Melanie Mayron
Melanie Joy Mayron is an American actress and director of film and television.[1] Mayron is best known for her role as photographer Melissa Steadman on the ABC drama thirtysomething [2] for which she was won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1989,[3] and was nominated for same award in 1990 and 1991.[3] In 2018, the Santa Fe Film Festival honored Mayron for her outstanding contributions to film and television.[4]
Melanie Mayron | |
|---|---|
Mayron in 1990 | |
| Born | Melanie Joy Mayron |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, director |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Children | 2 |
Personal life
Mayron was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Norma (née Goodman), a real estate agent, and David Mayron, a pharmaceutical chemist.[citation needed] Her family is Jewish; her father is from a Sephardic background (the original surname was "Mizrahi"), while her mother is of Russian Jewish descent.[5] She trained as an actress at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.[citation needed]
Mayron was in a long-term relationship with screenwriter and producer Cynthia Mort, with whom she shared co-parenting of their two children.[6][7]
Career
Mayron appeared in the 1974 film Harry and Tonto, the 1976 movies Gable and Lombard and Car Wash, and the 1977 films The Great Smokey Roadblock and You Light Up My Life, and starred in 1978's Girlfriends[8]. In the mid-1970s, she played Brenda Morgenstern's best friend, Sandy Franks, on three episodes of the sitcom Rhoda. In 1982, she played Terry Simon, the photographer, in director Costa-Gavras' political drama Missing.
In 1988, she co-wrote and co-produced the comedy film Sticky Fingers. In 1995, Mayron directed The Baby-Sitters Club, a film based upon the book series of the same name. She also directed the television movie Toothless (1997) starring Kirstie Alley and the movie Slap Her... She's French (2002), starring Piper Perabo (which appeared on television as She Gets What She Wants). In 2006, she appeared as a judge in the reality show Looking for Stars on the Starz! channel.[citation needed]
In addition to her role as a primary cast member on thirtysomething, she also directed episodes of the show, as well as episodes of In Treatment, The Fosters, Providence, Dawson's Creek, Ed, State of Grace, Nash Bridges, Wasteland, Tell Me You Love Me and The Naked Brothers Band; the latter series was created and showran by Mayron's former thirtysomething co-star Polly Draper.
In 2015, she directed and released on YouTube The Living Room Sessions, a collection of videos of up-and-coming musical artists performing acoustic sets in her living room.[9]
Mayron has directed an episode of the Netflix original series GLOW, an episode of SEAL Team, an episode of The Enemy Within, and multiple episodes of the 2018 Charmed reboot, as well as Jane the Virgin.[10]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Harry and Tonto | Ginger | |
| 1976 | Gable and Lombard | Dixie | |
| 1976 | Car Wash | Marsha | |
| 1977 | The Great Smokey Roadblock | Lula | |
| 1977 | You Light Up My Life | Annie Gerrard | |
| 1978 | Girlfriends | Susan Weinblatt | [11][8] |
| 1981 | Heartbeeps | Susan | |
| 1982 | Missing | Terry Simon | |
| 1986 | The Boss' Wife | Janet Keefer | |
| 1988 | Sticky Fingers | Lolly | Also co-wrote and produced |
| 1989 | Checking Out | Jenny Macklin | |
| 1990 | My Blue Heaven | Crystal Rybak | |
| 1994 | Drop Zone | Mrs. Willins | |
| 2007 | Itty Bitty Titty Committee | Courtney Cadmar | |
| 2012 | Breaking the Girls | Annie |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Hustling | Dee Dee | TV film |
| 1975 | Medical Center | Jan Simmons | "Two Against Death" |
| 1975–76 | Rhoda | Sandy Franks | "With Friends Like These", "If You Don't Tell Her, I Will", "A Federal Case" |
| 1977 | The Love Boat | Joyce Adams | 1 episode |
| 1978 | Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold | Madelaine | TV film |
| 1980 | Playing for Time | Marianne | TV film |
| 1981 | Lily: Sold Out | Harriet Van Dam | TV film |
| 1981 | The Best Little Girl in the World | Carol Link | TV film |
| 1983 | Will There Really Be a Morning? | Sophie | TV film |
| 1984 | Finder of Lost Loves | Michelle Peters | "Undying Love" |
| 1985 | Cagney & Lacey | Paula Eastman | "Con Games" |
| 1985 | Wallenberg: A Hero's Story | Sonja Kahn | TV film |
| 1985–86 | ABC Afterschool Special | Janet Eller / Sue | "Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy Tale", "Wanted: The Perfect Guy" |
| 1987–91 | Thirtysomething | Melissa Steadman | Main role |
| 1988 | The Twilight Zone | Louise Simonson | "Acts of Terror" |
| 1993 | Ordeal in the Arctic | Sue Hillier | TV film |
| 1993 | Tribeca | Maggie | "Stepping Back" |
| 1993 | Other Women's Children | Dr. Amelia Stewart | TV film |
| 1994 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Detective Betty Reed | "The Ides of Metropolis" |
| 1997 | Mad About You | Dorie | "Astrology" |
| 1997 | Toothless | Mindy | TV film [12] |
| 1998 | Something So Right | Rachel Travers | "Something About Burning Meat, Bridges and Rugs" |
| 2000 | Range of Motion | Alice Taylor | TV film |
| 2006 | Criminal Minds | Becka Doyle | "Somebody's Watching" |
| 2008 | Lipstick Jungle | Patty Bloom | "Nothing Sacred", "Pink Poison" |
| 2012 | Pretty Little Liars | Laurel Tuchman | "That Girl Is Poison" |
| 2016–19 | Jane the Virgin | Marlene Donaldson | Recurring role |
Director
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | The Baby-Sitters Club | Film |
| Freaky Friday | TV film | |
| 1997 | Toothless | TV film [12] |
| 1998 | The Larry Sanders Show | Episode: "Just the Perfect Blendship" |
| 1998–2002 | Arliss | 7 episodes |
| 2001–2002 | State of Grace | 5 episodes |
| 2002 | Slap Her... She's French | Film [13] |
| 2004 | Zeyda and the Hitman | TV film |
| 2005 | Campus Confidential | TV film |
| 2007–2008 | The Naked Brothers Band | 10 episodes |
| 2008 | In Treatment | 7 episodes |
| 2011 | Mean Girls 2 | TV film |
| 2012 | Easy to Assemble | 11 episodes |
| 2012–2016 | Pretty Little Liars | 7 episodes |
| 2013–2015 | Switched at Birth | 7 episodes |
| 2015–2019 | Jane the Virgin | 17 episodes [14] |
| 2018 | Snapshots | Film[15][16] |
| 2018-21 | Dynasty | 6 episodes |
| 2019 | BH90210 | Episode: "The Table Read" |
| 2020 | Brooklyn All American | Film |
| Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector | Episode: "God Complex" | |
| Diary of a Future President | Episode: "State of the Union" | |
| Tommy | Episode: "The Swatting Game" | |
| The Baker & The Beauty | Episode: "May I Have This Dance?" | |
| 2021 | Why Women Kill | Episode: "The Unguarded Moment" |
| 2022 | A Million Little Things | Episode: "Piece of Cake" |
| Julia | 2 episodes | |
| 2023 | Not Dead Yet | Episode: "Not Dating Yet" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | British Academy Film Awards | Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Girlfriends | Nominated | [17] |
| 1997 | Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs | Toothless (for The Wonderful World of Disney) | Nominated | [18] |
| 1978 | Locarno International Film Festival | Bronze Leopard | Girlfriends | Won | |
| 1989 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | thirtysomething | Won | [3] |
| 1990 | Nominated | ||||
| 1991 | Nominated | ||||
| 1991 | Viewers for Quality Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | Women's Image Network Awards | TV show Directed by a Woman | Army Wives | Won | [19] |
See also
References
- ^ "Melanie Mayron". TVGuide.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ "Thirtysomething actress about her twin pregnancy weight". Peoplemag. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ a b c . Television Academy. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ Levin, Jennifer (February 9, 2018). "Trading places: Actor-director Melanie Mayron". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ ‘Slap’ Happy Actor-director Melanie Mayron is breaking stereotypes in front of and behind the camera April 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine By Naomi Pfefferman of the Jewish Journal, August 22, 2002
- ^ Gilchrist, Tracy E. (May 22, 2008). "Tabloids speculate about Jodie Foster's "other woman"". PinkNews.
- ^ Staff (May 25, 2008). "Jodie Foster dumps long-time girlfriend for screenwriter Cindy Mort". New York Daily News.
- ^ a b "Girlfriends review – a lo-fi indie miracle about love and the city". the Guardian. July 23, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ YouTube. www.youtube.com.
- ^ "JANE THE VIRGIN". Library of Congress. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
- ^ "Before Girls, cult classic Girlfriends captured young women's hopes, fears and friendships". the Guardian. June 28, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ a b "BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. April 6, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ "BBC - Cumbria Films - Slap Her, She's French". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ Berkshire, Geoff (June 9, 2016). "Melanie Mayron on Directing 'Jane the Virgin,' 'Grace and Frankie' and Age in Hollywood". Variety. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ Lodge, Guy (July 31, 2018). "Film Review: 'Snapshots'". Variety. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
- ^ Lodge, Guy (July 31, 2018). "Film Review: 'Snapshots'". Variety. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ "BAFTA Awards". bafta.org. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- ^ "50th DGA Awards". Directors Guild of America Awards. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- ^ "Oprah Winfrey, Kerry Washington Among Women's Image Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. October 14, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
Further reading
- Ileane Rudolph. "Catching Up With Melanie Mayron," TV Guide. Issue 2701. January 2, 2005.