Carmella Cammeniti
Encyclopedia
Carmella Cammeniti is a fictional character
from the Australian Network Ten
soap opera Neighbours
, played by Natalie Blair
. She appeared on a recurring basis from 2003-05, then became a main character from 2006-08, before making a final guest appearance in 2011. Carmella was created as a replacement for Nina Tucker
, portrayed by Delta Goodrem
, who was written out of the series when Goodrem became ill. Her early storylines, including a romance with Connor O'Neill
(Patrick Harvey
), were originally intended for Nina. The daughter of a protective gangster father, Carmella was initially a "fun, feisty" character. She gradually became "tortured [and] depressive", with storylines which saw her attract the attention of a stalker, become a nun, suffer facial scarring, develop an addiction to prescription medication and lose her husband after a bushfire.
Carmella was the second member of the Cammeniti family to appear in Neighbours, after her father, Rocco (Robert Forza
). She was later joined by her mother, sister, and two cousins. She had long-standing relationships with Marco Silvani
(Jesse Rosenfeld
) and Oliver Barnes
(David Hoflin
), the father of her daughter, Chloe (Sarah May). When Blair resigned from the serial in 2007 in order to pursue new projects, the producers arranged for a separated Carmella and Oliver to reunite. The two briefly returned three years later, to consolidate their family unit.
Blair won the "Most Popular New Female Talent" Logie Award
for her portrayal of Carmella, and was additionally nominated for several Golden Logies and Inside Soap Awards
. Critics have deemed Carmella as one of the series' most popular characters. Blair's versatility has attracted praise, though several publications have highlighted the implausibility of many of Carmella's storylines.
bar Lou's Place. She becomes romantically involved with her colleague, Connor O'Neill
(Patrick Harvey
), to the disapproval of her father Rocco (Robert Forza
). A feud with Connor's ex-girlfriend, Michelle Scully
(Kate Keltie
), results in Carmella slapping her and leaving the area. She later returns in 2004, reconciles with Connor and helps him to maintain access to his daughter Madeleine (Madison Lu). To prove that she is business-minded, Carmella becomes a magazine editor. She departs from Erinsborough suddenly after she becomes the victim of a stalker, Frank Romano (Lliam Amor). Before she leaves, she drives around with a shotgun in an attempt to kill Frank. Upon her return, Carmella loses Connor's affection to Serena Bishop
(Lara Sacher
). She attempts to ruin their relationship, which results in Serena's mother Liljana
(Marcella Russo
) hitting her to warn her off. Carmella then tries a different approach; she borrows money from her mother Lucia (Maria Mercedes
) to pay for an operation Madeleine needs, then blackmails Connor into spending time with her. She claims to have borrowed the money from a crime mob who are harassing her for repayment, which prompts Connor to steal money to try and pay it back. When Carmella realises the trouble she has caused, she tells Connor the truth and leaves.
After a period of absence, Carmella's mother sends Connor on a secret mission to find her daughter. He discovers that Carmella has become a nun
, and is living in a convent
as Sister Mary Catherine. During her time as a nun, she grows close to Ned Parker
(Daniel O'Connor), who encourages her to become a recording artist after hearing her sing. Carmella does it to make him happy, but admits that she does not really enjoy singing. She withdraws from their relationship as she feels that Ned is prying too much into her private affairs.
Carmella admits she arranged the sale of her cousin Teresa's (Hannah Greenwood
) unwanted baby. A fellow nun suggests that she takes time off from the convent. She complies and leaves her role as a nun behind. Teresa has a breakdown and throws a saucepan of boiling water at Carmella, who is left with severe facial scarring and becomes increasingly secluded. She is convinced by Will Griggs (Christian Clark
) to have plastic surgery to lessen the scarring. Ned tells Carmella that he loves her, but Carmella has fallen in love with Will. Soon thereafter, Will leaves the country without notice. His younger brother Oliver Barnes
(David Hoflin
) arrives, and explains that Will had a double identity. Carmella has short-lived relationships with Oliver and teenager Ringo Brown
(Sam Clark
). She becomes addicted to prescription drugs, and later discovers that she is pregnant with Oliver's baby, and may have harmed the baby through her addiction.
Carmella begins an online business with Marco Silvani
(Jesse Rosenfeld
), and develops an attraction to him. She initially resists as she is still in love with Oliver, but learns to her disappointment that he does not reciprocate her feelings. Carmella gives birth prematurely by Caesarean section
; the condition of her daughter, Chloe (Sarah May), who is placed in the neonatal intensive-care unit, quickly improves. Mother and daughter move in with Marco, prompting a jealous Oliver to file for sole custody of Chloe, though he later rescinds this decision. Marco proposes to Carmella and she accepts, however later that day he is severely injured in a bushfire. Carmella marries him from his hospital bed, and Marco dies shortly afterwards. Following his death, Carmella believes she is haunted by Marco's spirit. Oliver moves to New York, but she declines his invitation to accompany him. He later moves to Portugal, and in December 2008, Carmella and Chloe leave to be with him. They briefly return to Erinsborough when Oliver's mother Rebecca (Jane Hall
) breaks up with her husband Paul
(Stefan Dennis
), to convince her to come and live with them.
's sudden departure from Neighbours due to illness. Three months' worth of scripts were rewritten, and Carmella was introduced to fill the void left by Goodrem's character, Nina Tucker
. As a school graduate, Blair had unsuccessfully auditioned for another role in the serial, but impressed casting
director Jan Russ
. Six months later, Russ contacted Blair and asked her to audition for the role of Carmella. She was cast immediately, due to the urgent need to fill the void left by Goodrem. She played Carmella on an episodic basis
in 2003, then returned for a longer period in 2004, and briefly in 2005. Blair returned to Neighbours in 2006, and in September 2007, signed a contract keeping her in the show for another year.
The serial's official website described Carmella as "the youngest daughter of local mafioso Rocco Cammeniti. She grew up spoilt and sheltered from the real world, which made her a force to be reckoned with as soon as she was old enough to break free of her father's influence." Carmella underwent many changes during her tenure. Blair initially described her as a "fun, feisty and foxy sort of character". However, Carmella became depressed through her life's travails, having been stalked by Frank Romano, sold her cousin Teresa's baby and subsequently become a nun. Before her official confirmation in the convent, Carmella goes clubbing with ex-boyfriend Connor. Desrcibing Carmella's reasoning, Blair stated: "Carmella is thinking, 'Is what I'm about to go ahead with, - becoming a nun - the right choice?' She wants to be sure she's making the right decision about what she'll do for the rest of her life." Blair confirmed that after that night Carmella had "all the answers that she needed" to live the rest of her life. Blair enjoyed the opportunity to play a nun, but was glad when the storyline concluded as it meant Carmella got to have fun again.
was cast in the role of Rosetta Cammeniti
. Blair opined that Rosie's inclusion brought out different sides to Carmella's character. Many viewers told Blair they felt the casting was good because they look alike. One of the significant changes to Carmella was that she started having fun again—Blair felt this meant they worked well together. Later, Erin McNaught
was cast as her cousin Sienna Cammeniti
. McNaught commented that there had been a rivalry between the cousins in their youth, so it would be interesting to see what unfolded between them.
Following the dissolution of Carmella's relationship with Oliver, Blair commented that Oliver would "always have a special place in Carmella's heart". Although Carmella began dating Marco, Blair felt that Chloe's premature birth strengthened the connection between Carmella and Oliver. She explained that Carmella "feels desolate and suddenly the connection Carmella's always had with Oliver is heightened. Together they name their baby Chloe and it's Marco who feels shut out." Following Chloe's birth, Carmella decided to put her love life to one side, and put her baby daughter first. She told Marco she did not want him in her life; he planned to leave town without a word to her, except a love note and a present to Chloe. Discussing the state of her relationship with Oliver and Marco at this point, Blair assessed: "I don't think it's so much of a love triangle anymore. Oliver made his feelings for Carmella very clear - he doesn't love her in that way. But he still doesn't want another man looking after his child. So there'll be more tension between the [three] of them. And things get even more complicated over the next few months."
Marco was later killed in a bush fire disaster. Describing the filming process, Blair stated: "Shooting the scenes for the bush fire and everything surrounding it - the wedding - the funeral - was so draining. It was full on." Blair had to film scenes involving Carmella singing at Marco's funeral, which she deemed "close to home" because she had done it at her grandmother's funeral. She found it distressing, as they filmed in a real graveyard. She had previously been reluctant to sing on-screen but felt it was justified for Marco's funeral. Blair commented on Carmella's repetitive bad luck, stating: "She's gone through so much already, just to get to this point. This should really be a happy time for her, but it's not." After all the hurdles she faced, Carmella became a stronger person. Blair said it saw her become well-equipped to look after her child.
, stated: "Obviously, we've loved having Natalie on the show all these years and we're really sad to see her go [...] and hope to see her on Ramsay Street
again one day in the future." Blair later admitted she was surprised at her rise popularity whilst playing Carmella.
Carmella's exit storyline was devised months prior to Blair's departure. Producers had planned to reunite Carmella and Oliver and have them leave together, however Hoflin decided to go travelling, meaning he was unavailable for filming. Prior to Hoflin's departure, he and Balir filmed scenes showing their reunion. Scripts were quickly rewritten to portray Oliver in Portugal, where Hoflin was in real life, instead of New York where Oliver left for upon his exit. Describing her reaction to Carmella's scripts towards the end, Blair commented: "After a while I'd open my script and say, 'Please give me one scene where I'm smiling'. And then I'd read the script and think, 'Damn - no smiling scenes again'." Blair had originally hoped that Carmella would be killed on-screen, as she felt a dramatic send off would have been fitting. After the "tragic" final year Carmella underwent, Blair decided she was happy with the exit because "something finally goes right for her". Blair also opined: "It's a really lovely story and I think the fans will be happy with it." Carmella's "happy exit storyline" saw her leaving in a taxi surrounded by all of her friends waving her off, after they convinced her to start a new life with Oliver.
In September 2010, it was revealed that Blair and Hoflin would return to film scenes in the last two weeks of production in 2010, and the episodes would be shown in early 2011. Carmella returns for two episodes in March 2011. Blair said she could not resist the return, which acts as a catalyst in Rebecca Robinson's (Jane Hall
) departure. Blair felt it fitting because both Carmella and Oliver have history with Paul Robinson
(Stefan Dennis
) and want to "protect Rebecca and watch out for her best interests".
for "Most Popular New Female Talent" following her appearances as Carmella. By the time Blair was made an official cast member, The Courier-Mail
declared that Carmella was a Ramsay Street favourite. The actress was also nominated for a Golden Logie for "Most Popular Personality" in 2007, and once again 2008. Blair was nominated in the category of "Sexiest Female" at the 2007 Inside Soap Awards
, and had a joint nomination with David Hoflin for "Best Couple". Fiona Byrne of the Herald Sun
remarked that Carmella was becoming one of the show's most popular characters. At the following year's Inside Soap Awards, she was nominated in the "Best Storyline" category for her custody battle over Chloe with Oliver, as well as "Sexiest Female" again.
Scott Ellis of the Sydney Morning Herald television magazine stated that, even compared to the slightly surreal standards of most soap operas, Carmella has "been through a wringer". He made a point of the many storylines that transformed the character: "A former party girl turned nun, Carmella has been stalked, slapped, scalded, scarred and even sold a baby. She's found and lost love at least three times, given birth, fought a custody battle, fought kleptomania, and fought various members of her family." In the same vein, The Daily Telegraph
praised Carmella's versatility in going from from "baby peddler to nun, before suffering severe facial burns that required re-constructive surgery." Inside Soap
opined that 2008 for Carmella was "tragedy after tragedy". What's on TV
deemed Carmella's scalding with boiling water her most explosive scene, and the Daily Record
called it karma
for selling Teresa's baby.
Despite her popularity with the viewers, Carmella was negatively received by Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture
. On how to get the magic back into Neighbours, Deller said "Axe Carmella. Or at least make her a nun again, which was the only time she was interesting". Deller also said she would have rather seen Carmella and Marco leave the show instead of Rosetta and Frazer
. The Liverpool Daily Post
said that they had seen implausible storylines in the serial, but Carmella seeing Marco's ghost "takes the biscuit". However, they concluded "At least he offers Carmella some much-needed support." The Daily Record said the ghost scenes were more unforgettable than Bouncer's
dream. On the subject of her funeral song they added: "Oddly, none of her friends think she's gone mad, despite an impromptu version of 'Amazing Grace
'."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Australian Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, played by Natalie Blair
Natalie Blair
Natalie Louise Blair is an Australian actress, best known for her role as Carmella Cammeniti on Neighbours, an Australian TV series.-Career:...
. She appeared on a recurring basis from 2003-05, then became a main character from 2006-08, before making a final guest appearance in 2011. Carmella was created as a replacement for Nina Tucker
Nina Tucker
Nina Tucker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Delta Goodrem. She made her first on-screen appearance on 11 June 2002. Goodrem was approached by producers after they saw her video for her debut single. Goodrem, who had just signed a record deal, almost...
, portrayed by Delta Goodrem
Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...
, who was written out of the series when Goodrem became ill. Her early storylines, including a romance with Connor O'Neill
Connor O'Neill
Connor O'Neill is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Patrick Harvey. He made his first on-screen appearance on 19 April 2002. He is best known for his friendships with Toadie Rebecchi and Stu Parker with whom he lived at No.30, now better known as...
(Patrick Harvey
Patrick Harvey
Patrick Harvey is an Irish/Australian actor. He played Northern Irish immigrant Connor O'Neill on the television soap opera Neighbours. His first appearance on the soap was in April 2002...
), were originally intended for Nina. The daughter of a protective gangster father, Carmella was initially a "fun, feisty" character. She gradually became "tortured [and] depressive", with storylines which saw her attract the attention of a stalker, become a nun, suffer facial scarring, develop an addiction to prescription medication and lose her husband after a bushfire.
Carmella was the second member of the Cammeniti family to appear in Neighbours, after her father, Rocco (Robert Forza
Robert Forza
Robert Forza is an Australian actor. He has had guest roles in Homicide and Prisoner . He currently has a recurring role as Rocco Cammeniti in Neighbours....
). She was later joined by her mother, sister, and two cousins. She had long-standing relationships with Marco Silvani
Marco Silvani
Marco Silvani is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jesse Rosenfeld. He made his first on-screen appearance on 19 October 2007. Marco began a relationship with a pregnant Carmella Cammeniti, which caused tensions between himself and the baby's father, Oliver...
(Jesse Rosenfeld
Jesse Rosenfeld
Jesse Rosenfeld is an Australian stage, television and film actor, best known for playing Marco Silvani on the soap opera Neighbours.-Biography:Jesse was born in Melbourne, Australia, but spent much of his childhood in Cairns....
) and Oliver Barnes
Oliver Barnes
Oliver Barnes is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by David Hoflin. He made his on-screen debut on 30 January 2007. Oliver is the oldest son of Rebecca Napier and the brother of Declan Napier...
(David Hoflin
David Hoflin
David Hoflin is a Swedish-born Australian actor. He is most famous for playing Jason Bates in Ocean Girl between 1994 and 1998, and Oliver Barnes in Neighbours between 2007 and 2008.-Career:...
), the father of her daughter, Chloe (Sarah May). When Blair resigned from the serial in 2007 in order to pursue new projects, the producers arranged for a separated Carmella and Oliver to reunite. The two briefly returned three years later, to consolidate their family unit.
Blair won the "Most Popular New Female Talent" Logie Award
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
for her portrayal of Carmella, and was additionally nominated for several Golden Logies and Inside Soap Awards
Inside Soap Awards
The Inside Soap Awards is a yearly award ceremony run by Inside Soap magazine since 1996. The awards celebrate the British and Australian soap operas and their actors. Until 2007, EastEnders had won the award for "Best Soap" on every occasion...
. Critics have deemed Carmella as one of the series' most popular characters. Blair's versatility has attracted praise, though several publications have highlighted the implausibility of many of Carmella's storylines.
Storylines
Carmella is introduced as a barmaid at the ErinsboroughErinsborough
Erinsborough is the fictional suburb in which the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours is set. The show focuses on the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the suburb...
bar Lou's Place. She becomes romantically involved with her colleague, Connor O'Neill
Connor O'Neill
Connor O'Neill is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Patrick Harvey. He made his first on-screen appearance on 19 April 2002. He is best known for his friendships with Toadie Rebecchi and Stu Parker with whom he lived at No.30, now better known as...
(Patrick Harvey
Patrick Harvey
Patrick Harvey is an Irish/Australian actor. He played Northern Irish immigrant Connor O'Neill on the television soap opera Neighbours. His first appearance on the soap was in April 2002...
), to the disapproval of her father Rocco (Robert Forza
Robert Forza
Robert Forza is an Australian actor. He has had guest roles in Homicide and Prisoner . He currently has a recurring role as Rocco Cammeniti in Neighbours....
). A feud with Connor's ex-girlfriend, Michelle Scully
Michelle Scully
Michelle Scully is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Kate Keltie. She made her first on-screen appearance on 21 October 1999 when she and her family moved into Ramsay Street...
(Kate Keltie
Kate Keltie
Kate Keltie is an Australian actress.Born in Melbourne, Keltie played the role of Michelle Scully in the Australian television soap opera Neighbours between 1999 and 2003, as well as a brief return in 2004. She also appeared in Thunderstone and as Bec Cleary in Blue Heelers in 2004.-External links:...
), results in Carmella slapping her and leaving the area. She later returns in 2004, reconciles with Connor and helps him to maintain access to his daughter Madeleine (Madison Lu). To prove that she is business-minded, Carmella becomes a magazine editor. She departs from Erinsborough suddenly after she becomes the victim of a stalker, Frank Romano (Lliam Amor). Before she leaves, she drives around with a shotgun in an attempt to kill Frank. Upon her return, Carmella loses Connor's affection to Serena Bishop
Serena Bishop
Serena Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Lara Sacher. She made her first on-screen appearance on 9 October 2003. Serena's storylines included kissing her cousin's boyfriend, being taken advantage of by a photographer and starting an incestuos...
(Lara Sacher
Lara Sacher
Lara Sacher is an Australian actress who played Serena Bishop on the Australian soap opera Neighbours from 2003 to 2005.- Biography :...
). She attempts to ruin their relationship, which results in Serena's mother Liljana
Liljana Bishop
Liljana "Lil" Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Marcella Russo. She made her first on-screen appearance on 9 October 2003...
(Marcella Russo
Marcella Russo
Marcella Russo is an Australian actress who is best known for playing Liljana Bishop in the Australian soap opera Neighbours from 2003 until 2005, when her character was killed off in the Neighbours plane crash....
) hitting her to warn her off. Carmella then tries a different approach; she borrows money from her mother Lucia (Maria Mercedes
Maria Mercedes (actor)
Maria Mercedes is an Australian actress who has many credits in television, movies, and theatre.Mercedes has had starring roles in the television comedy/variety series Greeks on the Roof as Poppy, the mother of Effie, and in the comedy series Kick as Dora Mavros...
) to pay for an operation Madeleine needs, then blackmails Connor into spending time with her. She claims to have borrowed the money from a crime mob who are harassing her for repayment, which prompts Connor to steal money to try and pay it back. When Carmella realises the trouble she has caused, she tells Connor the truth and leaves.
After a period of absence, Carmella's mother sends Connor on a secret mission to find her daughter. He discovers that Carmella has become a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
, and is living in a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
as Sister Mary Catherine. During her time as a nun, she grows close to Ned Parker
Ned Parker
Ned Parker is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Daniel O'Connor. He made his first appearance on-screen on 9 August 2005, arriving to see his brother, Stuart...
(Daniel O'Connor), who encourages her to become a recording artist after hearing her sing. Carmella does it to make him happy, but admits that she does not really enjoy singing. She withdraws from their relationship as she feels that Ned is prying too much into her private affairs.
Carmella admits she arranged the sale of her cousin Teresa's (Hannah Greenwood
Hannah Greenwood
Hannah Greenwood is an Australian stage and television actress, best known for starring as Saskia Litras in the Australian children's television series Noah and Saskia.-Background:Greenwood currently lives in Melbourne, Australia...
) unwanted baby. A fellow nun suggests that she takes time off from the convent. She complies and leaves her role as a nun behind. Teresa has a breakdown and throws a saucepan of boiling water at Carmella, who is left with severe facial scarring and becomes increasingly secluded. She is convinced by Will Griggs (Christian Clark
Christian Clark
Christian Clark is an Australian actor. He appeared in the role of Will Griggs in the Network Ten soap opera Neighbours from 2006 to 2007...
) to have plastic surgery to lessen the scarring. Ned tells Carmella that he loves her, but Carmella has fallen in love with Will. Soon thereafter, Will leaves the country without notice. His younger brother Oliver Barnes
Oliver Barnes
Oliver Barnes is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by David Hoflin. He made his on-screen debut on 30 January 2007. Oliver is the oldest son of Rebecca Napier and the brother of Declan Napier...
(David Hoflin
David Hoflin
David Hoflin is a Swedish-born Australian actor. He is most famous for playing Jason Bates in Ocean Girl between 1994 and 1998, and Oliver Barnes in Neighbours between 2007 and 2008.-Career:...
) arrives, and explains that Will had a double identity. Carmella has short-lived relationships with Oliver and teenager Ringo Brown
Ringo Brown
Ringo Brown is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Sam Clark. Clark was given the role after he entered and won a Dolly magazine competition. He made his first on-screen appearance on 24 January 2007...
(Sam Clark
Sam Clark
-Studio albums:-Singles:-Music videos:-Filmography:-Awards and nominations:-External links:* on SoundCloud...
). She becomes addicted to prescription drugs, and later discovers that she is pregnant with Oliver's baby, and may have harmed the baby through her addiction.
Carmella begins an online business with Marco Silvani
Marco Silvani
Marco Silvani is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jesse Rosenfeld. He made his first on-screen appearance on 19 October 2007. Marco began a relationship with a pregnant Carmella Cammeniti, which caused tensions between himself and the baby's father, Oliver...
(Jesse Rosenfeld
Jesse Rosenfeld
Jesse Rosenfeld is an Australian stage, television and film actor, best known for playing Marco Silvani on the soap opera Neighbours.-Biography:Jesse was born in Melbourne, Australia, but spent much of his childhood in Cairns....
), and develops an attraction to him. She initially resists as she is still in love with Oliver, but learns to her disappointment that he does not reciprocate her feelings. Carmella gives birth prematurely by Caesarean section
Caesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...
; the condition of her daughter, Chloe (Sarah May), who is placed in the neonatal intensive-care unit, quickly improves. Mother and daughter move in with Marco, prompting a jealous Oliver to file for sole custody of Chloe, though he later rescinds this decision. Marco proposes to Carmella and she accepts, however later that day he is severely injured in a bushfire. Carmella marries him from his hospital bed, and Marco dies shortly afterwards. Following his death, Carmella believes she is haunted by Marco's spirit. Oliver moves to New York, but she declines his invitation to accompany him. He later moves to Portugal, and in December 2008, Carmella and Chloe leave to be with him. They briefly return to Erinsborough when Oliver's mother Rebecca (Jane Hall
Jane Hall (actress)
Jane Hall is an Australian actress and comedian.-Biography:Born in Melbourne, Hall grew up in the Dandenong Ranges....
) breaks up with her husband Paul
Paul Robinson (Neighbours)
Paul Stewart Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, a long-running serial drama about social life in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. He is played by Stefan Dennis. Paul debuted in the serial's first episode in 1985 and appeared on a...
(Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis is an Australian actor, best known for playing the role of Paul Robinson in the soap opera, Neighbours, from its first episode in March 1985 to the present day...
), to convince her to come and live with them.
Creation and characterisation
Carmella was created following Delta GoodremDelta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...
's sudden departure from Neighbours due to illness. Three months' worth of scripts were rewritten, and Carmella was introduced to fill the void left by Goodrem's character, Nina Tucker
Nina Tucker
Nina Tucker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Delta Goodrem. She made her first on-screen appearance on 11 June 2002. Goodrem was approached by producers after they saw her video for her debut single. Goodrem, who had just signed a record deal, almost...
. As a school graduate, Blair had unsuccessfully auditioned for another role in the serial, but impressed casting
Casting (performing arts)
In the performing arts, casting is a pre-production process for selecting a cast of actors, dancers, singers, models and other talent for a live or recorded performance.-Casting process:...
director Jan Russ
Jan Russ
Jan Russ is an Australian Casting director and actor best known for her work on the soap opera Neighbours from the show's beginning in 1985 to her departure in 2009. Russ was also the casting director on Prisoner until the show's cancellation...
. Six months later, Russ contacted Blair and asked her to audition for the role of Carmella. She was cast immediately, due to the urgent need to fill the void left by Goodrem. She played Carmella on an episodic basis
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
in 2003, then returned for a longer period in 2004, and briefly in 2005. Blair returned to Neighbours in 2006, and in September 2007, signed a contract keeping her in the show for another year.
The serial's official website described Carmella as "the youngest daughter of local mafioso Rocco Cammeniti. She grew up spoilt and sheltered from the real world, which made her a force to be reckoned with as soon as she was old enough to break free of her father's influence." Carmella underwent many changes during her tenure. Blair initially described her as a "fun, feisty and foxy sort of character". However, Carmella became depressed through her life's travails, having been stalked by Frank Romano, sold her cousin Teresa's baby and subsequently become a nun. Before her official confirmation in the convent, Carmella goes clubbing with ex-boyfriend Connor. Desrcibing Carmella's reasoning, Blair stated: "Carmella is thinking, 'Is what I'm about to go ahead with, - becoming a nun - the right choice?' She wants to be sure she's making the right decision about what she'll do for the rest of her life." Blair confirmed that after that night Carmella had "all the answers that she needed" to live the rest of her life. Blair enjoyed the opportunity to play a nun, but was glad when the storyline concluded as it meant Carmella got to have fun again.
Relationships
Carmella's relationship with Connor was originally scripted for Nina Tucker, but was transferred to Carmella by the producers on Goodrem's departure. Upon Carmella's introduction, her only family member was her mobster father Rocco, who had been sent to prison. In 2006, Carmella was given a sister, when Natalie SaleebaNatalie Saleeba
Natalie Saleeba is an Australian actress best known for her roles as Jessica Singleton in the medical drama series All Saints and Rosetta Cammeniti on Neighbours....
was cast in the role of Rosetta Cammeniti
Rosetta Cammeniti
Rosetta "Rosie" Cammeniti is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Natalie Saleeba. The character was introduced into the serial as part of a group of four "20 somethings." Saleeba began filming in July and she made her first on-screen appearance on 12 October...
. Blair opined that Rosie's inclusion brought out different sides to Carmella's character. Many viewers told Blair they felt the casting was good because they look alike. One of the significant changes to Carmella was that she started having fun again—Blair felt this meant they worked well together. Later, Erin McNaught
Erin McNaught
Erin McNaught is an Australian television personality and former beauty pageant titleholder who won 2006 Miss Australia and represented Australia in the Miss Universe 2006 competition...
was cast as her cousin Sienna Cammeniti
Sienna Cammeniti
Sienna Cammeniti is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by model Erin McNaught. McNaught was cast in the role to help boost falling ratings in Australia. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 2 May 2008. Sienna was introduced as the cousin of the...
. McNaught commented that there had been a rivalry between the cousins in their youth, so it would be interesting to see what unfolded between them.
Following the dissolution of Carmella's relationship with Oliver, Blair commented that Oliver would "always have a special place in Carmella's heart". Although Carmella began dating Marco, Blair felt that Chloe's premature birth strengthened the connection between Carmella and Oliver. She explained that Carmella "feels desolate and suddenly the connection Carmella's always had with Oliver is heightened. Together they name their baby Chloe and it's Marco who feels shut out." Following Chloe's birth, Carmella decided to put her love life to one side, and put her baby daughter first. She told Marco she did not want him in her life; he planned to leave town without a word to her, except a love note and a present to Chloe. Discussing the state of her relationship with Oliver and Marco at this point, Blair assessed: "I don't think it's so much of a love triangle anymore. Oliver made his feelings for Carmella very clear - he doesn't love her in that way. But he still doesn't want another man looking after his child. So there'll be more tension between the [three] of them. And things get even more complicated over the next few months."
Marco was later killed in a bush fire disaster. Describing the filming process, Blair stated: "Shooting the scenes for the bush fire and everything surrounding it - the wedding - the funeral - was so draining. It was full on." Blair had to film scenes involving Carmella singing at Marco's funeral, which she deemed "close to home" because she had done it at her grandmother's funeral. She found it distressing, as they filmed in a real graveyard. She had previously been reluctant to sing on-screen but felt it was justified for Marco's funeral. Blair commented on Carmella's repetitive bad luck, stating: "She's gone through so much already, just to get to this point. This should really be a happy time for her, but it's not." After all the hurdles she faced, Carmella became a stronger person. Blair said it saw her become well-equipped to look after her child.
Departure and return
In 2008, Blair expressed frustration that Carmella had become a "very tortured, depressive character and there was no light at the end of the tunnel." She described the role, which went through enormous transformations, as being one that had pushed her acting abilities. Blair's pleas to the show producers to let the down-on-luck Carmella be up-beat again were rejected. In June 2008, the actress confirmed her plans to leave the series when her contract expired. Speaking of her decision to leave, Blair said: "I made the decision in December [...] I am eager to try new things and go to a place where people have no idea what I have done, I want to experiment with what works for me and what doesn't as a performer." Producers confirmed they did not intend to kill her character off, as they hoped for her to return again in the future. A spokesperson for the programme's broadcaster, Network TenNetwork Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
, stated: "Obviously, we've loved having Natalie on the show all these years and we're really sad to see her go [...] and hope to see her on Ramsay Street
Ramsay Street
Ramsay Street is the fictional cul-de-sac in which the characters of the Australian soap opera Neighbours live. The street is set in the equally fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. Neighbours storylines primarily centre around the residents of the Street, which was named after the...
again one day in the future." Blair later admitted she was surprised at her rise popularity whilst playing Carmella.
Carmella's exit storyline was devised months prior to Blair's departure. Producers had planned to reunite Carmella and Oliver and have them leave together, however Hoflin decided to go travelling, meaning he was unavailable for filming. Prior to Hoflin's departure, he and Balir filmed scenes showing their reunion. Scripts were quickly rewritten to portray Oliver in Portugal, where Hoflin was in real life, instead of New York where Oliver left for upon his exit. Describing her reaction to Carmella's scripts towards the end, Blair commented: "After a while I'd open my script and say, 'Please give me one scene where I'm smiling'. And then I'd read the script and think, 'Damn - no smiling scenes again'." Blair had originally hoped that Carmella would be killed on-screen, as she felt a dramatic send off would have been fitting. After the "tragic" final year Carmella underwent, Blair decided she was happy with the exit because "something finally goes right for her". Blair also opined: "It's a really lovely story and I think the fans will be happy with it." Carmella's "happy exit storyline" saw her leaving in a taxi surrounded by all of her friends waving her off, after they convinced her to start a new life with Oliver.
In September 2010, it was revealed that Blair and Hoflin would return to film scenes in the last two weeks of production in 2010, and the episodes would be shown in early 2011. Carmella returns for two episodes in March 2011. Blair said she could not resist the return, which acts as a catalyst in Rebecca Robinson's (Jane Hall
Jane Hall (actress)
Jane Hall is an Australian actress and comedian.-Biography:Born in Melbourne, Hall grew up in the Dandenong Ranges....
) departure. Blair felt it fitting because both Carmella and Oliver have history with Paul Robinson
Paul Robinson (Neighbours)
Paul Stewart Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, a long-running serial drama about social life in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough. He is played by Stefan Dennis. Paul debuted in the serial's first episode in 1985 and appeared on a...
(Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis
Stefan Dennis is an Australian actor, best known for playing the role of Paul Robinson in the soap opera, Neighbours, from its first episode in March 1985 to the present day...
) and want to "protect Rebecca and watch out for her best interests".
Reception
In his book Super Aussie Soaps, Andrew Mercado brands Carmella, the mobster's daughter, as "the mafia princess". In 2005, Blair won a Logie AwardLogie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
for "Most Popular New Female Talent" following her appearances as Carmella. By the time Blair was made an official cast member, The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...
declared that Carmella was a Ramsay Street favourite. The actress was also nominated for a Golden Logie for "Most Popular Personality" in 2007, and once again 2008. Blair was nominated in the category of "Sexiest Female" at the 2007 Inside Soap Awards
Inside Soap Awards
The Inside Soap Awards is a yearly award ceremony run by Inside Soap magazine since 1996. The awards celebrate the British and Australian soap operas and their actors. Until 2007, EastEnders had won the award for "Best Soap" on every occasion...
, and had a joint nomination with David Hoflin for "Best Couple". Fiona Byrne of the Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
remarked that Carmella was becoming one of the show's most popular characters. At the following year's Inside Soap Awards, she was nominated in the "Best Storyline" category for her custody battle over Chloe with Oliver, as well as "Sexiest Female" again.
Scott Ellis of the Sydney Morning Herald television magazine stated that, even compared to the slightly surreal standards of most soap operas, Carmella has "been through a wringer". He made a point of the many storylines that transformed the character: "A former party girl turned nun, Carmella has been stalked, slapped, scalded, scarred and even sold a baby. She's found and lost love at least three times, given birth, fought a custody battle, fought kleptomania, and fought various members of her family." In the same vein, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
praised Carmella's versatility in going from from "baby peddler to nun, before suffering severe facial burns that required re-constructive surgery." Inside Soap
Inside Soap
Inside Soap is a weekly UK magazine, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas shown in the United Kingdom....
opined that 2008 for Carmella was "tragedy after tragedy". What's on TV
What's On TV
What's on TV is a weekly television listings magazine published by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.-Overview:What's on TV is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and competitions...
deemed Carmella's scalding with boiling water her most explosive scene, and the Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
called it karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
for selling Teresa's baby.
Despite her popularity with the viewers, Carmella was negatively received by Ruth Deller of television website Lowculture
Lowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of Doctor Who Adventures.-Purpose:...
. On how to get the magic back into Neighbours, Deller said "Axe Carmella. Or at least make her a nun again, which was the only time she was interesting". Deller also said she would have rather seen Carmella and Marco leave the show instead of Rosetta and Frazer
Frazer Yeats
Frazer Yeats is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Ben Lawson. The character was introduced into the serial as part of a group of four characters branded as "20 somethings". He debuted in the episode airing on 12 October 2006. He departed the...
. The Liverpool Daily Post
Liverpool Daily Post
The Liverpool Daily Post is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Friday and is published in Merseyside, Cheshire, and North Wales editions, and is a morning paper...
said that they had seen implausible storylines in the serial, but Carmella seeing Marco's ghost "takes the biscuit". However, they concluded "At least he offers Carmella some much-needed support." The Daily Record said the ghost scenes were more unforgettable than Bouncer's
Bouncer (Neighbours)
Bouncer is a fictional Labrador Retriever from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours. He made his first on-screen appearance on 4 February 1987 and he exited the series on 12 February 1993 after six years...
dream. On the subject of her funeral song they added: "Oddly, none of her friends think she's gone mad, despite an impromptu version of 'Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
'."