Info

Melissa Bacelar is an actress, writer and businesswoman. As an actress Melissa's credits include ABC's One Life To Live and several horror films including the award-winning Strange Things Happen at Sundown . She gained popularity among horror fans that lined up to meet her at horror and comic book shows. Her fan base continued to grow to the point where she had several dedicated fan sites in her honor. Melissa took full advantage of her success, honing her craft and working to develop her strengths as a powerful leading lady.

Melissa moved to Los Angeles in September 2004 to pursue other acting opportunities and booked a guest star role on the John Henson Show almost immediately. She founded the Network Studio to bridge a gap between actors and casting directors and, in just over one year, has grown the company from one workshop per week to two per day, six days a week. Melissa has penned pilots based on her own experiences, two of which are currently being considered by major television networks.

Melissa grew up in Piscataway, New Jersey. Her father came to America from Cuba when he was thirteen and her mother's family owns the oldest Lumber Yard in New Jersey, opened by her great grandfather in the 1900's. Each of her parents started their own successful business in their teens, an example that would lead Melissa to her own entrepreneurial success. She attended an all-girl Catholic high school until she was asked to leave and sent to a coed Catholic high school in Edison, NJ. She studied at the Mason Gross School of the Arts for Theatre for a year and finished a two-year Meisner program at the School for Film and Television in New York City. During college she entered the IMTA competition with over 4000 actors and won every award including Best Actress, Best Dramatic Monologue and Best Comedic Monologue. The rewards did not seem important at the time, however through the competition she met an important casting director who would change her life with a three-year, recurring role on ABC's long-running soap opera, One Life To Live .

After Melissa booked her first horror film for Troma Films, which included a trip to the Cannes Film Festival, she quickly landed more roles in the genre. She no longer had to audition for the roles, they were being offered. Her fan base grew and she was touring the comic book trade show circuit. It was an exciting and valuable experience and one she embraced wholeheartedly as she continued to develop as an actress.

As she studied acting and auditioned for roles, Melissa worked as a bartender at the famous Coyote Ugly Bar in New York. It was there that she learned to make her sex appeal work for her, and how to make a living from her amazing personality. The experience is one of many that contribute to the tough, sexy, and confident demeanor that Melissa exudes on and off camera. She credits her confidence to a positive attitude. She is inspired by everything in life – entertainment, friends, her dogs, her everyday experiences – because she realizes how short life is and how amazing it can be when you have a positive outlook. She tries to inspire others by example, never taking anything or anyone for granted, and always grabbing life by the horns.

Melissa has created an ideal life in Los Angeles with a successful business, an excellent reputation in the industry, a positive attitude and a blossoming career in front and behind the camera. She wakes up each day fulfilled in knowing that she worked very hard for her success. Melissa's long-term goals include starring in and producing her own television show, a career as an action film star, and a library of ‘hot' magazine covers. Melissa Bacelar knows what she wants and most importantly, she knows that with a positive attitude and a lot of hard work, she will get it.

Melissa's Resume
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 125
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Blonde Melissa Bacelar
SAG/AFTRA
Film

Columbus Day (w/ Val Kilmer) Supporting Charles Burmeister, Director
Pink Eye Lead James Tucker, Director
Hotel California Supporting Frederick Levy, Director
Eat Your Heart Out Lead James Tucker, Director
This Thing of Ours (w/ Danny Aiello) Supporting Danny Provencano, Director
Love Thy Neighbor (w/ Roy Scheider) Supporting Nick Gregory, Director
Citizen Toxie Supporting Lloyd Kaufman, Director

Addiction
Lead Joshua Nelson, Director
Strange Things Happen at Sundown Lead Marc Fratto, Director

Dawn of the Locusts
Lead Lloyd Kaufman, Director

Television

Hollywood Residential Guest Star Starz Network
The Scream Host Mania TV
Without a Trace Co-Star Various Directors
The John Henson Project Guest Star Fred Mendes, Director
One Life to Live Recurring Various Directors
Saturday Night Live Featured Various Directors
The Party (Pilot) Series Regular Various Directors

Off-Broadway

Wanna Dance
Tammy

The Riant Theater, NYC
From Heaven to Brooklyn Angie The Producers Club Theater, NYC

Strippped
Andy The Pyramid Club, NYC

White Trash
Gina The Fringe Festival, NYC

Dangerous Spice
Cindy The Duplex Theatre, NYC

Training

Ellen Gerstein Studio

Scene Study
Ellen Gerstein
Brian Reise Studio

Scene Study
Brian Reise
The West End Studio

Scene Study
Candy Herman
Esper Studios Meisner Technique Bill Esper
Gene Frankle Studio Meisner Technique Gene Frankle
Gotham City Improv Improv Charlie Shanian

Special Skills

I don't cook or do windows. But I love good food and a clean house! Great w/ Animals and Kids, Mechanical Bull Riding, Sketch Comedy/Improv, Characters, Dialects of all kinds, Target Shooting, Advanced Yoga, Advanced Aerobics, Intermediate Horseback Riding, Intermediate Kickboxing.