Jump to content

Neil Melville

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Neil Melville
Born (1953-02-18) 18 February 1953 (age 71)
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

[edit]

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]

Career

[edit]

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

[edit]

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, where they run a hospitality business, while Melville continues to act.[5]

Theatre

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes Ref
The Fantasticks The Space [1]
1974 The 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]
1981 Busking with Brel Actor & 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
1984 Odyssey of a Prostitute[6] Ray Le Sting / Uncle Charles Church Theatre, Melbourne with Australian Contemporary Theatre Company
1985 Blue 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

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes Ref
2023 Jones Family Christmas Brian Jones TV Film [7]
Fanciers Barry Short
Run Rabbit Run Albert
2016 Spirit of the Game David McKay
2015 Pedal Reg Short film
2012 Jack Irish: Black Tide Ricky Kirsch TV movie
2011 A Heartbeat Away Tommy
2010 Oranges and Sunshine Monsignor Feature film
Lifeboat Short film
2009 Saved Nigel Weston TV movie [8]
2006 Court of Lonely Royals
1996 Brilliant Lies Vince Feature film
1995 The Feds: Terror Don Gosper TV movie
In Pursuit of Honor Sean Quinlain TV movie
1987 Bushfire Moon (aka Miracle Down Under) Mr Potts Feature film
Feathers Bert

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes Ref
2019-22 Five Bedrooms Roger Everely TV series, 2 episodes
2021 Love Me Arty TV series, 1 episode
Lie With Me Ray Tucker TV miniseries, 4 episodes [9]
Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries Bill Steed TV series, 1 episode
2019 Upright Jim TV series, 1 episode
Playing for Keeps Bob Macklevee TV series, 6 episodes [10]
2018 Jack Irish Ricky Kirsch TV series, 5 episodes
Picnic at Hanging Rock Mr Hussey TV miniseries, 5 episodes
2017 Offspring Drew Crew TV series, 5 episodes
The Leftovers Captain TV series, 1 episode
Newton's Law Christopher Elvin TV series, 3 episodes
2015 Utopia Ken TV series, 1 episode
Wentworth Brendan Maddock TV series, 1 episode
2014 Party Tricks Duncan Guthrie TV series, 4 episodes
2013 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries George Sanderson TV series, 3 episodes
2012 Rake TV series, Keegan Wiley 1 episode
Howzat! Kerry Packer's War Ray Steele TV miniseries, 2 episodes
2011 Killing Time Barry Edwards TV miniseries, 4 episodes
2009 City Homicide Jack Ferguson TV series, 1 episode
2008 The Hollowmen Ian TV series, 12 episodes [11]
Underbelly Todd McDonald TV series, 6 episodes [12]
1994-05 Blue Heelers Kevin Sutton / Bob Crowley TV series, 6 episodes
2004 McLeod's Daughters Merv Richards TV series, 1 episode
2003 The Saddle Club Mr Roth TV series, 2 episodes
2002 Something in the Air Colin Lynch TV series, 1 episode
1998-01 Halifax f.p. Phillip Parker / Jim Dettmann TV series, 2 episodes
2001 The Secret Life of Us Male Doctor TV series, 1 episode
1999 Stingers Gil Truman TV series, 1 episode
1996 Flipper Dr Hansen TV series, 1 episode
1995 Correlli Jim Sanderson TV miniseries, 8 episodes
Snowy River: The Mcgregor Saga Fergus Ross TV series, 1 episode
1994 Law of the Land Terry Rankin TV series, 1 episode
Ocean Girl Lambert TV series, 1 episode
Janus Sergeant Morris TV series, 1 episode
1993 Snowy River: The McGregor Saga Jack Logan TV series, 13 episodes
Phoenix Martin Schultz TV series, 2 episodes
1992 Boys from the Bush Ted TV series, 2 episodes
Good Vibrations Jim TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1981-92 A Country Practice Bruce / Martin / Olsen TV series, 5 episodes
1992-85 Neighbours Roy Riley / Jim Hawkins TV series, 5 episodes
1991 Col'n Carpenter TV Repair Man TV series, 1 episode
1990 Embassy Phil Hartman TV series, 2 episodes
1988 Rafferty's Rules Banks TV series, 1 episode
1987 In Between Doctor TV series, 1 episode
1986 Alice to Nowhere Roy TV miniseries, 2 episodes
Studio 86 TV miniseries, 1 episode
Whose Baby? Jim TV miniseries, 1 episode
The Flying Doctors Niall Robertson TV series, 1 episode
1985 The Henderson Kids Barton TV series, 14 episodes
1982-85 Prisoner Mick Kirby / Phil Sutton TV series, 3 episodes
1985 The Fast Lane Wallace TV series, 1 episode
1983 Carson's Law Patrick McAvoy TV series, 2 episodes
1979-81 The Sullivans Sgt Pauling / Lecherous Seaman TV series, 3 episodes
1980 Cop Shop Plain Clothes Cop TV series, 1 episode

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "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

[edit]