Melanie Zanetti’s voice has become a global icon of good, goofy parenting.
She is the actor behind Chilli on the hit children’s show Bluey, a character who has quickly become the most famous cartoon mum in the world.
The University of Southern Queensland alumnus credits her time at the university for equipping her with the skills that helped her land the life-changing gig.
She recently returned to the Toowoomba campus to teach workshops to the next generation of stage and screen professionals.
“This is where I started my career,” Melanie said. “The day I graduated, I started working on a touring theatre show.”
Melanie graduated with a Bachelor of Theatre Arts (Acting) in 2007 and went on to work extensively with the Queensland Theatre Company before transitioning to film, TV and voiceover work.
She looked back on her degree as the training ground that gave her the creative and technical chops for ensemble work.
“The main thing it prepared me for… was the diligence, the grit and hard work,” she said.
Melanie spent a week on campus working with current University of Southern Queensland creative arts students to teach them the craft of acting for screen.
“I work with the students to get them more comfortable in front of the camera and get them ready for the audition process when they leave the university,” she said.
“It’s been such a joy – I love working with young people.”
Melanie has voiced Chilli since 2017 and said its rise from quirky Queensland cartoon to one of the most-watched shows in the world had been surreal.
“It’s having this really beautiful social impact,” she said.
“So many dads in particular have said ‘this has taught me how to play with my children, this has taught me how to be a better parent’.”
“People see themselves reflected back in these cartoon dogs.”
You can learn more about University of Southern Queensland’s creative arts offerings.
