You may know her best as the much-loved Rhonda who stole Ketut\u2019s heart in the AAMI Insurance ads, but there\u2019s more to Mandy McElhinney than one half of Australia\u2019s famous love story.<\/p>\n
The auburn-haired actress\u2019s latest role sees a wardrobe shift from bathing suit to \u2018fat\u2019 suit as she takes on the character of mining heiress Gina Rinehart in Channel Nine\u2019s high-profile television event, House of Hancock<\/i>.<\/p>\n
A dramatisation of the controversial and epic story of the Hancock dynasty, House of Hancock <\/i>explores the bizarre love triangle that emerged between mining magnate Lang, his daughter Gina and his beautiful Filipina housekeeper, Rose.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really gripping story,\u201d says McElhinney of the two-part drama that saw her dull down her looks with prosthetics, make-up and wigs.<\/p>\n
The Western Australian saga is close to home for the Perth-born actress, who attended Stella Maris College in Geraldton and St Joachim’s High School in Victoria Park before completing a degree in Performance Studies at Â鶹ֱ²¥.<\/p>\n
Years of drama classes compounded with her Performance Studies degree, where she spent most of her time in Curtin\u2019s Hayman Theatre, has crafted McElhinney into a well-rounded and versatile performer with a passion for research.<\/p>\n
\u201c[The Hayman Theatre] was an amazing training ground. I got to do everything. I got to sit up in the bio box, I got to direct, I got to act, I got to write.\u201d<\/p>\n
McElhinney\u2019s ability to portray real-life complex characters with verisimilitude has resulted in a portrayal of Gina Rinehart the Sydney Morning Herald<\/i> described as \u2018superb\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really love studying the person, trying to get inside the mind of another human being,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201c[With Gina] I just wanted to present a human being who\u2019s flawed and who also has great strengths, and is the product of what\u2019s happened to her.\u201d<\/p>\n
With two Logie nods and one prestigious AACTA Award already under her belt for roles in Paper Giants: Magazine Wars <\/i>and Howzat! Kerry Packer\u2019s War<\/i>, the future looks very bright indeed for the Rhonda-turned-Rinehart thespian.<\/p>\n
Missed House of Hancock? You can also watch Mandy McElhinney playing tough hospital matron Frances Bolton in the new Australian series Love Child, a drama inspired by the forced adoption policies of the 1960s for unwed mothers.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You may know her best as the much-loved Rhonda who stole Ketut\u2019s heart in the AAMI Insurance ads, but there\u2019s more to Mandy McElhinney than one half of Australia\u2019s famous love 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\nStudied:<\/strong>\u00a0Bachelor of Arts in English (Theatre Studies)
\nRelated Degree:\u00a0<\/strong>Bachelor of Arts (Theatre Arts)<\/a>
\nGraduated:<\/strong>\u00a01996
\nArea of study:<\/strong>\u00a0Humanities<\/a><\/p>\n