Melanie Zanetti
The Brisbane-born actress who voices Chilli Heeler.
The Australian actress Melanie Zanetti came into the world on 20 March 1985 in Brisbane, Queensland, and was raised alongside five brothers and sisters.[1][2] Her most famous role is providing the voice for Chilli Heeler on the animated series Bluey, which has been airing since 2018.[1]
Quick Facts
- Born
- 20 March 1985
- Birthplace
- Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Education
- University of Southern Queensland
- Occupation
- Actress, voice actress
- Years active
- 2007–present
- Known for
- Bluey
Facts from the source article.
Making and release
After graduation, she began working as a stage actress with the Queensland Theatre Company, appearing in plays including Pygmalion (2011), Romeo and Juliet (2012), Wuthering Heights (2014), Jasper Jones (2018), and L'Appartement (2019).[3] In 2007, Zanetti completed a Bachelor of Theatre Arts at the University of Southern Queensland.[3] After that, she moved into voice-over work, film, and television, and relocated to Los Angeles.[4] Zanetti has been the voice of Chilli Heeler on Bluey since 2018; she landed the part three months after sending in her voice-over audition.[5]
She performed her lines by herself from a remote location, frequently while juggling other jobs in various nations.[6][7] Zanetti will return to play Chilli in the upcoming movie The Bluey Movie, which is scheduled for a 2027 release.[5] The Brisbane Metro selected Zanetti in 2024 to be its voice.[8]
What the cited sources add
A 2021 Sydney Morning Herald article reported that Zanetti is in demand in Los Angeles and that American children are embracing the Australianisms of the show.[6] The University of Southern Queensland noted that Zanetti spent a week on campus teaching current students the craft of acting for screen.[9] A 2022 Yahoo Life article noted that Zanetti is not a parent and draws inspiration for Chilli from her own mother.[10] That article also stated that Zanetti finally met McCormack in person at the New York City premiere of Bluey's Big Play.[10]
According to a 2024 Nightly article, no one has ever identified Zanetti by hearing her voice and connecting it to her character.[11]
References
- Wikipedia, "Melanie Zanetti" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McManus, "'People were losing their minds': Hollywood loves Bluey, says Melanie Zanetti", The Sydney Morning Herald, 2021-11-20; Gray, "We've seen the Bluey movie and yes it will make you cry", The Australian, 22 March 2024; Gray, "We've seen the Bluey movie and yes it will make you cry", The Australian, 22 March 2024; Herbert, "Gabriel's Inferno: Cast revealed for sexy movie trilogy filming in Syracuse", syracuse.com, April 26, 2024 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Melanie Zanetti" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Rigden, "Meet the voice behind Bluey's beloved mum", The Nightly, 2024-04-08; McManus, "'People were losing their minds': Hollywood loves Bluey, says Melanie Zanetti", The Sydney Morning Herald, 2021-11-20; "Bluey actress Melanie Zanetti shares her inspiration for Chilli and how she feels about the praise for fun dad Bandit", Yahoo Life, 2022-11-28 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Melanie Zanetti" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Bluey's mum teaching new generation of stars", University of Southern Queensland, 6 September 2023; "Bluey's mum teaching new generation of stars", University of Southern Queensland, 6 September 2023; "Melanie Zanetti", AusStage; "Archives: 2010s", Matilda Awards (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Melanie Zanetti" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Bluey's mum teaching new generation of stars", University of Southern Queensland, 6 September 2023; Gray, "We've seen the Bluey movie and yes it will make you cry", The Australian, 22 March 2024 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Melanie Zanetti" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McCutcheon, "Hit Australian cartoon Bluey set to go global – with Aussie accents intact", ABC News, 2019-04-09; "Bluey", Peabody Awards; "Bluey has just won an Emmy. Its second season is the perfect antidote to self-isolation", The Guardian, 2020-03-31; Kinkade, "Actress who plays mom on 'Bluey' speaks out", CNN, December 31, 2024; Fedak, "The Bluey Movie First Look: Bluey and Her Family Hit the Big Screen With New 3D Animation Style", Variety, August 15, 2026 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- McManus, "'People were losing their minds': Hollywood loves Bluey, says Melanie Zanetti", The Sydney Morning Herald, 2021-11-20. facts only, no text reused. smh.com.au
- Wikipedia, "Melanie Zanetti" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gray, "We've seen the Bluey movie and yes it will make you cry", The Australian, 22 March 2024 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Melanie Zanetti" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Bluey star gets green light to voice Brisbane Metro", Inside Local Government, December 10, 2025 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Bluey's mum teaching new generation of stars", University of Southern Queensland, 6 September 2023. facts only, no text reused. unisq.edu.au
- "Bluey actress Melanie Zanetti shares her inspiration for Chilli and how she feels about the praise for fun dad Bandit", Yahoo Life, 2022-11-28. facts only, no text reused. yahoo.com
- Rigden, "Meet the voice behind Bluey's beloved mum", The Nightly, 2024-04-08. facts only, no text reused. thenightly.com.au
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Melanie Zanetti (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Production & Legacy
Elsewhere in Bluey
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced