The Assassin fans are only just recognising Neighbours legend in pivotal role

The Assassin airs on Prime Video and the exhilarating drama stars Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmoreas estranged mother and son, Julie and Edward.

Julie, a retired killer for hire, had been living a life of solitude in the stunning setting of Greece in The Assassin until her son showed up with questions about his upbringing.

As Julie's past came back to haunt her, various influential figures from her life were introduced, including Aaron Cross - the billionaire father of Edward's fiancée Kayla (Shalom Brune-Franklin).

Viewers are only just realising Aaron Cross is played by Alan Dale, a 78-year-old New Zealand actor known for playing Jim Robinson in Neighbours.

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The soap legend's role of Jim was one of Neighbours' twelve original characters, who made his debut in the first-ever episode in 1985.

He was the patriarch of the Robinson family and his role was described as an anchor, similar to Leslie Grantham's role of Den Watts in EastEnders.

The actor stayed for eight years before Jim was killed off, following a dispute with the show's producers over pay.

“I made some sort of crack about the fact that when we started doing Neighbours [in 1985], we got paid the same money as when I was doing The Young Doctors [which he starred in from 1979-1983],” he told TV Week.

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, the star said he struggled to find work in Australia after Neighbours because he was typecast as Jim.

He did reprise his role in 2018, during the Christmas Day episode, appearing as part of a ghostly sequence.

Dale went on to star in The O.C, NCIS, Ugly Betty and Dominion. One of his latest roles was as Owen Deveraux in season two of Wreck.

As a child, he was a keen rugby player and after retiring from the sport, he decided to become a professional actor at 27 years old.

Dale then moved to Australia, where one of his first roles was as Dr John Forrest in The Young Doctors from 1979 to 1982.

He and his family live in Manhattan Beach, California, and he owns property in Australia. The father-of-four married Tracey Pearson, the 1986 Miss Australia, in 1990.

The Assassin airs on Prime Video