Mandy McElhinney (born 9 September 1970) is an Australian actress best known for playing Rhonda in AAMI insurance advertisements. She appeared on the sketch comedytelevision series, Comedy Inc., from 2003 to 2006.[1] She appeared as Gina Rinehart in the telemovie The House of Hancock, alongside Sam Neill in 2015. McElhinney played Jackie Walters, federal agent and team leader of the Australian Federal Police Counter-Terrorism Unit in the television drama thriller series Hyde & Seek that premiered on the Nine Network in October 2016.
Early life
McElhinney was born in Perth, Western Australia, to Rosemary and Andrew,[2] and raised in Leeman.[3] She has a younger sister, Hayley, who is also an actress.[4] They both took drama and dance lessons as teenagers.[2] McElhinney was bullied for her red hair as a child and so she became somewhat of a class clown making people laugh.[2] Her "stupid" impersonations as a child have in some way given her the desire to entertain.[2] McElhinney studied at Stella Maris Presentation College in Geraldton, which is now Nagle Catholic College.[5]
Personal life
McElhinney married Carlo, an Italian, in Sicily on 28 December 2017.[6]
Roles
McElhinney is known for appearing in many Australian television series and films, including a recurring role in 2002 and 2003 on MDA, small roles in various crime and medical dramas, and a guest role as a shop assistant in Kath & Kim. She also appeared in the film The Bank.[7] She is also a regular in stage productions, including with the Melbourne and the Sydney Theatre Companies.[8][9] She starred as Rhonda in the AAMI Safe Driver rewards series of commercials.[10] The ad and her character's love story within it, consequently became a major part of Australian popular culture.[11][12] She stars as strict Matron Frances Bolton in the Australian drama series Love Child. She played the role of mining magnate Gina Rinehart in Nine's 2015 telemovie The House of Hancock.[2]
In 2023, McElhininey appeared in Home and Away as Margot Dafoe.[13]
Key: (a)= Winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Television Drama Series (b)= Best Actress in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama or Comedy
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