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, while Melville continues to act.

Theatre Year Title Role Notes Ref 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 1980–1981 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 YearTitleRoleNotesRef1987Bushfire Moon (aka Miracle Down Under) Mr Potts Feature filmFeathers Bert Feature film1995The Feds: Terror Don Gosper TV movieIn Pursuit of Honor Sean Quinlain TV movie 1996Brilliant Lies Vince Feature film 2006Court of Lonely Royals 2009Saved Nigel Weston TV movie 2010Oranges and Sunshine Monsignor Feature filmLifeboat Short film 2011A Heartbeat Away Tommy Feature film 2012Jack Irish: Black Tide Ricky Kirsch TV movie 2015Pedal Reg Short film 2016Spirit of the Game David McKay Feature film2023Jones Family Christmas Brian Jones TV movie Fanciers Barry Short filmRun Rabbit Run Albert Feature film

Television YearTitleRoleNotesRef 1979–1981The Sullivans Sgt Pauling / Lecherous Seaman 3 episodes 1980Cop Shop Plain Clothes Cop 1 episode 1981–1992A Country Practice Bruce / Martin / Olsen 5 episodes 1982–1985Prisoner Mick Kirby / Phil Sutton 3 episodes 1983Carson's Law Patrick McAvoy 2 episodes1985The Fast Lane Wallace 1 episodeThe Henderson Kids Barton 14 episodes 1985–1992Neighbours Roy Riley / Jim Hawkins 5 episodes1986Alice to Nowhere Roy Miniseries, 2 episodesStudio 86 Miniseries, 1 episodeWhose Baby? Jim Miniseries, 1 episodeThe Flying Doctors Niall Robertson 1 episode 1987In Between Doctor 1 episode 1988Rafferty's Rules Banks 1 episode 1990Embassy Phil Hartman 2 episodes 1991Col'n Carpenter TV Repair Man 1 episode1992Boys from the Bush Ted 2 episodesGood Vibrations Jim Miniseries, 2 episodes1993Snowy River: The McGregor Saga Jack Logan 13 episodesPhoenix Martin Schultz 2 episodes1994Law of the Land Terry Rankin 1 episodeOcean Girl Lambert 1 episodeJanus Sergeant Morris 1 episode 1994–2005Blue Heelers Kevin Sutton / Bob Crowley 6 episodes1995Correlli Jim Sanderson Miniseries, 8 episodesSnowy River: The Mcgregor Saga Fergus Ross 1 episode 1996Flipper Dr Hansen 1 episode 1998–2001Halifax f.p. Phillip Parker / Jim Dettmann 2 episodes 1999Stingers Gil Truman 1 episode 2001The Secret Life of Us Male Doctor 1 episode 2002Something in the Air Colin Lynch 1 episode 2003The Saddle Club Mr Roth 2 episodes 2004McLeod's Daughters Merv Richards 1 episode2008The Hollowmen Ian 12 episodes Underbelly Todd McDonald 6 episodes 2009City Homicide Jack Ferguson 1 episode 2011Killing Time Barry Edwards Miniseries, 4 episodes2012Rake Keegan Wiley 1 episodeHowzat! Kerry Packer's War Ray Steele Miniseries, 2 episodes 2013Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries George Sanderson 3 episodes 2014Party Tricks Duncan Guthrie 4 episodes2015Utopia Ken 1 episodeWentworth Brendan Maddock 1 episode2017Offspring Drew Crew 5 episodesThe Leftovers Captain 1 episodeNewton's Law Christopher Elvin 3 episodes2018Jack Irish Ricky Kirsch 5 episodesPicnic at Hanging Rock Mr Hussey Miniseries, 5 episodes2019Upright Jim 1 episodePlaying for Keeps Bob Macklevee 6 episodes 2019–2022Five Bedrooms Roger Everely 2 episodes2021Love Me Arty 1 episodeLie With Me Ray Tucker Miniseries, 4 episodes Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries Bill Steed 1 episode

References

Sources Stratton, David. "Brilliant Lies". Variety i2 (13–19 May 1996): 68

Brilliant Lies Neil and Bo Melville at Apollo Bay