Pia Whitesell

In 1998, when she was fourteen, Whitesell won a modelling competition run by teen magazine Dolly and was given a contract with Chadwick Models.[2][5] By the time she was sixteen, Whitesell had travelled around the world for catwalk shows. She finished secondary school by correspondence.[2] Whitesell appeared on the second series of Search for a Supermodel in 2001.[6] Whitesell has featured in advertising campaigns for Myer, Mossimo, Midas, Australian Unity, Crown Casino and Jump.[5][6][7] She has also been cast in various television commercials and endorsed brands such as Samsung and Cadbury.[5]

In 2009, Whitesell’s image was featured on a T-shirt by designer Nick Bowes for the fashion label KRMA. Actors Adrian Grenier and John Stamos were later spotted wearing the T-shirt.[8] Both Whitesell and Bowes was surprised by the attention it got, saying "When he asked if he could use the headshot, I thought nothing of it. The success of the T-shirt has caught both of us by surprise. I am really flattered and humbled by it."[8] The following year, Whitesell was named the official ambassador for the 2010 Australian Grand Prix.[9]

In July, Whitesell replaced Deborah Hutton as the co-host of Qantas' in-flight entertainment programs.[9] She became the face of Megan Gale's swimwear line for Summer 2012/2013.[10] In 2014, Whitesell became the first Australian celebrity tourism ambassador for Chile.[11][12] She also became a brand ambassador for the Mazda CX-5 in January 2015.[13] Later that year, Whitesell starred in a video for Maybelline promoting their new mascara and eyeliner products. In 2017, Whitesell became the first Australian ambassador for the Gillette Venus brand.[14] The following year, she was named as the official ambassador for Melbourne Fashion Week. She also modelled for Caltrate vitamins.[15]

In 2009, Whitesell began taking acting lessons, and attended voice and presentation classes at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).[2] The following year, she became a presenter on Nine Network's travel show Postcards Victoria.[16] She left the show in 2012.[17] Whitesell made several appearances on the Network Ten talk show The Circle discussing red carpet fashions.[17] In 2011, Whitesell appeared in the romantic comedy film Big Mamma's Boy and television crime drama East West 101.[2] The following year, she was cast in Conspiracy 365 and guest starred as Monica Wetherby in an episode of Neighbours.[18] Whitesell made a guest appearance in Wonderland in 2013.[19]

In August 2014, Whitesell joined the cast of Home and Away in the regular role of Katarina "Kat" Chapman.[20] Whitesell began shooting her first scenes two weeks after her audition. She initially commuted to and from Sydney for filming.[20] Kat was introduced as Summer Bay's new policewoman. Whitesell said she was proud to play a strong character and added "I saw the character breakdown and what excited me the most about this character was that she isn't, in any way, sexualised."[21] Whitesell made her first screen appearance as Kat on 5 February 2015.[22] She earned a nomination for Best New Talent at the 2016 Logie Awards.[23] News outlets published photos in August 2017 of the cast filming Kat's funeral.[24] Whitesell confirmed her departure from the show in October 2017.[25] Her final scenes aired during the 2017 season finale broadcast on 18 December.[26]

In 2018, Whitesell was cast in the eight-part crime thriller Bite Club on Nine Network. She plays Kate Summers, a former nurse and best friend of Detective Senior Constable Zoe Rawlings (Ash Ricardo), a shark-attack survivor hunting a serial killer. The series also stars Todd Lasance and Dominic Monaghan.[27][28] In 2019, Whitesell co-starred in the Dora and the Lost City of Gold, the live action film adaptation of Dora the Explorer, as Dora's aunt Mami.[29]