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 49) 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 6 August 1976) is an actress from Australia and the United States. She started her acting journey on the Australian TV show Home and Away from 1993 to 1996. She played the character Angel Parrish.

After moving to the United States, Melissa George appeared in her first movie, the science fiction film Dark City (1998). She then took on main roles in movies like The Amityville Horror (2005) and the thriller Derailed (2005). She also starred in the horror films 30 Days of Night (2007) and Triangle (2009).

On television, Melissa George was known for her role as Lauren Reed in the ABC series Alias (2003–2004). She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role as Laura Hill in the HBO series In Treatment (2008). She also won a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actress for playing Rosie in the Australian miniseries The Slap (2011). She played this role again in the American version in 2015. From 2021 to 2023, she starred as Margot Fox in the Apple TV+ drama The Mosquito Coast.

Early Life and Interests

Melissa George was born in Perth, Australia. Her grandmother on her father's side was from Scotland. Her grandfather on her mother's side, William Ward, worked as a prison warden on Rottnest Island. Melissa is the second of four children. She is also a cousin of the opera singer Taryn Fiebig.

She went to Warwick Senior High School. From a young age, she loved dancing. She started studying jazz, tap, ballet, and modern dance when she was seven. Her love for dance grew into a passion for artistic roller skating. She became a national roller-skating champion. When she was 16, she was named Western Australia's Teenage Model of the Year.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out: 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, she and a friend made a pretend episode of the popular Australian soap opera Home and Away. They used a video camera and played characters from the show.

When she was offered a role on Home and Away, her parents encouraged her to move from Perth to Sydney. She lived with different families there. Melissa met with casting director Liz Mullinar and was chosen to play Angel Parrish. Her first appearance on the show was on 30 March 1993, as a teenage runaway. While on the show, Melissa invested in property and wrote advice columns for two English teen magazines.

Her role on Home and Away earned her five Logie Award nominations. She won two of these awards. 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 30 August 1996.

After Home and Away, she made a health and fitness video called Mind, Body and Soul (1996). She also created a sleepwear line. In 1997, she had a role in the TV fantasy drama Roar, filmed in Queensland. She acted alongside Heath Ledger. Her willingness to do stunts impressed the show's creator, Shaun Cassidy.

In late 1997, Melissa George moved from Australia to the United States. She wanted to start a career in Hollywood. Within a year, she made her first movie appearance in the science fiction film Dark City (1998).

Becoming a Film Star: 1999–2008

Melissa George in December 2008

After a supporting role in Steven Soderbergh's 1999 crime film The Limey, she played Cleo Miller in the 2001 comedy Sugar & Spice. She also had a small role in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, which premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. She starred in several TV pilots that were not aired. One of these was the main role in Lost in Oz, a new story based on The Wizard of Oz.

She starred in the short-lived ABC drama Thieves with John Stamos. She also appeared in the sixth season premiere of the WB series Charmed. In 2003, she had a small role with Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor in the romantic comedy Down with Love. She was first cast in the American series Coupling, but was later replaced before the show aired.

In 2003, she appeared in two episodes of Friends. She played Molly, a babysitter for Ross and Rachel's baby, Emma. Also in 2003, she got the role of Lauren Reed on the ABC TV series Alias. She had originally tried out for the main character, Sydney Bristow, but Jennifer Garner got that role. Melissa's character was written to have grown up in London to explain her Australian accent. She left the show at the end of the third season to work on films.

Her first main role in a movie was Kathy Lutz in the 2005 remake of the 1979 horror film, The Amityville Horror. The movie was a big success at the box office, earning over $108 million worldwide. In the same year, she played Deanna Schine in the thriller Derailed, starring with Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston.

In 2006, she filmed the horror-thriller Turistas in Brazil. She learned to speak Spanish and Portuguese for the role. Melissa said the experience made her "a better actress; more resilient, tougher." In 2007, she played the main role, Christine, in the drama Music Within. This film was about a disability-rights activist. She also starred in the British horror-thriller WΔZ. She had a big role in the movie 30 Days of Night, directed by David Slade and starring Josh Hartnett. The film earned over $75 million worldwide.

Television Success: 2008–2018

Melissa George returned to television in 2008 in the HBO drama In Treatment. She starred with Gabriel Byrne and Dianne Wiest. For this role, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 2009 for Best Supporting Actress. She also received a nomination for "Best Actress" at the 2009 Australian Film Institute Awards.

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

In 2009, she guest-starred in at least two episodes of Fox's Lie to Me. Melissa George also took on the main role in the Australian-British mystery thriller Triangle, which received good reviews. She also starred in the British thriller film A Lonely Place to Die (2010). She climbed the mountain Ben Nevis for her role in this film.

In November 2010, Melissa George became the new face of 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 over seven months in London, Scotland, and Morocco. An American version of the series was made, and Melissa George played Rosie again. It premiered in February 2015.

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

Other Activities

Melissa George is known for inventing Style Snaps. This is a device that helps people change the length of their pant hems without sewing. 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 film director Claudio Dabed in Bali. They got married in 2000 and lived in Buenos Aires. They divorced in 2011.

In 2011, Melissa George met French businessman Jean-David Blanc. He is the founder of AlloCiné. They have two sons together: Raphaël (born in 2014) and Solal (born in 2015). In September 2016, Melissa George and Jean-David Blanc separated.

Melissa George became an American citizen in 2008. In 2017, she shared that she had started working in the United States again. She flew between countries to spend as much time as possible with her children. She gave birth to her third child in March 2024. The father's name has not been shared publicly.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Melissa George para niños