Bobby Tonelli

Bobby Tonelli
Born Robert Tonelli Jr.
October 25, 1975
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Other names Bobby Tonelli

Robert Tonelli Jr., known as Bobby Tonelli (born October 25, 1975) is an American actor who has appeared in several Hollywood films including Cages, Running Red, No Tomorrow, and The Darwin Conspiracy.[1]

Biography

Early life

Bobby Tonelli was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. He attended Chaparral High School in Las Vegas, NV and graduated in 1994. He had a promising career in baseball as a pitcher until he suffered a rotator cuff injury that hindered his chances to pitch at the professional level. Tonelli attended several small colleges in California in hopes of rehabilitating his shoulder and professional baseball pitching career. Upon his decision to leave baseball in 1997, he fell into the fashion industry by chance where he traveled throughout Southeast Asia as a print and runway model, working for companies such as Donna Karan, Versace, Levi's, and Louis Vuitton, and for fashion show producer Daniel Boey.

In 1998, Tonelli traveled to Europe to continue modeling where he also attended The Actor's Centre in London, England, as well as several renowned coaches in the US Ivana Chubbuck, Howard Fine, John Holma.

Career

Tonelli's acting career consisted of smaller roles in television and feature films from 1999-2004. In 2002, his involvement in the Singaporean feature film Cages began after a chance meeting with director Graham Streeter. Because of his previous art background as an accomplished painter, Tonelli chose to paint all of the character Ethan's art in that film. During this time he also starred in the experimental short "Hallelujah" also directed by Streeter.

In 2007 Tonelli returned to Singapore where he was seen in the MediaCorp English Program Life Story featured as the American coach of Ang Peng Siong. He was one of the 6 contestants in the Art Central reality programme The Food Bachelor. Bobby has been one of the few prominent foreign actors in Singapore working on a multitude of projects in various languages and channels. The turning point in Tonelli's career was his supporting role in the Channel 8 drama The Little Nyonya playing the part of Paul Robertson, a lawyer who helps and eventually marries Yueniang, played by the actress Jeanette Aw. The series garnered the highest ratings for Channel 8 in 14 years.[2] Tonelli was part of the ensemble cast of the original musical Sleepless Town in 2009. In 2010 Bobby was one of the stars of Mediacorp Channel 5 drama series titled Fighting Spiders for two seasons.[3][4] He also guest starred in two seasons of Mediacorp Channel 5 series The Pupil, guest-starred in the comedy Anything Goes, and starred in the Channel 5 mini-series Massacre at Keong Saik Street. Besides Channel 5, Bobby has also acted in 5 Mediacorp Suria (Malay) productions: Fajar Ramadan, BFF, Atas Heights Season 1, UMMI season 2, and Munah & Hirzi; Action which garnered him a nomination for "Best Villain" at the 2013 Pesta Perdana Awards show.[5]

Bobby also co-starred in Mediacorp Okto series 100 Wishes for two seasons, starred in the Okto tele-movie The Million Dollar Job 2: Raffles' Gold and guest-starred in Nick of Time. Bobby continued working in Channel 8 Mandarin drama series titled Double Bonus,[6] playing the part of Michael, who is the ex-boyfriend of Peiling, played by actress Tracy Lee and then followed by co-starring in the 30th Anniversary Blockbuster drama series Joys of Life acting opposite Rui En.[7] Both dramas required Bobby to speak Mandarin quite extensively. Bobby was seen in Diva Universal (Asia) Hot Guy's Who Cook as well as Channel 5 Sasuke Singapore.[8]

Tonelli also starred in the MediaCorp Toggle comedy series King of the Keng,[9] guest-starred in "Door to Door", hosted the sports reality show Take Me On and co-starred in the MediaCorp XINMSN series Get Social.[10]

In early 2014 Bobby was cast as the male lead opposite Kit Chan in Ms. J Contemplates Her Choice (working title) slated to be released in the early part of 2015.[11] as well as the role of Steven in "Wayang Boy" which was released in the later part of 2014.

In 2015 Bobby co-starred in "The Circle House" a Channel 5 Telemovie which aired in late February, Mediacorp Suria series "Interns" as Runway Rio, "Kosmopolitan" as James and Channel U series Love? along side Felicia Chin.

In Singapore television Tonelli has acted in 5 Mandarin drama series, 7 Malaysian drama series, 9 English drama series, hosted 3 English television/online shows and appeared in various Variety and Game shows in both English and Mandarin.

Bobby speaks and acts in fluent English, basic Mandarin, and is learning bahasa Indonesia.

Apart from his acting career Bobby has also been a radio DJ for Mediacorp Radio for the past four years. Co-host of Class 95 "Cartunes" with jean Danker from 2010 -2012.[12] Co-host of the "Rude Awakening" on 987FM with Rosalyn Lee (Rozz) 2012-2014, and currently back at Class 95 as the host of 'Class 95 Nights with Bobby Tonelli.[13] In early 2015 after four years on Radio, Bobby left radio to focus on personal business ventures as well as acting in more Television and Film and emcee work. [14]

Personal life

Tonelli had a highly public relationship with Joanne Peh for four years, after meeting on the set of The Little Nyonya. The couple regularly appeared on television shows and commercials with one another before their split in 2013.[15]

Tonelli is currently dating an Indonesian woman who works in the jewellery industry in Singapore.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Bobby Tonelli Bio". XINMSN. n.d. Retrieved 2013.
  2. ↑ "MediaCorp blockbuster drama The Little Nyonya Highest Ratings". MediaCorp Pte Ltd. n.d. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
  3. ↑ "Fighting Spiders". MediaCorp Pte Ltd. n.d. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
  4. ↑ "The Spiders are back!". MediaCorp Pte Ltd. n.d. Retrieved 28 Jul 2010.
  5. ↑ "Bobby Tonelli up for Most Famous Villain award". Straits Times. n.d. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  6. ↑ "Double Hunks in Double Bonus!". BaGua Blog. n.d. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  7. ↑ "Joys Of Life Official Web". Straits Times. n.d. Retrieved June 2013.
  8. ↑ "Celebrities square it off at Sasuke Singapore course". XINMSN. n.d. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  9. ↑ "King Of The Keng episodes". Toggle. n.d. Retrieved 2014.
  10. ↑ "Get Social episodes". Toggle. n.d. Retrieved 2014.
  11. ↑ "New love, new language". AsiaOne Showbiz. n.d. Retrieved Jan 13, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Bobby Tonelli the accidental radio DJ". n.d. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  13. ↑ "Bobby Tonelli, the new co-host for 987FM’s "Rude Awakening"". n.d. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  14. ↑ "Bobby Tonelli bows out from radio"". n.d. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  15. ↑ "Spilt Up". n.d. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  16. ↑ "DJ Bobby Tonelli celebrates Hari Raya with new girlfriend and family in Indonesia". Singapore Press Holdings. STOMP. 6 August 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.

External links