# Neil Melville

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.

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

## Personal life

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

## Theatre

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

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2023 | Jones Family Christmas | Brian Jones | TV Film |
| 2023 | Fanciers | Barry | Short |
| 2023 | 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 |
| 2010 | Lifeboat | | Short film |
| 2009 | Saved | Nigel Weston | TV movie |
| 2006 | Court of Lonely Royals | | |
| 1996 | Brilliant Lies | Vince | Feature film |
| 1995 | The Feds: Terror | Don Gosper | TV movie |
| 1995 | In Pursuit of Honor | Sean Quinlain | TV movie |
| 1987 | Bushfire Moon (aka Miracle Down Under) | Mr Potts | Feature film |
| 1987 | Feathers | Bert | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2019-22 | Five Bedrooms | Roger Everely | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Love Me | Arty | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2021 | Lie With Me | Ray Tucker | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 2021 | Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries | Bill Steed | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2019 | Upright | Jim | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2019 | Playing for Keeps | Bob Macklevee | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 2018 | Jack Irish | Ricky Kirsch | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 2018 | Picnic at Hanging Rock | Mr Hussey | TV miniseries, 5 episodes |
| 2017 | Offspring | Drew Crew | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 2017 | The Leftovers | Captain | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2017 | Newton's Law | Christopher Elvin | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Utopia | Ken | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2015 | 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 |
| 2012 | 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 |
| 2008 | Underbelly | Todd McDonald | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 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 |
| 1995 | Snowy River: The Mcgregor Saga | Fergus Ross | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | Law of the Land | Terry Rankin | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | Ocean Girl | Lambert | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | Janus | Sergeant Morris | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Snowy River: The McGregor Saga | Jack Logan | TV series, 13 episodes |
| 1993 | Phoenix | Martin Schultz | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1992 | Boys from the Bush | Ted | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1992 | 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 |
| 1986 | Studio 86 | | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1986 | Whose Baby? | Jim | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1986 | 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 |