# Will McDonald (actor)
**Will McDonald** (born 1998) is an Australian actor best known for starring as Douglas "Ca$h" Piggott in the Netflix series *Heartbreak High* and for playing Jett James (later Jett Palmer) on the long-running soap *Home and Away*.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/90370/will-mcdonald) • [2](https://www.backtothebay.net/characters/jett-palmer/) He was born in Australia in 1998.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/90370/will-mcdonald)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1998, Australia[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/90370/will-mcdonald) |
| Breakthrough role | Jett James/Palmer on *Home and Away*, 2012–2015 with return stints in 2017 and 2019[2](https://www.backtothebay.net/characters/jett-palmer/) |
| Signature role | Douglas "Ca$h" Piggott in Netflix's *Heartbreak High*, 24 episodes, 2022–2026[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/90370/will-mcdonald) |
| Other lead work | Gidge in the Stan limited series *Thou Shalt Not Steal* (2024, 8 episodes), which premiered worldwide at the Toronto Film Festival[3](https://www.rmk.com.au/voice/will_mcdonald/) |
| Training | Bachelor of Fine Arts, Victorian College of the Arts, majoring in Acting and Theatre Practice[4](https://cdn.showcast.com.au/actor-pdfs/e75b48c1-1000-40be-8d0e-3bbbe05a8cd0.pdf) |
| Recognition | AACTA Award nomination for *Heartbreak High*[5](https://www.kult.com.au/sedcard/will-mcdonald/81205?board=creators) |
## Early life and training
McDonald is originally from Tasmania and describes himself as a classically trained actor.[4](https://cdn.showcast.com.au/actor-pdfs/e75b48c1-1000-40be-8d0e-3bbbe05a8cd0.pdf) He trained at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, completing a [Bachelor of Fine Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-fine-arts) majoring in Acting and Theatre Practice.[4](https://cdn.showcast.com.au/actor-pdfs/e75b48c1-1000-40be-8d0e-3bbbe05a8cd0.pdf) His stage credits from this period include roles in VCA productions of *Golden Boy* (2016, as Jo Bonaparte) and *No End of Blame* (2016, as Anthony Diver), Chris in *Bucks (or A Bag Of Dicks)* at the Melbourne and Adelaide Fringe Festivals, and Red in Alaine Beek's *Point of No Return* on Victorian and NSW regional tours.[4](https://cdn.showcast.com.au/actor-pdfs/e75b48c1-1000-40be-8d0e-3bbbe05a8cd0.pdf)
Alongside acting, he worked in the educational simulation field for six years, collaborating with clients including Dan Murphy's, Youth Justice Services, Allied Health Services, and Paramedics Victoria.[4](https://cdn.showcast.com.au/actor-pdfs/e75b48c1-1000-40be-8d0e-3bbbe05a8cd0.pdf)
## Home and Away
McDonald joined *Home and Away* at age 13, playing Jett, a troubled teenager who arrives in [Summer Bay](https://www.edgepedia.org/summer-bay) stealing wallets and is eventually fostered and adopted by John Palmer and [Marilyn Chambers](https://www.edgepedia.org/marilyn-chambers).[6](https://www.newidea.com.au/celebrity/home-and-away-jett-is-back-and-hes-all-grown-up/) • [2](https://www.backtothebay.net/characters/jett-palmer/) His character's storylines included the death of his foster mother Gina, his adoption by John, and later service as a soldier.[2](https://www.backtothebay.net/characters/jett-palmer/)
He appeared across episodes 5511 to 6228 in his main run, with return stints in episodes 6329–6337, 6664–6680, 7060–7062, and 7084–7120, spanning 2012 to 2015 and again in 2017 and 2019.[2](https://www.backtothebay.net/characters/jett-palmer/) In a 2019 interview, McDonald said he was on the show permanently for three and a half years and came and went intermittently afterward, and that working with experienced castmates such as Shane Withington, Emily Symons, Georgie Parker, and [Ray Meagher](https://www.edgepedia.org/ray-meagher) helped him navigate the industry as a newcomer.[6](https://www.newidea.com.au/celebrity/home-and-away-jett-is-back-and-hes-all-grown-up/)
## Heartbreak High and later work
In the 2022 Netflix reboot of *Heartbreak High*, McDonald plays Douglas "Ca$h" Piggott, a role described by his voice agency as street smart but vulnerable; he appeared in 24 episodes across the series' 2022 to 2026 run.[3](https://www.rmk.com.au/voice/will_mcdonald/) • [1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/90370/will-mcdonald) The performance earned him an AACTA Award nomination.[5](https://www.kult.com.au/sedcard/will-mcdonald/81205?board=creators) In an interview with SIDE-NOTE, McDonald said he drew on his own experiences of growing up feeling alienated while discovering his sexuality to approach Ca$h's storyline about sexual identity.[7](https://www.side-note.com/people-of-note-asher-yasbincek-will-mcdonald-tom-weatherall-by-robbie-fimmano/)
His other screen credits include guest starring as Justin in *Young Rock* (2021), Micah in the film *Blaze* (2022), Zac in *The School* (2017), Jeremy in *Riot* (2018), and a starring role as Gidge in the Stan Original limited series *Thou Shalt Not Steal* (2024), in which he appeared in all eight episodes.[8](https://www.moviemeter.com/celebrities/1231105/will-mcdonald) • [1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/90370/will-mcdonald) • [3](https://www.rmk.com.au/voice/will_mcdonald/) In *Thou Shalt Not Steal*, his character Gidge, an awkward teenager, reluctantly teams up with a young Aboriginal delinquent escaping detention for a journey across the outback.[9](https://www.stan.com.au/watch/cast/will-mcdonald)
## Other work
McDonald has also worked in theater with the [Sydney Theatre Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/sydney-theatre-company) and Darlinghurst Theatre Company, and has become active in fashion and creative work alongside his screen career.[5](https://www.kult.com.au/sedcard/will-mcdonald/81205?board=creators) He is represented by RMK Management in Sydney and appears on the Kult Australia creator roster.[3](https://www.rmk.com.au/voice/will_mcdonald/) • [5](https://www.kult.com.au/sedcard/will-mcdonald/81205?board=creators)
## References
1. [Will McDonald, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/90370/will-mcdonald)
2. [Jett Palmer (Will McDonald), Back to the Bay](https://www.backtothebay.net/characters/jett-palmer/)
3. [Will McDonald, RMK Voices Sydney](https://www.rmk.com.au/voice/will_mcdonald/)
4. [Will McDonald, Showcast profile (PDF)](https://cdn.showcast.com.au/actor-pdfs/e75b48c1-1000-40be-8d0e-3bbbe05a8cd0.pdf)
5. [Will McDonald, Kult Management Australia](https://www.kult.com.au/sedcard/will-mcdonald/81205?board=creators)
6. [Home and Away: Jett is back – and he's all grown up!, New Idea (11 March 2019)](https://www.newidea.com.au/celebrity/home-and-away-jett-is-back-and-hes-all-grown-up/)
7. [People of Note: Asher Yasbincek, Will McDonald & Tom Weatherall, SIDE-NOTE](https://www.side-note.com/people-of-note-asher-yasbincek-will-mcdonald-tom-weatherall-by-robbie-fimmano/)
8. [Will McDonald, MovieMeter](https://www.moviemeter.com/celebrities/1231105/will-mcdonald)
9. [Watch Will McDonald TV Shows & Movies Online, Stan](https://www.stan.com.au/watch/cast/will-mcdonald)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Australian actors › Surnames L to N*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license