Melissa Fumero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melissa Fumero
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Fumero promoting Brooklyn Nine-Nine in 2019
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Melissa Gallo
August 19, 1982 Lyndhurst, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Alma mater | New York University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress, television director |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
Melissa Fumero (born Melissa Gallo on August 19, 1982) is an American actress and television director. She started her acting career in 2004. Her first big role was Adriana Cramer in the TV show One Life to Live.
Later, she became well-known for playing Amy Santiago in the comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine from 2013 to 2021. Since then, she has voiced characters in animated shows like M.O.D.O.K. (2021) and Digman! (2023–present). She also starred in the Netflix comedy Blockbuster (2022). Melissa is married to actor David Fumero and they have two sons.
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About Melissa Fumero
Her Early Life and Family
Melissa Gallo was born in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, on August 19, 1982. Her parents were from Cuba and moved to the U.S. when they were teenagers. Her mom worked as a homemaker and hairdresser. Her dad taught math and worked at a jewelry store.
Melissa grew up in Guttenberg and moved back to Lyndhurst when she was six. Her family spoke Spanish at home. However, her parents stopped making her and her brother speak Spanish when her brother had trouble at school. She went to Lyndhurst High School.
Discovering Her Passion for Acting
As a child, Melissa loved making and performing plays. She also started taking dance lessons. When she was ten, she saw the Broadway show The Secret Garden. This made her want to become an actress. Her parents then sent her to acting classes.
She enjoyed theater lessons because they focused on performing, not how people looked. She continued with dance and acting classes until she graduated. Melissa called New York University (NYU) her "dream school." She thought she couldn't go because it was too expensive. To help her attend, her parents used most of their savings and took out loans. She lived with them until she moved to New York City at age 19. In 2003, she earned a degree in drama.
Melissa's Acting Career
Starting Out: One Life to Live and Other Shows (2004–2012)
After finishing college, Melissa got a role on the soap opera One Life to Live (OLTL). She joined the show on January 20, 2004, playing Adriana Cramer. She also appeared in two episodes of All My Children in 2005. She left OLTL in 2008 but returned for guest appearances until 2011.
In 2008, she starred in the movie Tiny Dancer. She played Ati, a 17-year-old who learns to dance. Melissa learned a Spanish Harlem accent for the role and trained in modern dance. After One Life to Live, she wanted to try comedy. She appeared in Important Things with Demetri Martin in 2009. In the following years, she had roles in popular shows like Gossip Girl, Royal Pains, The Mentalist, and CSI: NY.
Becoming a Star: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013–2020)
Melissa's big break came in 2013 when she was cast in the comedy show Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She played Amy Santiago, a detective who follows rules and loves to compete. The show is about a group of New York Police Department detectives in Brooklyn. To get ready, Melissa and the cast received police and firearm training.
Melissa and Stephanie Beatriz (who played Rosa Diaz) were the two main Latina actresses on the show. They felt it was important to show different Latina characters on TV. Melissa was often nervous because she didn't have much comedy experience. The writers even made Amy's character a bit nervous too!
Brooklyn Nine-Nine first aired on September 17, 2013, and was very popular. Critics praised Melissa's acting, especially how well she worked with Andy Samberg (who played Jake Peralta). The show was renewed for many seasons and won awards. In 2015, the cast was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. Melissa also received several Imagen Award nominations for her role, winning one in 2022.
During the third season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Melissa was pregnant. The show's creators wrote a storyline where Amy went undercover as a pregnant woman. The directors used clever camera tricks to hide Melissa's real pregnancy. She said filming while pregnant was difficult.
In May 2018, Fox canceled Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Fans quickly started online campaigns to save the show. Just one day later, NBC decided to pick up the show for a sixth season! Melissa said it was "the most intense and emotional 36 hours" of her life. The show continued to be very popular and received great reviews.
Melissa also started directing episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She directed the episode "Return of the King" in 2019. She felt it was important for more women of color to direct. She also appeared in Brooklyn's seventh season.
In 2020, Melissa voiced Antonia in Disney Junior's Elena of Avalor. Antonia was the main character's seamster and later joined the royal guard. This role earned Melissa another Imagen Award nomination. She also appeared in the reboot of the TV series One Day at a Time. She was very excited to work with Gloria Estefan on that show.
New Projects: M.O.D.O.K. and Blockbuster (2021–Present)
In the animated series M.O.D.O.K., Melissa voiced Melissa Tarleton. This character is the 17-year-old daughter of the main character, who is a supervillain. Melissa thought the idea of the show was "super fun and fresh." The show was released in May 2021 and was praised by critics. They especially liked the voice acting.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine's eighth and final season aired starting in August 2021. Melissa compared leaving the show to graduating from high school. She said it was a mix of feeling proud and grateful, but also sad to leave her friends.
After Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Melissa wasn't sure if she wanted to act in another workplace comedy. However, she loved the script for Netflix's comedy Blockbuster. She knew the writer, Vanessa Ramos, from Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Melissa "immediately connected" with her character, Eliza, a devoted mom having marriage problems. Blockbuster premiered on November 3, 2022.
In 2021, Melissa was cast in the comedy film Bar Fight!. It's about a former couple who fight over their favorite bar after breaking up. The film was released in November 2022. That year, Melissa also joined the cast of the animated TV series Digman! as Bella Digman. She reunited with Andy Samberg, who voices the main character and co-created the show. Melissa also directed two episodes of the 2023 sitcom Primo. In 2024, Melissa started hosting a comedy podcast called More Better with Stephanie and Melissa with Stephanie Beatriz.
Melissa's Personal Life
Melissa met actor David Fumero on the set of One Life to Live. They got engaged in late 2006 and married in New Jersey on December 9, 2007. They have two sons, born on March 24, 2016, and February 14, 2020.
On July 18, 2021, Melissa posted on Instagram using the hashtag #SOSCuba. She wrote that Cubans were protesting for freedom from their government.
Film and Television Roles
Melissa Fumero has appeared in many films and television shows. Here are some of them:
Films
- 2007: Descent
- 2008: Tiny Dancer
- 2009: I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
- 2013: The House That Jack Built
- 2017: DriverX
- 2019: A Stone in the Water
- 2022: Bar Fight!
Television Shows
- 2004–2011: One Life to Live (Adriana Cramer)
- 2005: All My Children (Adriana Cramer)
- 2009: Important Things with Demetri Martin
- 2010: Gossip Girl
- 2010: The Mentalist
- 2011: Royal Pains
- 2012: CSI: NY
- 2013: Men at Work
- 2013–2021: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Amy Santiago) – She also directed an episode.
- 2019–2020: One Day at a Time
- 2019–2020: Elena of Avalor (Antonia, voice)
- 2021: M.O.D.O.K. (Melissa Tarleton, voice)
- 2022: Blockbuster (Eliza Walker)
- 2023–present: Digman! (Bella Digman, voice)
- 2023–2024: Velma (Sophie, voice)
- 2024: Night Court
- 2024: Based on a True Story
- 2025: Grosse Pointe Garden Society
Web Series
- 2009: Haute & Bothered
- 2011: Half Empty
- 2017: Mourners, Inc.
- 2018: Stolen Hearts
Podcast
- 2024: More Better with Stephanie and Melissa (Host)
Audiobooks
- 2018: The Land I Lost (Ghosts of the Shadow Market 7) (Narrator)
- 2023: PREVIA: A Tech Heist (Claudia)
Awards and Nominations
Melissa Fumero has been recognized for her acting:
- 2015: Nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her work with the cast of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
- 2015, 2016, 2019: Nominated for Imagen Awards for Best Supporting Actress for Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
- 2020: Nominated for an Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actress for Elena of Avalor.
- 2022: Won an Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actress for Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
See also
In Spanish: Melissa Fumero para niños
