Melissa George facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melissa George
George in 2009
Born	Melissa Suzanne George (1976-08-06) 6 August 1976 (age 48) Perth, Australia
Citizenship	Australia United States (from 2008)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1993–present
Spouse(s)	Claudio Dabed ​ ​ (m. 2000; div. 2011)​
Partner(s)	Jean-David Blanc (2011–2016)
Children	3

Melissa Suzanne George (born August 6, 1976) is an actress from Australia and the United States. She started her acting journey on the Australian TV show Home and Away (1993–1996). She played a character named Angel Parrish.

After moving to the United States, Melissa acted in her first movie, Dark City (1998). She then took on bigger roles in films like the horror movie The Amityville Horror (2005). She also became well-known for the thriller Derailed (2005), and the horror films 30 Days of Night (2007) and Triangle (2009).

On TV, Melissa George was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role in the show In Treatment (2008). She also won a Logie Award for her acting in the Australian miniseries The Slap (2011). She even played the same role again in the American version of The Slap in 2015.

Early Life and Interests

Melissa George was born on August 6, 1976, in Perth, Western Australia. Her mother, Pamela, was a nurse, and her father, Glenn, worked in construction. She has Scottish family roots. Melissa is the second of four children. She is also a cousin of the opera singer Taryn Fiebig.

Melissa went to Warwick Senior High School. From age seven, she loved dancing and studied different styles like jazz, tap, ballet, and modern dance. Her love for dance grew into a passion for artistic roller skating. Melissa became a national roller skating champion in Australia. She won bronze medals in the National Championships in 1989 and 1990. She also earned a silver medal at the Junior World Championship in 1991.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in Australia (1992–1998)

Melissa George began modeling when she was a teenager. In 1992, she was named Western Australia's Teenage Model of the Year. When she was 16, Melissa and a friend made a pretend episode of the popular Australian TV show Home and Away.

Soon after, Melissa was offered a role on Home and Away. Her parents encouraged her to move from Perth to Sydney for the show. She was cast as Angel Parrish, a teenage runaway. Her first appearance on the show was on March 30, 1993. While on the show, Melissa also wrote advice columns for two English teen magazines.

Her role as Angel earned her five Logie Award nominations, and she won two of them. Her character became very popular, especially when she was paired with Shane Parrish. They are still remembered as one of the show's most loved couples. Melissa left Home and Away on August 30, 1996.

After Home and Away, she made a health and fitness video. She also created a sleepwear line. In 1997, she had a role in the TV show Roar, which was filmed in Queensland. She acted alongside Heath Ledger in this show. Melissa was brave when doing stunts for the show. This impressed the show's creator, Shaun Cassidy.

Later, Melissa decided to move from Australia to the United States. She wanted to build a career in Hollywood. She made her first movie, Dark City, in 1998. This science fiction film was well-liked by critics.

Breaking into Film (1999–2008)

George in December 2008

After Dark City, Melissa had a supporting role in Steven Soderbergh's film The Limey (1999). She also appeared in the comedy Sugar & Spice (2001) and had a small role in David Lynch's famous movie Mulholland Drive (2001).

Melissa was cast in the main role for a TV pilot called Lost in Oz. This show was meant to be a new story based on The Wizard of Oz books. However, the show was never fully made. She also starred in the short-lived TV show Thieves with John Stamos.

In 2003, Melissa joined the TV series Alias as Lauren Reed. She had first tried out for the main character, Sydney Bristow, but Jennifer Garner got that role. Melissa's character was originally planned to be a guest star, but she quickly became a regular cast member. She left the show after the third season to work on movies.

Her first main role in a movie was Kathy Lutz in The Amityville Horror (2005). This was a remake of an older horror film. The movie earned a lot of money around the world. In the same year, she played Deanna Schine in the thriller Derailed, starring with Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston.

In 2006, Melissa filmed the horror-thriller Turistas in Brazil. She learned to speak Spanish and Portuguese for her role. She said this experience made her a "better actress, more resilient, tougher."

In 2007, she played the lead role, Christine, in the drama Music Within. This film was about a disability rights activist. She also starred in the British horror-thriller WΔZ. Melissa had an important role in the movie 30 Days of Night, a horror film directed by David Slade. This movie was also quite successful.

Television and Awards (2008–2018)

Melissa returned to TV in 2008 in the show In Treatment. She acted alongside Gabriel Byrne and Dianne Wiest. For this role, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 2009. She also received a nomination for "Best Actress" at the 2009 Australian Film Institute Awards.

In September 2008, Melissa joined the cast of Grey's Anatomy for eleven episodes. She played Sadie Harris, an intern. She left the show in January 2009. Also in 2008, she starred in the film The Betrayed.

In 2009, Melissa guest-starred in the TV show Lie to Me. She also took the lead role in the Australian-British mystery thriller Triangle, which received good reviews. Melissa also starred in the British thriller film A Lonely Place to Die (2010). For this role, she climbed Ben Nevis mountain.

In 2010, Melissa George became the new face of the L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival. In 2012, she appeared as Rosie in the Australian TV series The Slap. She also played Sam Hunter in the British TV series Hunted. This show was filmed in London, Scotland, and Morocco. She played the character Rosie again in the American version of The Slap, which started in 2015.

In 2017, she was cast with Sean Penn in the TV series The First (2018). This show was filmed in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Other Work

Melissa George is known for inventing Style Snaps. This is a device that helps change the length of pant hems without needing to sew. The product is sold through TV commercials. She has said that this invention earns her more money than her acting career.

Personal Life

In 1998, Melissa George met actor and director Claudio Dabed in Bali. They got married in 2000 and lived in Buenos Aires. They announced their divorce in 2011.

In 2011, Melissa met French businessman Jean-David Blanc. They have two sons, Raphaël (born 2014) and Solal (born 2015).

Melissa George became an American citizen in 2008. In 2017, she shared that she was working in the United States again on the series The First. She travels between countries to spend as much time as possible with her children. She had her third child in March 2024.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Melissa George in 2009

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  Melissa George in December 2008

See also

In Spanish: Melissa George para niños