Melina Kanakaredes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melina Kanakaredes
Kanakaredes in Ohio, 2009
Born	Melina Eleni Kanakaredes (1967-04-23) April 23, 1967 (age 58) Akron, Ohio, U.S.
Alma mater	Point Park College (B.A., Theatre, 1989)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1991–present
Spouse(s)	Peter Constantinides ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	2

Melina Eleni Kanakaredes (born April 23, 1967) is a talented Greek-American actress. She is famous for playing important characters in popular TV shows. You might know her as Dr. Sydney Hansen in Providence or as Detective Stella Bonasera in CSI: NY. She also had a big role as Eleni Andros Cooper in the daytime show Guiding Light.

Early Life and Education

Melina Kanakaredes was born in Akron, Ohio. Her mom, Connie, owned a candy company, and her dad, Harry, was an insurance salesman. Melina is a second-generation Greek-American and speaks Greek very well. Her uncles still run a candy store in Akron that her grandfather started!

When she was just eight years old, Melina first acted on stage. She was in a play called Tom Sawyer in Akron. After high school, she studied at Point Park College in Pittsburgh. There, she acted in professional plays, including playing Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar. She earned her degree in theater arts in 1989.

Acting Career

Melina Kanakaredes has had many exciting roles in both television and movies.

Famous TV Shows

Melina's first big TV role was on the show Guiding Light. She played Eleni Andros Cooper from 1991 to 1995. Her acting was so good that she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award twice!

Later, she became super famous for playing Dr. Sydney Hansen in Providence. This show was on for five seasons, from 1999 to 2002. Another very popular role was Detective Stella Bonasera on the CBS drama CSI: NY. She was a main character on CSI: NY for six seasons, leaving in 2010.

She also appeared in other well-known TV shows like NYPD Blue, Due South, Oz, and The Practice. More recently, she played Dr. Lane Hunter on the TV series The Resident.

Movie Roles

Melina has also acted in several movies. She was in The Long Kiss Goodnight and 15 Minutes, where she played the girlfriend of Robert De Niro's character.

A fun fact is that she was considered for the main role in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but she couldn't do it because she was expecting a baby! She also played the Greek Goddess Athena in the movie Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. In 2013, she starred alongside Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson in the drama Snitch.

Personal Life

Melina Kanakaredes married Peter Constantinides on September 6, 1992. They have two daughters named Zoe (born in 2000) and Karina Eleni (born in 2003). For a while, she and her husband owned a Greek restaurant called "Tria Greek Kuzina" in Ohio.

Awards and Recognition

Melina Kanakaredes has been recognized for her acting talent.

See Also

• List of Greek Americans

In Spanish: Melina Kanakaredes para niños