Neil Melville

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Neil Melville
Born (1953-02-18) 18 February 1953 (age 72)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Occupations
  • actor
  • singer
  • producer
  • director
Spouses
  • Debra Byrne (m. 1989 – d. 1997)
  • Bo Melville (m. 16 October 1997 – present)

Neil Melville is an Australian actor.

Early life

Melville was born in Sydney, but spent most of his childhood in Apollo Bay, Victoria. In the early 1970s he was lead singer of Geelong rock band 'SteamHammer'. Melville graduated from Adelaide's Flinders University with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in English Literature, Philosophy and Drama. He performed in a number of university productions, including, most notably, the world premiere of Jack Hibberd's The Les Darcy Show for the Adelaide Festival in 1974. [1]

Contents

Career

After graduating from university, Melville spent a year writing and performing for children with the Little Patch Children's Theatre. While with this group, he wrote the vaudeville-documentary, Australian Born, Australian Bred. He also worked with the South Australian Theatre Company and toured with The South Australian Arts Council. [1]

Melville went on to serve as actor and director-in-residence at the University of Melbourne. While there, he secured roles in Crawford television series' Cop Shop , The Sullivans , Carson's Law and The Flying Doctors . He also worked in cabaret and theatre at John Pinder’s ‘Last Laugh Theatre Restaurant’ and Ralph Kerle’s ‘Flying Trapeze’. Neil created the highly successful Busking with Brel. He went on to perform in stage productions of Evita , Oklahoma! and Les Misérables . [1]

Melville has acted extensively in television, including in series' such as Rafferty's Rules , A Country Practice , The Henderson Kids , Col’n Carpenter , Snowy , Phoenix , Janus , Ocean Girl , Snowy River: The McGregor Saga , Correlli , Flipper , Stingers , Blue Heelers , The Secret Life of Us , McLeod's Daughters , Underbelly , Jack Irish , Offspring , Wentworth , Playing for Keeps and Five Bedrooms . He has also appeared in films such as Brilliant Lies and Run Rabbit Run . [1]

Melville is also an accomplished musician and worked as Executive Producer on ex-wife Debra Byrne's album, Heaven Down Here. [1]

Personal life

In 1987, Melville met fellow actor and singer Debra Byrne on the set of the Australian theatre production of Les Misérables . [2] By June 1989 the couple were planning their wedding. [3] Byrne and Melville separated in November 1996 and later divorced. [4]

Melville met his current wife, Bo, a costume designer, while touring with Melbourne Theatre Company. They have been married since 1997 and live in Glenaire in the Otways on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, while Melville continues to act. [5]

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
The Fantasticks The Space [1]
1974The Les Darcy Show Adelaide Festival - World premiere
1976 Coriolanus Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA for Adelaide Festival [6]
1977 How the Other Half Loves [6] Arts Theatre, Adelaide with Adelaide Repertory Theatre
1980-81 Evita Singer Festival Theatre, Adelaide, Perth Entertainment Centre, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney [6]
1981Busking with BrelActor & Singer Nimrod Theatre, Sydney [6]
1982 Oklahoma! [6] Cord Elam Festival Theatre, Adelaide, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne
1983 Life of Galileo [6] SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre
1983 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll [6] Anthill Theatre, Melbourne with Australian Nouveau Theatre
1984Odyssey of a Prostitute [6] Ray Le Sting / Uncle CharlesChurch Theatre, Melbourne with Australian Contemporary Theatre Company
1985Blue Window [6] Tom St Martins Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company
1987 Les Misérables Combeferre / Factory Foreman Theatre Royal, Sydney [6]
1989 Les Misérables in Concert [6] Ensemble The Domain, Sydney for Sydney Festival
1990 This Old Man Comes Rolling Home Snowy Baker / Violet / Child Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC [6]
1996 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Theatre Royal, Hobart, Playhouse, Adelaide, Glen Street Theatre, Sydney, Newcastle Civic Theatre with MTC [6]
2015 West Side Story Schrank State Theatre, Melbourne with The Production Company [6]
Othello
Macbeth
The Naked Vicar Show
On Our Selection
The Magic Guitar
The Ramayana

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
2023Jones Family ChristmasBrian JonesTV Film [7]
FanciersBarryShort
Run Rabbit Run Albert
2016 Spirit of the Game David McKay
2015PedalRegShort film
2012 Jack Irish: Black Tide Ricky KirschTV movie
2011 A Heartbeat Away Tommy
2010 Oranges and Sunshine MonsignorFeature film
LifeboatShort film
2009 Saved Nigel WestonTV movie [8]
2006Court of Lonely Royals
1996 Brilliant Lies VinceFeature film
1995 The Feds: Terror Don GosperTV movie
In Pursuit of Honor Sean QuinlainTV movie
1987 Bushfire Moon (aka Miracle Down Under)Mr PottsFeature film
Feathers Bert

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
2019-22 Five Bedrooms Roger EverelyTV series, 2 episodes
2021 Love Me ArtyTV series, 1 episode
Lie With Me Ray TuckerTV miniseries, 4 episodes [9]
Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries Bill SteedTV series, 1 episode
2019 Upright JimTV series, 1 episode
Playing for Keeps Bob MackleveeTV series, 6 episodes [10]
2018 Jack Irish Ricky KirschTV series, 5 episodes
Picnic at Hanging Rock Mr HusseyTV miniseries, 5 episodes
2017 Offspring Drew CrewTV series, 5 episodes
The Leftovers CaptainTV series, 1 episode
Newton's Law Christopher ElvinTV series, 3 episodes
2015 Utopia KenTV series, 1 episode
Wentworth Brendan MaddockTV series, 1 episode
2014 Party Tricks Duncan GuthrieTV series, 4 episodes
2013 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries George SandersonTV series, 3 episodes
2012 Rake TV series, Keegan Wiley1 episode
Howzat! Kerry Packer's War Ray SteeleTV miniseries, 2 episodes
2011 Killing Time Barry EdwardsTV miniseries, 4 episodes
2009 City Homicide Jack FergusonTV series, 1 episode
2008 The Hollowmen IanTV series, 12 episodes [11]
Underbelly Todd McDonaldTV series, 6 episodes [12]
1994-05 Blue Heelers Kevin Sutton / Bob CrowleyTV series, 6 episodes
2004 McLeod's Daughters Merv RichardsTV series, 1 episode
2003 The Saddle Club Mr RothTV series, 2 episodes
2002 Something in the Air Colin LynchTV series, 1 episode
1998-01 Halifax f.p. Phillip Parker / Jim DettmannTV series, 2 episodes
2001 The Secret Life of Us Male DoctorTV series, 1 episode
1999 Stingers Gil TrumanTV series, 1 episode
1996 Flipper Dr HansenTV series, 1 episode
1995 Correlli Jim SandersonTV miniseries, 8 episodes
Snowy River: The Mcgregor Saga Fergus RossTV series, 1 episode
1994 Law of the Land Terry RankinTV series, 1 episode
Ocean Girl LambertTV series, 1 episode
Janus Sergeant MorrisTV series, 1 episode
1993 Snowy River: The McGregor Saga Jack LoganTV series, 13 episodes
Phoenix Martin SchultzTV series, 2 episodes
1992 Boys from the Bush TedTV series, 2 episodes
Good Vibrations JimTV miniseries, 2 episodes
1981-92 A Country Practice Bruce / Martin / OlsenTV series, 5 episodes
1992-85 Neighbours Roy Riley / Jim HawkinsTV series, 5 episodes
1991 Col'n Carpenter TV Repair ManTV series, 1 episode
1990 Embassy Phil HartmanTV series, 2 episodes
1988 Rafferty's Rules BanksTV series, 1 episode
1987In BetweenDoctorTV series, 1 episode
1986 Alice to Nowhere RoyTV miniseries, 2 episodes
Studio 86 TV miniseries, 1 episode
Whose Baby? JimTV miniseries, 1 episode
The Flying Doctors Niall RobertsonTV series, 1 episode
1985 The Henderson Kids BartonTV series, 14 episodes
1982-85 Prisoner Mick Kirby / Phil SuttonTV series, 3 episodes
1985 The Fast Lane WallaceTV series, 1 episode
1983 Carson's Law Patrick McAvoyTV series, 2 episodes
1979-81 The Sullivans Sgt Pauling / Lecherous SeamanTV series, 3 episodes
1980 Cop Shop Plain Clothes CopTV series, 1 episode

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Neil Melville". Creative Media Careers. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  2. ↑ "Event: Les Misérables". AusStage. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  3. ↑ "New film about a colourful racing identity". The Canberra Times . Vol. 63, no. 19, 619. 26 June 1989. p. 6 (The Guide). Retrieved 10 September 2016– via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ Gans, Andrew (21 March 1997). "Diva Talk: Betty Takes 'Flight' at Maxim's". Playbill. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "Glenaire Cottages – your own private retreat". Otway Journal. 4 January 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Neil Melville". AusStage. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  7. ↑ Knox, David (August 2023). "Filming underway on Jones Family Christmas for Stan | TV Tonight". TVtonight.
  8. ↑ Knox, David (6 April 2009). "Saved | TV Tonight". TVTonight.com.
  9. ↑ Knox, David (3 November 2021). "Lie with Me | TV Tonight". TVTonight.
  10. ↑ "Australian Television: Playing for Keeps: Episode guide: Series 2".
  11. ↑ Knox, David (14 June 2008). "Airdate: The Hollowmen | TV Tonight". TVTonight.com.
  12. ↑ "Australian Television: Underbelly: Cast".

Sources

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