Melanie Zanetti
Melanie Zanetti | |
|---|---|
Zanetti at SacAnime in 2024 | |
| Born | 20 March 1985 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Alma mater | University of Southern Queensland |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Known for | Bluey |
| Signature | |
Melanie Zanetti (born 20 March 1985) is an Australian actress. She is best known as the voice of Chilli Heeler in the critically acclaimed animated television program Bluey (2018–present).[1][2] She has also portrayed Charlotte Ingram in the horror film Raven's Hollow (2022),[2] and Julia Mitchell in the erotic romance film series Gabriel's Inferno (2020–2023).[3]
Early life
Zanetti was born in 1985[4] in Brisbane, Queensland,[1] and grew up with five siblings.[5]
Career
She graduated from the University of Southern Queensland in 2007 with a Bachelor of Theatre Arts.[6] After graduation, she started working as a stage actress.[6] She appeared on stage for the Queensland Theatre Company in several plays, including as Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion (2011), as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (2012), as Catherine Earnshaw/Cathy Linton in a stage adaptation of Wuthering Heights (2014), as Laura/Eliza Wishart in Kate Mulvany's adaptation of the novel Jasper Jones (2018), and as Lea in the premiere of Joanna Murray-Smith's L'Appartement (2019).[7] Her portrayal of Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion earned her a Matilda Award in 2011.[8]
She subsequently transitioned voice-over, film, and television,[6] relocating to Los Angeles, where she has been cast in various roles.[2]
Since 2018, Zanetti has been the voice of Chilli Heeler, the mother of the titular character and her sister, Bingo, in the popular Australian television series for preschool children Bluey,[9] which has received Peabody[10] and Emmy awards.[11] She was given the role three months after submitting her voice-over.[12] She will reprise her role in the upcoming feature-length film, set to release in 2027.[13] Cast members of the show recorded their voices separately. Zanetti did so remotely as well, while working on her other projects in different countries.[2] On November 11, 2022, Zanetti and co-star Dave McCormack appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote Bluey. They told Fallon that they had only met two days prior.[14]
In 2019, Zanetti was cast as the artless university student Julia Mitchell by producer Tosca Musk for the Gabriel's Inferno franchise on Passionflix, an adaptation of a series of best-selling erotic romance novels by Sylvain Reynard.[3] In 2022, she portrayed Charlotte Ingram in the Edgar Allan Poe biographic horror film Raven's Hollow.[2]
In 2024, Zanetti was chosen to be the voice of the Brisbane Metro.[15]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Battle of the Damned | Jude |
| 2015 | The Leisure Class | Carolyn |
| 2020 | Gabriel's Inferno: Part One | Julia Mitchell |
| 2020 | Gabriel's Inferno: Part Two | Julia Mitchell |
| 2020 | Love and Monsters | Mav1s and Kala |
| 2020 | Gabriel's Inferno: Part Three | Julia Mitchell |
| 2021 | Gabriel's Rapture: Part One | Julia Mitchell |
| 2022 | Gabriel's Rapture: Part Two | Julia Mitchell |
| 2022 | Gabriel's Rapture: Part Three | Julia Mitchell |
| 2022 | Raven's Hollow[16] | Charlotte Ingram |
| 2023 | Gabriel's Redemption: Part One | Julia Mitchell |
| 2023 | Gabriel's Redemption: Part Two | Julia Mitchell |
| 2023 | Head Count[17] | Jo |
| 2023 | Gabriel's Redemption: Part Three | Julia Mitchell |
| 2027 | The Bluey Movie | Chilli Heeler |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Strip | Zoe de Luca | 1 episode |
| 2009 | East of Everything | Anna | 1 episode |
| 2017 | The Family Law | Doctor Lee | 1 episode |
| 2018 | Hot Valley Nights | Zowie Brooks | 1 episode |
| 2018 | Tidelands | Young Genoveva | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | The Bureau of Magical Things | Orla | 12 episodes |
| 2018–present | Bluey | Chilli Heeler | Main cast |
| 2020 | The End | Edie Henley | 3 episodes |
| 2021 | Young Rock | Stephanie | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | The Ren & Stimpy Show | Tiffani | 1 episode |
| 2025 | Darby and Joan | Arianna Malgeri | 1 episode |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Bluey: The Videogame[18] | Chilli Heeler |
References
- ^ a b McManus, Bridget (20 November 2021). "'People were losing their minds': Hollywood loves Bluey, says Melanie Zanetti". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Gray, Geordie; McMillen, Andrew (22 March 2024). "We've seen the Bluey movie and yes it will make you cry". Weekend Australian Magazine. The Australian. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b Herbert, Geoff (26 April 2024). "Gabriel's Inferno: Cast revealed for sexy movie trilogy filming in Syracuse". syracuse.com. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ Rigden, Claire (8 April 2024). "Meet the voice behind Bluey's beloved mum". The Nightly. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
- ^ "Bluey actress Melanie Zanetti shares her inspiration for Chilli and how she feels about the praise for fun dad Bandit". Yahoo Life. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ a b c "Bluey's mum teaching new generation of stars". University of Southern Queensland. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- ^ "Melanie Zanetti". AusStage. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Archives: 2010s". Matilda Awards. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ McCutcheon, Peter (9 April 2019). "Hit Australian cartoon Bluey set to go global – with Aussie accents intact". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
- ^ "Bluey". Peabody Awards. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ "Bluey has just won an Emmy. Its second season is the perfect antidote to self-isolation". The Guardian. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
- ^ Kinkade, Lynda (31 December 2024). "Actress who plays mom on 'Bluey' speaks out". CNN. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
- ^ "The Bluey Movie Is Coming! All the Details We Know (So Far) About the Beloved Dog's Big-Screen Debut". People. 22 December 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
- ^ Piester, Lauren (21 June 2025). "The Actors Who Play Bluey's Mom and Dad Met Way More Recently Than You Think". NBC News. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ^ "Bluey star gets green light to voice Brisbane Metro". Inside Local Government. 10 December 2025.
- ^ Gray, Peter (29 September 2022). "Interview: Melanie Zanetti on Raven's Hollow, exploring psychological horror and the increased prominence of strong female roles". The AU Review. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ "'Head Count' official trailer". Youtube. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Announcing Bluey: The Videogame!".
Further reading
- Melanie Zanetti (15 March 2021). "A Year Without Booking Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Melanie Zanetti". Backstage. Retrieved 27 March 2024.