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Actor in New York, United States

“Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but how we react to what happens; not by what life brings, but by the attitude we bring to life.
A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst…a spark that creates extraordinary results.”

Melisa Marie Jackson understood this at a very young age. She floated through her childhood and adolescence very determined, talented, spiritual and happy. She love... Mored to make people laugh and loved to perform. She demanded to be enrolled in the performing arts when she was only 7 years old. She took ballet, modern and tap dancing for over 10 years.
Performing for relatives at recitals or family barbeques, soon won her heart and thus her passion to entertain was born.
Melisa joined CAC Entertainment and performed in several plays and musicals during her elementary and high school years in New York City where she was born and raised. During her high-school years she enrolled in dance, drama and Mock Trial. She participated in plays such as Chorus Line, Bye Bye Birdie, Beauty & The Beast and The Little Mermaid.

At 16 years old, Melisa was discovered by NYC photographer Bruce Bennett who encouraged her to pursue a career in modeling and acting. She had a successful run modeling, booking ad campaigns, fashion shows and fitting sessions with companies such as Contempo Casuals, J.C. Penny, Stevenson Denim Co, Beverly Olivace NY. Mocachino and W Design Company. In 2003-2004, Melisa booked major national advertising campaign including Verizon Wireless. She received major recognition for a Reebok ad campaign featuring her and artist 50 Cent and ads for Pelle Pelle’s new women’s clothng line. Not only did she have creative input, she also planned, organized and executed photo shoots. A Tommy Hilfiger Commercial, spread in VIBE and COMPLEX magazines with Grammy winners Outcast, featured spots in music videos with Ludakris, Snoop Dog and Farrell, magazine and television interviews, shoots in exotic locations and parties at the Playboy mansion were soon to follow. She built relationships with casting directors from MTV and several other networks. She was also featured with reggae artist Sean Paul in the MTV Video Music Awards. Melisa continued her work in television, appearing on shows such as ED, The Webster Report, Law & Order. She received her license to terminate all her competition when she became a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
2005 proved to be a great year with Melisa reaping the benefits from the networking skills she had utilized the year before. Following up with her contacts, including Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment, she was chosen as a lead in the movie American Gangster by director Anton Fucas starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. The director was fired from the project and American Gangster was postponed until 2006 with director Ridley Scott taking over. In the mean time, Melisa flew out to California and filmed Fun With Dick & Jane starring Jim Carey. Melisa Continued to gain experience on the set by working on films such as Prime, with Uma Thurman and Hitch with Will Smith.
Going into 2006, Melisa linked up with Vincent Cirrincione, who represents Halle Berry. She continued her friendship with Brian Grazer and was soon gracing the red carpet at movie premieres such as Inside man. She was interviewed on VH1’s special as well as FUSE TV. Melisa was featured on the cover of AUTHENTIC magazine, which is circulated in the USA, Europe and Japan. She was featured in IB Concept magazine and BET’s Rip The Runway in swimwear by designer Bernard Moore. She is featured in a national ad campaign for Budweiser and Seagram’s Gin. She was also selected for Ebony/Jet magazine’s 2007 Calendar available at Borders Book Stores. She worked on a wide array of films to be released in 2007 such as American Gangster starring Denzel Washington, Across The Universe, The Brave One starring Jodie Foster, and Spiderman 3, which she appears on screen. She also did a scene with Blair Underwood on Law & Order SVU, which debuted on January 8th.
Melisa is also writing, directing and producing her own projects with very prominent producers, directors and sponsors at her heels. She hopes to work with great actors such as Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, Will Farrell, Vince Vaughn, Robert Dinero, Samuel L. Jackson to name a few. She hopes to work with great directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Spike Lee, Len Wiseman, David Dobkin and Judd Apatow.

This is the making of a true bright Star with a really bright spark. A spark that will continue to create extraordinary results so stay tuned……
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