Who voices Bluey and Bingo? Bluey creator Joe Brumm shares behind-the-scenes secrets
There is a reason why the kids’ identities are not revealed.
The incredibly popular Australian animated series about a Blue Heeler called Bluey and her family premiered on ABC Kids in October, 2018, and after going global in 2019, it’s still going strong.
The show has been viewed millions of times on ABC iview, making it the most popular program ever and this show about a close-knit family of dogs shows no signs of slowing down.
Disney licensed the rights for the series from BBC Studios, and it premiered in the United States in September, 2019. Bluey is also on Youku, a Chinese streaming service and is dubbed into Mandarin. Wackadoo!
Who inspired Bluey and Bingo?
The creator of the hit show, Joe Brumm says Bluey is based on his own experiences raising two daughters.
Bluey explores everyday life and follows sisters, Bingo and Bluey spending a lot of their time in unstructured, self-directed play at home.
“Playing seems as natural to them as breathing,” explains Joe.
“It’s fascinating seeing how much they learn from devising and playing their own games, especially the more elaborate and social ones.”
Like Joe, executive producer Charlie Aspinwall has two daughters and this inspired the show to be about girl siblings.
Who voices Bluey and Bingo?
Recently, Joe revealed that the voices of the kids are played by those close to the show creators.
“Bluey, Bingo and some of their friends are voiced by children of the production crew,” he said.
However, the kids aren’t credited on the show as their identities are kept secret to shield them from the public eye.
Bandit is voiced by David McCormack
One voice that has not been keep under wraps is Bluey’s dad, Bandit, who is voiced by David McCormack, the lead singer of 90s indie rock band Custard.
The 54-year-old singer-songwriter has previously said that he never expected Bluey to be a smash hit series and that it was by chance that he scored the role.
“I’m not an actor. I don’t know how to do that! But a friend of a friend said someone was doing a show about a cartoon dog and can I read? I said, ‘Yeah, I can read’. And that was about it.”
In fact, the father-of-two thought the show might be a “webisode, like a one off, because we only did one episode to start with,” he explained.
“Now here we are, it’s bigger than all of us!”
Chilli is voiced by Melanie Zanetti
Chilli, the mum, is voiced by actor, Melanie Zanetti who also admits that while she knew the show was special, she was not expecting it to become the global phenomenon that it is.
“I had no idea it was going to blow up the way it has,” said the 37-year-old.
“But I did know it was something really special when I first read and the pilot. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before.”
“It’s so true to life,” she explained.
“And I think parents look at it and say, this is my reality.”
Dave McCormack and Melanie Zanetti met for the first time in 2022
After four years of separately recording the voiceovers for Bandit and Chilli, David McCormack and Melanie Zanetti met for the first time in November 2022.
Appearing together on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Melanie told the host: “(We met) two days ago, for the first time. We record separately, we live in different cities and I travel a lot for work,” she explained.
Dave added that he had not expected to do the voiceover on his own when signed on for Bluey.
“I thought it would be all of us sitting around a table, you know, like in the movies,” he said. “But we’re just isolated in our booths.”
Melanie and Dave also shared how they scored their roles on the show. Dave said he was asked in a lift to read for Bandit and after he recorded the pilot he thought it would be a “one-off short-animation” and did not expect it to become “bigger than the Beatles”.
Melanie said producers held auditions for months, and called her back as Chilli because they “couldn’t find the same warmth from anyone else”. Awww.
WATCH: Dave McCormack and Melanie Zanetti on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Celebrity guests on Bluey
The show also welcomes regular guest appearances from celebrities. From Hamish Blake to Eva Mendes, take a look at the famous faces who have lent their voice to a character on Bluey.
Australian stars voicing Bluey characters
Hamish Blake and Zoë Foster Blake
Australia’s golden couple, Hamish Blake (2023 Australian Father of the Year) and Zoë Foster Blake voiced two characters in the second season of Bluey. The comedian and his skincare founder wife can be heard in the second episode, Hammerbarn, where the family visit a hardware shop. Hamish voiced a labrador who works as a Hammerbarn employee, and Zoë voiced a poodle who is a checkout dog.
Myf Warhurst
Australian radio announcer and television personality, Myf Warhurst lends her voice to a couple of characters, including Aunt Trixie and Indy’s mum.
Megan Washington
Australian musician and songwriter, Megan Washington has a reccuring guest role voicing a Blue Merle Australian Shepherd named Calypso, who is Bluey’s teacher.
Rose Byrne
The Bridesmaids star voiced Chilli’s older sister, Brandy in season three’s Onesies episode. We were all overcome with emotion when we learnt of Brandy’s fertility struggles and that she couldn’t have children.
Layne Beachley
Australian former professional surfer and seven-time world surfing champion, Layne Beachley voices a surfer ins season one’s The Beach episode.
Anthony Field from The Wiggles
Blue Wiggle, Anthony Field has provided a couple of voices for the hit show. The founding member of The Wiggles featured in season two’s Dance Mode episode, playing a post office employee who has to deal with Bluey’s dad, Bandit, when he refuses to stop dancing. He later lent his voice as Rusty’s dad, a Red Kelpie and army man.
Leigh Sales
Australian journalist, writer, illustrator, and author Leigh Sales voices Coco’s mum in season two’s Baby Race episode and again later that season, as an ice-cream lady in the Ice Cream episode.
Patrick Brammall
Colin from Account‘s star Patrick Brammall voices Uncle Rad in season two’s Double Babysitter episode.
Miranda Tapsell
Australian actress Miranda Tapsell voices Dougie’s mum in season three’s Turtleboy episode.
Carrie Bickmore
Radio host and television presenter, Carrie Bickmore provides the voice of the Terrier triplets’ mum in season three’s TV Shop episode.
Robert Irwin
The son of the late Steve Irwin lends his voice to Alfie, a toy store employee in season two’s The Quiet Game episode.
Mick Molloy
Australian comedian and media personality, Mick Molly voices Sparky (an Australian slang term for an electrician) in season three’s Tradies episode.
Adam Hills
Australian comedian Adam Hills voices a cricket commentator in season three’s Cubby episode.
Kate Miller-Heidke
Singer Kate Miller-Heidke voices Chilli’s mum in the Dragon epsiode of season three.
Darren Hanlon
Singer-songwriter, Darren Hanlon voices Alt Energy Dog in season three episode Sheep Dog.
International celebrity cameos in Bluey
Natalie Portman
Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman lent her voice to season three’s Whale Watching episode where she can be heard narrating a whale documentary.
Eva Mendes
Also voicing a character in season three is Hollywood actress Eva Mendes who plays glamorous yoga instructor in Born Yesterday.
Sam Moor, Bluey Producer, said the Eva Mendes was just one of the celebrity fans who were keen to make a cameo in the hit series.
“We’ve been very lucky to attract the attention of a few celebs now and when we discover that they are a fan of the show, like Eva said her and her family were, we just take the plunge to reach out to them and ask if they would like to voice a cameo role. We were delighted when Eva agreed, and we thought this role would be perfect for her.”
Neil Finn
New Zealand musical icon Neil Finn voices a doctor in season three’s Exercise episode.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
The creator of smash hit musicals Hamilton and In the Heights, and winner of multiple Tonys, Grammys and Emmys, Lin-Manuel Miranda voiced a friendly horse named Major Tom in a season three Bluey episode.
Lin-Manuel, who has two children, says the show is a huge hit in their household and was the family’s most-watched show during the pandemic.
Visiting Australia and Ludo Studio in Brisbane where Bluey is created, Lin-Manuel spoke about his affection for the show.
“It was really special, really kismet, that the show that got us through the pandemic and, really, the only show everyone in our family can agree on … is made here in Brisbane.”
