It is a rare cultural phenomenon when a television matriarch, etched into the collective consciousness for over three decades, manages to shatter her own archetype in a single weekend. Jackie Woodburne, the actress who defined the moral center of Australian television as Susan Kennedy on Neighbours from 1994 until its definitive 2025 finale, has executed a pivot of startling precision. Immediately following the soap opera’s emotional conclusion, Woodburne re-emerged this December not as the beloved, sensible school principal of Erinsborough, but as Helen O’Riley, the besieged protagonist of the psychological thriller The Imposter. This transition is not merely a casting change; it is a calculated deconstruction of a thirty-year legacy, orchestrated by creator Jason Herbison to signal a new era for Australian drama exports. As the dust settles on Ramsey Street, Woodburne’s performance in this four-part miniseries offers a masterclass in tension, proving that the most enduring talents are those capable of evolving into their own shadows.
The Great Unraveling: Shedding Susan Kennedy
For thirty-one years, Jackie Woodburne inhabited Susan Kennedy with a warmth that became synonymous with the comfort of daily television. To audiences in the UK and Australia, she was a fixture of stability. However, the premiere of The Imposter on Channel 5 and Network Ten has effectively dismantled that familiarity, replacing it with a performance of jagged edges and paranoia. In playing Helen O’Riley, a widow clinging to a seaside hotel amid family betrayal, Woodburne has stripped away the maternal softness that defined her career.
The narrative architecture of The Imposter relies heavily on this cognitive dissonance. Viewers are conditioned to trust Woodburne’s face; seeing that face contorted by suspicion and fear creates a visceral unease that a lesser-known actor could not generate. The plot, centering on the arrival of Amanda (played by Kym Marsh), who claims to be Helen’s long-lost adopted daughter, serves as a vehicle for Woodburne to explore a darker, more fragile register. The industry buzz surrounding the show—specifically the “unrecognisable” nature of her performance—speaks to a deliberate shedding of skin.
This role is a study in vulnerability without weakness. Unlike the ensemble dynamics of a soap opera, where drama is shared, The Imposter places the narrative weight squarely on Woodburne’s shoulders. The transition from the “hopeful” finale of Neighbours to the murder-tinged noir of the coast highlights a range that was often constrained by the daytime format. It is a reminder that for decades, one of Australia’s sharpest dramatic talents was hiding in plain sight on Pin Oak Court.
A Study in Tension: The Aesthetic of The Imposter
While Neighbours was defined by its bright, suburban primary colors and domestic lighting, The Imposter operates in a visual palette of slate greys, oceanic blues, and deep shadows. The setting—a windswept seaside hotel—acts as a claustrophobic cage for the characters, a stark contrast to the open-plan living of Erinsborough. This atmospheric shift is critical to the show’s identity, framing the drama not as a soap spin-off, but as a piece of prestige crime fiction.
The visual language of the series mirrors the internal turmoil of Woodburne’s character. The hotel, which Helen resists selling despite pressure from her adult children, becomes a symbol of her resistance to change and her fear of obsolescence. The arrival of Kym Marsh’s Amanda introduces a chaotic element that disrupts this stasis. The styling and cinematography lean into the "coastal gothic" trend, utilizing the isolation of the Australian landscape to amplify the psychological stakes.
Critically, the casting of Kym Marsh—herself a veteran of British soap Coronation Street—creates a meta-textual dialogue between the two heavyweights of the genre. Watching Woodburne and Marsh spar on screen is to witness a collision of two distinct acting traditions, united by a script that demands high-stakes emotional labor. The aesthetic choices surrounding Woodburne, stripping back the polished "Susan Kennedy" look for something rawer and more weathered, underscores the show's commitment to realism over nostalgia.
The Herbison Effect: Strategic Industry Mechanics
The existence of The Imposter is a testament to the strategic vision of Jason Herbison. As the executive producer who steered Neighbours to its conclusion, and the writer/creator of this new thriller, Herbison is effectively building a bridge between the traditional soap model and the modern demand for limited series. By casting Woodburne immediately post-finale, he has leveraged the massive built-in audience of the legacy show to launch a new intellectual property.
This production model represents a savvy evolution in the content supply chain between the UK (Channel 5) and Australia (Network Ten). Rather than letting talent disperse after the cancellation of a long-running franchise, Herbison has recycled the “brand equity” of his lead actress into a genre that travels well internationally. Thrillers are a high-value currency in the global streaming market; daily soaps are increasingly niche. This pivot suggests a blueprint for how networks can retain the loyalty of legacy audiences while migrating them to more contemporary formats.
Woodburne’s involvement also serves as a risk mitigation strategy. A new thriller IP is always a gamble; anchoring it with an actress who has entered the living rooms of millions for three decades provides a safety net. It allows the production to take narrative risks—such as the complex, darker themes of matricide and identity fraud—knowing that the audience’s affection for the lead will carry them through the grimier plot points.
Star Power and The Minogue Renaissance
Adding a layer of gloss and high-profile intrigue to the production is the return of Dannii Minogue to scripted drama. Having last appeared in a major acting role in Home and Away in 2003, Minogue’s presence in The Imposter signals the project’s ambition to be viewed as "event television." Woodburne herself has praised Minogue’s "wonderful energy," noting the delight of working with a co-star who brings both celebrity gravity and legitimate acting chops.
Minogue’s return is culturally significant. It bridges the gap between the golden era of Aussie soaps (which launched the careers of the Minogues, Guy Pearce, and Margot Robbie) and the current era of high-end content creation. Her casting alongside Woodburne and Marsh creates a trinity of TV royalty that appeals to multiple demographics: the loyal soap fan, the pop culture enthusiast, and the crime drama aficionado.
For Woodburne, sharing the screen with Minogue and Marsh allows her to demonstrate her capability as a lead in an ensemble of heavy hitters. It shifts the perception of her from a "soap actress" to a "leading lady" capable of holding her own against international stars. This dynamic is crucial for her career longevity post-Neighbours, proving that she is not merely a legacy act, but a vital, contemporary performer.
Timeline: The Evolution of an Icon
- 1994: Jackie Woodburne debuts as Susan Kennedy on Neighbours, beginning a defining 31-year tenure alongside Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy).
- 2010: The show faces its first major cancellation threat; Woodburne remains a central pillar during the revival era.
- December 11-12, 2025: The final episodes of Neighbours air, concluding with an "elegant, hopeful" finale that closes the book on Erinsborough.
- Late 2025: Woodburne films The Imposter immediately following the soap's wrap, transitioning instantly into the role of Helen O’Riley.
- December 15-18, 2025: The Imposter airs as a four-part nightly event on Channel 5 (UK), followed by a broadcast on Network Ten (Australia).
- 2026 & Beyond: Woodburne signals openness to international work and complex roles, effectively entering a new phase of her career.
Future Forecast: The Prestige Pivot
What does the success of The Imposter signal for the future? Primarily, it validates the marketability of veteran actresses in the thriller genre. Streaming platforms and networks are increasingly recognizing that the "silver" demographic craves content that reflects their complexity, not just their grandmotherly stereotypes. Woodburne’s performance opens the door for other legacy soap stars to cross over into prestige drama, provided the material is gritty enough to shatter their previous image.
Culturally, we are witnessing the dismantling of the stigma surrounding soap operas. As the boundaries between film, prestige TV, and serial drama blur, actors like Woodburne are being reassessed not for the volume of their work, but for the endurance of their craft. The "Herbison Model"—using a soap finale as a launchpad for a miniseries—may well become a standard industry practice, ensuring that valuable talent assets are not lost to retirement but are instead repurposed for the binge-watching era.
Looking ahead, Woodburne’s expressed desire for "complex, flawed" roles suggests she will likely avoid a return to long-running serials in favor of sharper, shorter engagements. We can expect to see her name attached to psychological dramas, perhaps even venturing into the booming Australian film renaissance. She has proven that after thirty years of being the anchor, she is more than ready to be the storm.
Expert Insights
The industry reaction to Woodburne’s pivot has been characterized by respect for her work ethic and surprise at her range. In discussing the role, Woodburne noted, "Jason Herbison wrote a beautifully complex, flawed character in Helen, so I was thrilled to be asked to play her." This quote reveals her hunger for material that challenges the moral perfection of her previous character. Regarding the Neighbours finale, she reflected, "It ended with hope and a lot of positivity... I’m so proud of the way we wrapped it all up," indicating a clean emotional break that allowed her to fully inhabit her new role without the baggage of an unresolved past.
Written by Ara Ohanian for FAZ Fashion — fashion intelligence for the modern reader.
