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Many will know Mandy McElhinney from the iconic series of TV commercials for AAMI Insurance, in which she played Rhonda, who was doted on by Ketut (Kadek Mahardika).
But beyond that slice of Aussie pop culture, she’s also known for a range of dramatic and comedic roles in shows like Love Child, Wakefield and House of Hancock.
The 55-year-old Aussie actress is currently starring as one of the many characters haunting Ramshead Manor in supernatural comedy series Ghosts Australia, and talks to WHO about what filming was like, exploring her own Irish roots and whether she’s believes in ghosts herself.
Read on for the full transcript…
WHO: What did you think when you first read the script for Ghosts Australia?
MANDY: I was one of those strange people who hadn’t heard of Ghosts. I didn’t know that it was a franchise that had been done in the UK and the US. So I deep dived into both of those. I can understand why every country is wanting to do their own version of it, because it’s the ability to look at your own history. Basically, it’s a dysfunctional household of housemates who get on each other’s nerves, and that’s where a lot of the humour comes from.
WHO: You play Irish potato farmer Eileen and have Irish roots on your father’s side, so how did you incorporate that?
MANDY: Well, when I got the job, I did approach the creators and said, “Is it possible for Eileen to have originated from Donegal?”, which is where my dad is from. He immigrated here when he was in his twenties. And I’ve been to Donegal and it has an amazing history of textile making. The factories that still exist there today existed when Eileen was around in the 1800s, so they were able to source fabrics for the costume and things like that from the county my dad’s from.
So it was a very personal experience for me to delve into my own heritage. It was also incredibly personal because I got to film here in Perth, where I grew up. I lived here with my family until I was an adult. So to come back to Perth and be around my family and friends – it all just felt very meant to be.
WHO: Do you have a favourite on-set memory from filming this new season?
MANDY: Look, I still get goosebumps when I think of our camera tests, when we spent a couple of weeks together getting to know each other. It’s such a great bunch of people. We’re all incredibly fond of each other and have a great working relationship, and everyone worked so hard on making their character as authentic as they possibly could in those rehearsal weeks.
And then, when we got to wear our costumes for the first time and walk onto the set – which is extraordinary with the level of detail. There are things that people watching probably wouldn’t even notice.
WHO: There are a ton of quirky characters on screen. Apart from your own, whose character do you get most excited by?
MANDY: It’s a bit hard to say, because I’m in love with all of the characters. Eileen has a particularly gritty relationship with Gideon [played by Brent Hill], who was a Third Fleet officer, so he represents everything she thinks is wrong with the British.
Then, Satan [played by Jackson Tozer] I’m particularly fond of. Eileen is the matriarch of the house – she has had 13 children – so she is like a mother to them. She sort of counsels [Satan], and I love this scene because he’s all hard on the outside but actually, he’s just soft and doughy. A real sweetheart.
WHO: Do you believe in ghosts yourself or have you had any supernatural experiences?
MANDY: It’s probably my Irish heritage, but I’m very open to the thought that there are spirits out there and that I might be able to speak to them one day. So, you know, if there are any ghosts out there, make yourself known to me.
I think it’s a really comforting thing, feeling that people who have passed on can still have some connection with us. And I’ve certainly had moments where I feel like people I care about, who are no longer here, are kind of communicating with me in some way.
I probably sound a bit loopy to people. And I’ve done a lot of theatre, and theatres are full of ghosts. I’ve had many strange feelings or seen something out of the corner my eye – it could just be tricks of the light, but you never know.
(Ghosts Australia airs Sundays at 8pm on Network 10)
