short Being Carl Williams and directed the controversial 2005 Cronulla riots inspired black comedy Down Under.
Following this, Abe then went on to star in 2019 sleeper horror/comedy Little Monsters with Academy Award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o and Frozen star Josh Gad.
He is also slated to direct the next installment of the RoboCop franchise, currently titled RoboCop Returns.
Abe played Campbell Todd on Always Greener.
Clayton Watson
Clayton is also enjoying the country life in the Daylesford region of Victoria.
(IMAGE: IMDB / A Current Affair)As Clayton Watson wrapped up his role as Mickey Steele on Always Greener in 2003 he was quick to secure a new one as ‘the kid’ in The Matrix Revolutions alongside Hollywood a-lister Keanu Reeves.
From there, Clayton made guest appearances on House Husbands, Neighbours and Sea Patrol.
His most recent television appearance has been as ‘Calgary Man’ in Young Rock alongside Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
Nowadays Clayton is enjoying life as a father in the Daylesford region of Victoria.
Speaking to A Current Affair in late 2021, the former actor said that being a dad was his true calling in life.
”Everything is very easy up here, compared to the Hollywood lifestyle.”
His new home base led to a new business idea and he then began studying wine to become a sommelier.
What’s even better is that Clayton has even opened up his own wine tour business – Daylesford Wine Tours – where he buses around corporate and family groups to visit the finest wineries the region has to offer.
Scott Major
Scott has turned his attention elsewhere…..
(IMAGE: IMDB / Instagram)Following his success on Always Greener as Tom Morgan, Scott kept himself busy!
In 2006, he wrote, produced, directed and starred in his own play called Both Sides of the Bar at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He then spent two years in the UK, making appearances on BBC soap Doctors in 2007 and Love Soup.
He then returned to Australia in 2008 where he played the role of Lucas Fitzgerald on Neighbours for five years until 2013 until he took a step back from acting to directing.
Of his decision, Scott said: ”I want to do it all. I also do a lot of writing. I write my own plays and put them on, direct and produce them.”
In 2019, he even won a directing award at the Australian Directors’ Guild Awards.
More recently, he directed episodes of 2018 drama series Playing for Keeps, 2021 miniseries Lie with Me and 2022 psychological thriller series Riptide.
Natasha Lee
Natasha’s most recent public appearance was in 2014 (which we admit isn’t that recent at all).
Unfortunately for Natasha as her time on Always Greener as Kimberley Taylor came to an end, so did her television career, her last TV gig being eight episodes on Home and Away in 2006.
Caitlin McDougall
Caitlin is married to fellow actor Erik Thomson.
(IMAGE: New Idea / Getty)Best known for her role as Sandra Todd in Always Greener, Caitlin has made sporadic appearance on Australian television over the years, most recently in A Beginner’s Guide to Grief in 2022.
She is married to fellow actor and Packed to the Rafters star Erik Thomson.
As of July 2022, they live in Port Willunga, South Australia.
Bree Walters
Believe it or not, there have been no new photos of Bree since 2003!
(IMAGE: IMBD / Getty)Famous for playing Pip Todd on Always Greener, Bree too faded from the public eye after the show wrapped up.
Her final television appearance was on a singular episode in a 2004 episode of All Saints.
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