Isabella Giovinazzo
Born
Melbourne, Australia
NationalityAustralian
OccupationActress
Years active2000–present
Notable workHome and Away
Playing for Keeps
Spouse
Charlie Ford
​
​
(m. 2015; sep. 2016)​
Websitehttps://isabellagiovinazzo.com

Isabella Giovinazzo is an Australian actress. From 2013 until 2017, she played Phoebe Nicholson in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. After leaving the serial, she played Jessie Davies in the Network Ten drama series Playing for Keeps from 2018 until 2019. Giovinazzo has had supporting roles in web series Sex and Death, the 2021 miniseries Lie With Me, and soap opera Neighbours as Felicity Higgins.

Early life

Giovinazzo was born in Melbourne.[1] Her father is a music composer and educator of Italian descent. She has two younger sisters - Olivia and Greta.[2]

Giovinazzo completed her secondary education at Melbourne Girls' College. After graduating, she enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Melbourne. However, during her first semester at university, she deferred her studies, choosing, instead, to travel Europe, spending an extended period in the Calabrian town where her paternal grandparents were born and grew up.[2]

After her return to Melbourne, Giovinazzo, decided to resume her studies and focus more explicitly on the film industry and, in particular, writing and directing. She enrolled in a Bachelor of Film and Television degree at Swinburne University of Technology.[1] While at film school, she was often called upon to act in films under the direction of fellow students. As this progressed, she developed an interest in the craft of acting. After the completion of her degree, she decided to focus on developing her acting skills, and took night classes at a number of private acting schools in Melbourne, Howard Fine and 16th Street, among others.[2]

Career

As a film student, she directed a number of short films.[3] She co-wrote the documentary Chong's World with Ella Carey, and it was selected for inclusion in the St Kilda Film Festival.[2] After the completion of her degree, when her attention turned more to acting, she wrote, produced, and played the lead role in the short film Swim that was also selected for inclusion in the St. Kilda Film Festival.[2][3][4] It later screened at the Byron Bay Film Festival, and aired on the Australian television network SBS.[3]

In November 2013, it was announced that Giovinazzo had joined the cast of soap opera Home and Away as Phoebe Nicholson, marking her first major acting job.[5] She relocated to Sydney for the role and began filming mid-2013, before making her first appearance in the November 2013 season finale.[3] Her character is a singer/songwriter who leaves Melbourne when she learns her former boyfriend is putting on a music festival in the fictional town of Summer Bay.[5] Giovinazzo decided to leave Home and Away to pursue new roles,[6] and she made her final appearance in Home and Away on 11 May 2017.[7][8]

Following her departure from Home and Away, Giovinazzo was cast in the Network Ten drama Playing for Keeps.[6] She played Jessie, a footballer's wife, who gave up her career in the sport to be a mother.[6] Playing for Keeps was cancelled after two seasons.[9] Giovinazzo played a supporting role in the 2020 web series Sex and Death, alongside writer and director Kathleen Lee. The series later aired on SBS Viceland.[10] In 2021, Giovinazzo appeared in drama miniseries Lie With Me as Caroline Wilder.[11] She also joined the cast of Neighbours in the recurring role of Felicity Higgins.[12]

Personal life

Giovinazzo married her partner Charlie Ford in 2015.[13] The couple separated in August 2016.[14]

Giovinazzo was in a relationship with her Home and Away co-star James Stewart from 2016 to 2017.[15][16]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2001Wee JimmyMarcellaTelevision film
2002Out of DarknessAliceShort film
2012One of Many Night StandsLottyShort film
2012Him Behind HerMarianneShort film
2012SwimSheShort film; also writer and producer
2013–2017Home and AwayPhoebe NicholsonSeries regular
2018–2019Playing for KeepsJessie Davies
2020Sex and DeathTanyaWeb series
2021Lie With MeCaroline Wilder
2021NeighboursFelicity HigginsRecurring role

References

  1. 1 2 Williams, Vanessa (26 November 2013). "Isabella feels at home". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Isabella Giovinazzo". Yahoo!7. November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Home and Away star: I still take acting classes". CQ News. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "Swim". St Kilda Film Festival. May 2013. Archived from the original on 26 March 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  5. 1 2 Drewett, Meg (24 November 2013). "'Home and Away' introduces new character Phoebe". Digital Spy. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 "Isabella Giovinazzo opens up about her big career move". TV Week. 21 June 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  7. ↑ "Bigger & better things". Yahoo7. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  8. ↑ Hakimi, Mary (29 December 2017). "Home and Away said goodbye to these characters in 2017". Yahoo7. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  9. ↑ Knox, David (3 February 2021). "Axed: Playing for Keeps, Trial by Kyle, Celebrity Name Game, One Born Every Minute Aus". TV Tonight. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  10. ↑ Walker, Kylie (4 November 2020). "Everyone else is odd: quirky comedy 'Sex and Death' has something for us all". SBS. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  11. ↑ Bley Griffiths, Eleanor (13 July 2021). "Meet the cast of Channel 5 thriller Lie With Me". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  12. ↑ Wehrstedt, Lisa (8 July 2021). "Neighbours casts former Home and Away star Isabella Giovinazzo in new role". Digital Spy. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  13. ↑ Vickery, Colin (22 March 2016). "Home and Away actor Isabella Giovinazzo's refreshing attitude to fame". news.com.au. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  14. ↑ "Home and Away: On-screen couple spotted 'getting cosy' at Gold Coast party". Gold Coast Bulletin. 15 November 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  15. ↑ "Are James Stewart and Isabella Giovinazzo living together?". Woman's Day. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  16. ↑ Dainty, Sophie (29 January 2018). "Home and Away stars James Stewart and Sarah Roberts confirm real-life romance". Digital Spy. Retrieved 24 June 2018.


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