Australian actress Charlotte Chimes
Charlotte Chimes knows a thing or two about the fame game. The young ingenue, who is the newest national face of world-renowned McDonald’s fast food chain in Australia, has been in the public eye for a number of years. What’s different about her role in the McDonald’s campaign, for which she was paid an incredibly high salary of $10,000 for just a day’s work, is that Charlotte was given the opportunity to show off her personality.
“Usually I play very emotionally demanding roles, so it was incredibly refreshing to be able to represent the company in a more authentic way - a way that was representative of the lighter side of my personality.”
Still of Charlotte Chimes (right) in a commercial for McDonald's
The young beauty, who is well-known for her scene-stealing roles in “Schapelle” and “Catching Milat” among other film projects, has been a familiar face in the national advertising arena for the past few years. Joining the ranks of other well-known Australian actresses like “Wedding Crasher’s” star Isla Fisher for IMG and Rebel Wilson for the “Stan” network, Charlotte’s effervescent screen presence and unique blend of vulnerable authority has helped command audience attention and boost McDonald’s sales in recent months.
Charlotte also proved her high stature as a truly accomplished actor by working with director Matt Murphy, who was called one of the Top 10 new directors at the Cannés Film festival, and who has won awards at major advertising ceremonies including D7AD, Axis, ATV, London International, Loewe and many others. Most recently, Matt directed the feature film “Pork Pie” with “Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries” Ashleigh Cummings, who will appear as the lead in the Warner Bros’ feature “The Goldfinch” opposite Ansel Egort. “Matt’s a wonderful director, and obviously has a terrific lineage of only working with top talent - the fact I was directed by him was initially daunting but ultimately, very gratifying.”
Being the ‘face’ of a multi-billion dollar company like McDonald’s obviously comes with responsibilities, but those are tasks which Charlotte takes in her stride. “I’ve worked really hard at training with the best coaches out there.” Those coaches include Anthony Meindl, who also teaches “Big Little Lies” and “Divergent” star Shailene Woodley. They have not only equipped Charlotte with tools to take charge of any script, but also helped her navigate her unique ‘born-with-it’ talent. “Charlotte’s extraordinary ability to balance both comedy and drama is one of the reasons why she is one of Australia’s top-actors working today,” claims her agent, Anthony Kidd.
Emmy nominated producer Stephanie Meurer (left) and Charlotte (right) at the Emmy Awards
In addition to her commanding work for McDonald’s, Charlotte has also been a regular fixture in advertising campaigns for leading insurance company AHM (“a very funny shooting experience, we definitely laughed a lot,” Charlotte adds), as well as bringing sensitivity to a campaign for the Prince of Wales Hospital, Australia’s most well-known surgical and care center. “I’ve enjoyed being a part of leading companies campaign’s, because it means I’m using my skills as an actor in such a way that go beyond just entertaining people.” Of course, Charlotte is not simply an an actor who takes a paycheck for any project. The gifted Queensland native, who is notoriously diligent about her craft, has been selective in her acting projects and frequently plays real-life characters on esteemed projects, having performed key roles in “Schapelle” and “Deadly Women”, among others.
So what’s in store for this gifted actress? “I’m excited to be working on some amazing projects in the US. I can’t quite say what they are yet, but they’re being produced by an amazing team and will give me a great opportunity to explore my craft in a market that’s different to Australia.”