Melissa Beck facts for kids

Melissa Beck (born Melissa Howard on February 12, 1977) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for starring in the reality TV show The Real World: New Orleans and the prank show Girls Behaving Badly.

Early Life and Education

Melissa Howard was born in Okinawa, Japan. Her mother is Filipino and her father is Black-American. She grew up in Valrico, Florida, with her older sister, Marlene, and younger brother, Michael.

She went to Brandon Senior High School. Later, she attended the University of South Florida. She graduated with a degree in journalism and mass communications.

Career in Television and Comedy

Becoming a TV Star

In 2000, Melissa became a cast member on The Real World: New Orleans. This was the ninth season of the popular MTV reality show. She was chosen from over 35,000 people who applied.

The show's casting director said her audition tape was "hysterical." In her tape, she called herself a "half-black, half-Filipino Chris Rock". The show was filmed for 124 days in New Orleans.

Life After 'The Real World'

After the show, Melissa moved to Los Angeles to become a stand-up comedian. She also discovered a passion for acrylic painting. She lived in Los Angeles for about five or six years.

To share her art and writing, she started a blog and an online store. She later used other platforms like Tumblr and Patreon to connect with her audience.

From 2002 to 2005, Melissa was part of the cast of Girls Behaving Badly. This was a hidden-camera prank show on the Oxygen network. In 2005, she also appeared on Battle of the Network Reality Stars.

Recent Projects

In 2020, Melissa started a podcast with her co-host Amanda Strong called Imperfect Strangers.

In April 2022, she reunited with her original castmates for The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans. The reunion show was streamed on Paramount+.

Personal Life

After her time on Girls Behaving Badly, Melissa moved to New York.

On September 29, 2007, she married Justin Beck, the guitarist for the band Glassjaw. They got married at their home on Long Island, and she became Melissa Beck.

The couple has three children. Their first daughter, Shalom Mazie, was born in 2009. Their second daughter, Maja Ilani, was born in 2013.

In October 2012, the family's home was destroyed during Hurricane Sandy when a tree fell on it. Their oldest daughter was buried in debris but was rescued by her father. A trip to the hospital confirmed she was not injured.

Selected TV Appearances

Melissa Beck has appeared on many television shows, both as herself and as an actress. Here are some of her notable appearances:

• The Real World: New Orleans (2000)
• Girls Behaving Badly (2002–2003)
• Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Sexes (2003)
• Battle of the Network Reality Stars (2005)
• The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans (2022)

She also had a small acting role as a reporter in an episode of The Jamie Foxx Show in 2000.