Dieter Brummer, Home and Away and Neighbours star, dies at 45

Dieter Brummer, Home and Away and Neighbours star, dies at 45

Dieter Brummer, the Australian actor best known for playing Shane Parrish on the soap opera Home and Away, died Saturday in Sydney. He was 45.

"We lost our handsome, talented, funny, complicated and beloved Dieter," Brummer's family said in a statement obtained by the BBC. "He has left a massive hole in our lives and our world will never be the same. Our thoughts go out to all of you who knew him, loved him, or worked with him over the years."

According to reports, police responded to a welfare call at a house in Sydney on Saturday, where they found Brummer's body. No suspicious activity was detected.

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Brummer, who joined the Home and Away cast when he was 15, quickly shot to fame playing the love interest of Melissa George's character Angel Brooks in the 1990s. His work earned him a Logie TV award for "Most Popular Actor" in 1995 and 1996.

Following news of Brummer's death, the soap opera's official Instagram posted a tribute to the actor, writing, "Home and Away and @channel7 are deeply saddened to hear of Dieter Brummer's passing. Dieter was a much-loved Home and Away cast member and celebrated by Australian and international audiences for his award-winning portrayal of Shane Parrish. We send our sincere condolences to Dieter's family and friends during this very difficult time."

As news of Brummer's death became public on Monday, the actor's former Home and Away costars took to social media to pay tribute to their friend.

"Such sad news, such a lovely man and a good actor too. Much love to his family and loved ones at this terribly difficult time," commented Georgie Parker, who played Roo Stewart.

Costar Emily Symons, who played Marilyn Chambers, shared a sweet photo of the two actors on Instagram and captioned it with, "I can't believe this absolutely tragic news. Dieter was such a lovely, kind, genuine person. I always enjoyed working with him."

Brummer left Home and Away in 1996 but continued to star in numerous Australian television series, including the crime drama Underbelly and Winners and Losers. In 2011, he joined another soap opera, Neighbours, where he played Captain Troy Miller for 26 episodes.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends," the official Neighbours account posted on Monday.

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