Vale Rachael Carpani – McLeod’s Daughters and Home and Away actress passes away aged 45
Following the sad passing of Australian actress Rachael Carpani on 7th December, we take a look back at her career.
Born on 24th August 1980 in Sydney, Rachael Anna-Marie Carpani grew up on a large property near Dural in the Sydney Hills district. Some years later, the family moved to North Sydney.
Rachael as Jodi Fountain in McLeod’s Daughters
Growing up, Rachael would ride motorbikes in Sydney’s north-west, but it was a chance enrolment in a drama class that piqued her interest.
“I did a drama class three days a week after school because my mum wanted me to get involved with a few extracurricular activities,” Rachael told TV Week in 2005.
“I rally only ever did dance and ballet and refused to go anywhere near sport because I’m really not sporty at all.
“She was at her wits’ end and enrolled me in a drama class—I think to just stop me annoying her in the afternoon—and I just loved it.”
Rachael was soon signed by an acting agent who spotted her in one of her classes. At 14, she was asked to audition for Home and Away, but turned it down as she was in an academic family and school always came first.
“I started going for auditions but my parents were very insistent on me concentrating on school. They wouldn’t let me go for any full-time roles,” she told TV Week.
“They never really gave me a choice, which I’m grateful for now, but at the time I really didn’t think it was fair.”
In her final year of high school, she studied drama; her marks in which landed her in the top 10 percent of the state in her HSC.
Following her graduation, Rachael enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts, Media and Cultural Studies at Macquarie University, majoring in writing. During this time, she also studied performance.
Whilst studying, she made her first appearance on Home and Away, playing an uncredited commune resident in Episode 2150.
Rachael in Episode 2150 of Home and Away
In 2000, Rachael was cast as Emily Martin in All Saints, a young woman who had been caught in a feud between her parents and her boyfriend and caught in the crossfire when she was injured by a knife.
Rachael as Emily Martin in All Saints
Later that year, she played Miranda on Home and Away, a young waitress at the Bayside Diner.
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Rachael played Miranda on Home and Away in 2000
It was 2001 when Rachael received her big break. During casting of a new female-led drama series for the Nine Network, Rachael was cast on McLeod’s Daughters.
Originally auditioning for bad girl Becky Howard, Rachael believed the producers thought she looked too sweet.
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Sonia Todd and Rachael Carpani as Meg and Jodi Fountain in McLeod’s Daughters
When she was offered the role, Rachael’s first reaction was “are you sure you’ve got the right person?”, adding that she was over the moon to learn that Sonia Todd would be playing her mother, Meg.
Rachael deferred university, and the rest was history.
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Sonia Todd and Rachael Carpani as Meg and Jodi Fountain in McLeod’s Daughters
Rachael played the much-loved Jodi Fountain (later McLeod). In her character breakdown, Jodi was described as “an exuberant 17-year-old who has ambitions to be rich and famous.”
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Rachael Carpani in McLeods Daughters
The daughter of housekeeper Meg, Jodi had just finished high school and was looking at every option, but resigned to working on the farm until she knew what she wanted to do.
The breakdown added, “Jodi thinks working on Drover’s Run will be a real drag but what she will learn is love, loyalty and a lot about who she really is… even if she doesn’t become famous for a week or two.”
The character of Jodi ended up staying on Drovers Run for the next seven years. It was in the series’ third season that Rachael’s acting abilities were awarded with an outback wedding.
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Rachael Carpani and Simmone Jade Mackinnon
In May 2006, Rachael’s departure from McLeod’s Daughters was announced, with the actress signing on for a small part in the series’ seventh season to tie up her character’s arc.
Onscreen, determined to be with her long-term love interest Rob (Jonny Pasvolsky), Jodi agreed to go into witness protection, using a car bombing as a cover to begin a new life together.
However, when the series finished, Rachael reprised her role for one episode, revealing she and Rob were able to begin their lives again outside of police protection.
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Rachael Carpani and Jonny Pasvolsky as Jodi and Rob on McLeod’s Daughters
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Rachael Carpani as Abby Kowalski in Against the Wall 100vw, 1200px” data-lazy-src=”https://www.backtothebay.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/rachael_carpani_if_there_be_thorns.jpg” /></p>
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Rachael Carpani in If There Be Thorns 100vw, 1200px” data-lazy-src=”https://www.backtothebay.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Rachael-Carpani-Claudia-Salini.jpg” /></p>
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Rachael Carpani as Claudia Salini on Home and Away