Pia Whitesell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pia Whitesell
Whitesell in 2015
Born	Pia Loyola Blanco (1983-11-02) 2 November 1983 (age 41) Viña del Mar, Chile
Other names	Pia Miller
Occupation	Model, actress, presenter
Years active	1998–present (modelling) 2010–present (acting)
Spouse(s)	Brad Miller ​ ​ (m. 2007; div. 2016)​ Patrick Whitesell ​ (m. 2021)​
Children	2
Modelling information
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Hair colour	Brown
Eye colour	Brown
Agency	Chadwick Models

Pia Whitesell (born 2 November 1983) is an Australian model, actress, and television presenter. She became well-known after winning a modelling competition held by Dolly magazine. Later, she appeared on the TV show Search for a Supermodel.

Pia has worked in many advertising campaigns for big brands like Myer and Mossimo. In 2010, she started co-hosting Qantas' in-flight entertainment shows. She was also chosen as the first Australian celebrity tourism ambassador for Chile in 2014.

After taking acting and presenting classes in 2009, Pia became a presenter on the travel show Postcards Victoria. She also made guest appearances in TV shows like East West 101 and Neighbours. From 2015 to 2018, Pia played the character Kat Chapman in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. She was even nominated for a Logie Award for Best New Talent. After leaving Home and Away, Pia starred in Nine Network's show Bite Club.

Pia's Early Life

Pia Loyola Blanco was born on 2 November 1983 in Viña del Mar, Chile. Her mother, Angélica Blanco, was a fashion designer. When Pia was four years old, she moved from Chile to Australia with her mother, brother, and sister. Her grandmother later joined them. When Pia was seven, her mother enrolled her in a modelling school.

Pia's Career Highlights

Modelling Work

In 1998, when Pia was fourteen, she won a modelling competition run by the teen magazine Dolly. This led to a contract with Chadwick Models. By the time she was sixteen, Pia had travelled around the world for fashion shows, walking on catwalks (runways). She finished her high school studies by learning from home through a special program.

In 2001, Pia appeared on the TV show Search for a Supermodel. After that, she got a contract with L'Oréal for a campaign in 2003. Pia has been featured in advertisements for many brands, including Myer, Mossimo, Midas, Australian Unity, Crown Casino, and Jump. She has also appeared in TV commercials and promoted brands like Samsung and Cadbury.

In 2009, a T-shirt designed by Nick Bowes for his fashion label KRMA featured Pia's image. Famous actors Adrian Grenier and John Stamos were later seen wearing this T-shirt. Pia and Nick were both surprised by how popular it became.

The next year, Pia was chosen as the official ambassador for the 2010 Australian Grand Prix. In July, she took over from Deborah Hutton as the co-host of Qantas' in-flight entertainment programs. Pia also became the face of Megan Gale's swimwear line for Summer 2012/2013.

In 2014, Pia became the first Australian celebrity tourism ambassador for Chile. This meant she helped promote tourism to Chile. In January 2015, she also became a brand ambassador for the Mazda CX-5 car. Later that year, Pia starred in a video for Maybelline to promote their new makeup products. In 2017, Pia became the first Australian ambassador for the Gillette Venus brand. The following year, she was named the official ambassador for Melbourne Fashion Week. She also modelled for Caltrate vitamins.

Acting and Presenting Roles

In 2009, Pia started taking acting lessons. She also attended classes for voice and presenting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), which is a famous school for performers. The next year, she became a presenter on Nine Network's travel show Postcards Victoria, leaving the show in 2012. Pia also appeared several times on the Network Ten talk show The Circle, where she talked about red carpet fashion.

In 2011, Pia appeared in the romantic comedy film Big Mamma's Boy and the TV crime drama East West 101. The following year, she was cast in Conspiracy 365 and played a guest role as Monica Wetherby in an episode of Neighbours. Pia also made a guest appearance in Wonderland in 2013.

In August 2014, Pia joined the cast of Home and Away, playing the regular role of Katarina "Kat" Chapman. Kat was introduced as the new policewoman in Summer Bay. Pia first appeared on screen as Kat on 5 February 2015. She was nominated for Best New Talent at the 2016 Logie Awards. Pia confirmed she was leaving the show in October 2017. Her final scenes aired on 18 December 2017.

In 2018, Pia Whitesell was cast in the eight-part crime thriller Bite Club on Nine Network. The series also stars Todd Lasance and Dominic Monaghan. In 2019, Pia co-starred in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, which is a live-action movie based on the cartoon Dora the Explorer. In the movie, she played Dora's aunt, Mami.

Pia's Personal Life

Pia had her first son, Izzy, when she was nineteen years old. In 2005, she started a relationship with AFL footballer Brad Miller. They had a son in October 2006 and got married in 2007. In 2010, Pia became an Australian citizen. In October 2015, Pia and Brad announced that they were separating.

From November 2017 to April 2019, Pia was engaged to film producer Tyson Mullane. In early November 2020, Pia announced her engagement to businessman Patrick Whitesell. The couple got married in May 2021.

Film and TV Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Pia Miller para niños