Guido Hatzis: Voice, Creator, and Character History

You’ve probably heard a loud, fast-talking Greek-Australian voice on the radio or a prank call tape and wondered who that bloke is. That’s Guido Hatzis — a character born from the minds of two Melbourne comedians who turned a simple idea into a cult comedy fixture.

Created by: Tony Moclair and Julian Schiller ·
First known appearance: 1990s, Australian radio ·
Nationality: Greek-Australian ·
Voiced by: Tony Moclair ·
Facebook followers: 44,302+ ·
Instagram followers: 2,700+

Five key facts about Guido Hatzis, one pattern: the character’s biography is well-documented but the creative backstory and award history are richer than most casual fans realise.

Who was Guido Hatzis?

Guido Hatzis is a Greek-Australian comic character — a fast-talking, insult-hurling, stereotypically exaggerated persona that first appeared on Australian radio in the 1990s. He was created by comedians Tony Moclair and Julian Schiller, and voiced by Moclair (Wikipedia).

Character biography and personality

• Guido is portrayed as a plumber by trade, a claim that became a running joke in prank calls.
• His comedy relies on blunt insults, exaggerated boasts about his appearance, and heavy use of Greek-Australian stereotypes.
• The character’s voice is high-pitched, rapid-fire, and instantly recognisable to Australian radio listeners.

What this means: Guido Hatzis is less a fully fleshed-out fictional biography and more a persona built entirely around phone gags and punchlines. The lack of a detailed backstory is itself a feature — he exists to deliver laughs, not narrative arcs.

Who played Guido Hatzis?

Tony Moclair is the voice and face behind Guido Hatzis. Moclair, born 4 September 1969 in County Cork, Ireland, is an Australian comedian, actor, writer, and radio broadcaster (Wikipedia). He met Julian Schiller while studying Arts at Monash University in Melbourne (Instinct Music).

Voiced by Tony Moclair

• Moclair performed all Guido Hatzis voices on radio, albums, and video content.
• He also co-wrote and co-produced the comedy albums with Schiller.
• In a 2024 Sooshi Mango podcast, Moclair discussed the experience of playing an ethnic character as a “skip” and the death threats he received as a result (Apple Podcasts).

Co-created by Julian Schiller

• Schiller co-wrote the character and the albums alongside Moclair.
• The duo met at Monash University and later worked together on Triple M’s “Crud” program.

The pattern: Moclair and Schiller’s comedy partnership is the engine behind Guido Hatzis. Their shared university background and radio work gave the character a consistent, collaborative voice.

What is Guido Hatzis known for?

Guido Hatzis is primarily known for prank calls and comedy albums. The character’s schtick — ringing unsuspecting businesses and individuals with absurd, aggressive questions — became a staple of Australian radio humour in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Comedy prank albums

• Do Not Talk Over Me (1999) — won the 2001 ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release, platinum-selling.
• Whatever (2000) — won the 2002 ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release, platinum-selling.
• Deported (2002) — gold-selling.

These albums were distributed nationally and received significant airplay, cementing the character’s place in Australian pop culture.

Multi-platform presence: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify

• YouTube hosts compilations of Guido Hatzis prank calls, some with millions of views.
• Facebook page: 44,302+ followers (Facebook).
• Instagram: 2,700+ followers.
• Spotify: Guido Hatzis content appears on podcasts and album streaming.

The trade-off: While the character’s radio-era fame has faded slightly, the social media afterlife keeps him relevant to a new generation discovering the prank calls online.

Who created Guido Hatzis?

Guido Hatzis was created by Tony Moclair and Julian Schiller. The two comedians developed the character while working on the Triple M radio program “Crud” in the 1990s.

Comedians Tony Moclair and Julian Schiller

• Moclair had previously worked on 3RRR’s “Breakfasters” and other radio outlets (Instinct Music).
• Schiller’s background is less publicly documented, but his collaboration with Moclair was central to the character’s success.
• The duo’s partnership extended beyond radio: they co-wrote the albums, sketches, and live shows.

The catch: While Moclair is well-documented, Schiller’s role is often mentioned but not as thoroughly profiled. The exact division of creative labour remains unclear.

What awards has Guido Hatzis won?

Guido Hatzis as a character did not win individual awards, but the albums featuring him won two ARIA Awards for Best Comedy Release. Do Not Talk Over Me won in 2001, and Whatever won in 2002, both reaching platinum sales.

• ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release (2001) — Do Not Talk Over Me
• ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release (2002) — Whatever
• No other major awards are publicly documented for the character itself.

The implication: The ARIA wins are significant — they place Guido Hatzis among the most decorated comedy characters in Australian recording history, even if the trophies are filed under the voice actor’s name.

Timeline

Three key periods define Guido Hatzis’s journey from radio gag to digital cult figure.

• 1990s — Character creation on Australian radio by Moclair and Schiller, first appearing on Triple M’s “Crud”.
• 1999–2002 — Three comedy albums released (Do Not Talk Over Me, Whatever, Deported), two ARIA wins, platinum and gold certifications.
• 2010s–2024 — Expansion to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram; 2024 podcast appearance on Sooshi Mango.

The pattern: The character’s arc follows a classic “radio hit → recorded media → online archive” lifecycle. The social media phase has kept the IP alive without new content creation.

Clarity section

Confirmed facts

• Guido Hatzis is a fictional character, not a real person.
• Voiced by Tony Moclair, co-created by Julian Schiller.
• Greek-Australian identity is a core part of the persona.
• Albums won ARIA awards; two are platinum, one is gold.
• Active on Facebook (44k+ followers) and Instagram (2.7k+).

What’s unclear

• Exact year of first appearance on radio — not publicly documented.
• Whether any individual awards were given to the character itself (awards are for the albums).
• Specific prank details not archived in a single source; many are lost in old recordings.
• The full extent of Julian Schiller’s creative contribution beyond co-writing.

The state of knowledge: confirmed facts are well-documented, but uncertainties remain, particularly around the character’s earliest days.

Quotes

Guido Hatzis is a Greek-Australian comic character created by Tony Moclair and Julian Schiller and voiced by Moclair.

— Wikipedia entry for Guido Hatzis

Tony Moclair is the man behind pranking Greek legend Guido Hatzis.

— Sooshi Mango podcast description, 2024 (Apple Podcasts)

Moclair discussed the experience of playing an ethnic character as a ‘skip’ and the death threats he received.

— Sooshi Mango podcast notes

Summary

Guido Hatzis is more than a prank call — he’s a case study in how a simple radio character can achieve lasting cultural relevance through album sales, awards, and social media. For Australian comedy fans, the character remains a nostalgia trigger; for new listeners, he’s an entry point into the golden era of Aussie radio pranks. The unresolved questions about his earliest days and Schiller’s role only add to the mystique. For Tony Moclair, the legacy is clear: keep the phone line open, because the audience is still listening.

For a deeper look at the character’s beginnings, you can explore the detailed origins of Guido Hatzis.

Frequently asked questions

The FAQ section answers common curiosities, but the character’s full story continues to evolve.