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Melanie Mayron

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Melanie Mayron
Mayron in 1990
Born
Melanie Joy Mayron

(1952-10-20) October 20, 1952 (age 72)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts
Actors Studio
Occupation(s)Actress, director
Years active1974–present
Children2

Melanie Joy Mayron[1] (born October 20, 1952)[2] is an American actress and director of film and television.[3] Mayron is best known for her role as photographer Melissa Steadman on the ABC drama thirtysomething[4] for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1989,[5] and was nominated for same award in 1990 and 1991.[5] In 2018, the Santa Fe Film Festival honored Mayron for her outstanding contributions to film and television.[6]

Early life and career

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Mayron was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Norma (née Goodman), a real estate agent, and David Mayron, a pharmaceutical chemist.[1] Her family is Jewish; her father is from a Sephardic background (the original surname was "Mizrahi"), while her mother is of Russian Jewish descent.[7] She graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1972 and subsequently attended the Actors Studio, studying initially with Lee Strasberg,[1] and later with John Lehne and Sandra Seacat.[8]

In her first starring role, Mayron appeared opposite Josh Mostel and Art Carney in the 1974 film Harry and Tonto. She worked steadily during the 1970s, with roles in 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, directed by Claudia Weill.[9] In the mid-1970s, she played Brenda Morgenstern's best friend, Sandy Franks, on three episodes of the Mary Tyler Moore show spin-off, Rhoda. In 1982, she played Terry Simon, the photographer, in director Costa-Gavras' political drama Missing, alongside Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek.[10]

In 1988, she co-wrote and co-produced the comedy film Sticky Fingers starring Helen Slater. 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 Melissa Steadman, one of the primary cast members on thirtysomething, she directed episodes of the show as well. The character of Melissa, like Mayron, is single, hails from Philadelphia and has supported herself as a photographer.

The New York Times noted in a 1991 article about Mayron: "If most actresses make a point of distinguishing their real selves from the characters they play, Ms. Mayron is a curiosity in her insistence that, in fact, she is Melissa, or vice versa. Or maybe a more confident version of her television persona."[11]

She directed episodes of numerous TV series, including In Treatment, The Fosters, Providence, Dawson's Creek, Ed, State of Grace, Nash Bridges, Wasteland, Tell Me You Love Me, Pretty Little Liars and The Naked Brothers Band; the latter series was created and showran by Mayron's former thirtysomething co-star Polly Draper.[12] 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.[13]

She's continued to direct TV, including episodes of the Netflix original series GLOW, SEAL Team, The Enemy Within, the 2018 Charmed reboot, Jane the Virgin,[14] and Julia. In addition to directing Jane the Virgin, she also appears in a number of episodes as a feminist literature advisor. She and Gina Rodriguez first worked together when Rodriguez appeared in an episode of Army Wives that Mayron directed.[12]

In December 2023, she appeared off Broadway in Sandra Tsing Loh's play, Madwomen of the West, alongside Caroline Aaron, Brooke Adams and Marilu Henner.[15]

Personal life

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Mayron was in a long-term relationship with screenwriter and producer Cynthia Mort, with whom she shared co-parenting of their two children.[16][17]

Filmography

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Film

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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 [18][9]
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

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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[19]
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

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Year Title Notes
1995 The Baby-Sitters Club Film
Freaky Friday TV film
1997 Toothless TV film[19]
1998 The Larry Sanders Show Episode: "Just the Perfect Blendship"
1998–2002 Arliss 7 episodes
2001–02 State of Grace 5 episodes
2002 Slap Her... She's French Film[20]
2004 Zeyda and the Hitman TV film
2005 Campus Confidential TV film
2007–08 The Naked Brothers Band 10 episodes
2008 In Treatment 7 episodes
2011 Mean Girls 2 TV film
2012 Easy to Assemble 11 episodes
2012–16 Pretty Little Liars 7 episodes
2013–15 Switched at Birth 7 episodes
2015–19 Jane the Virgin 17 episodes[12]
2018 Snapshots Film[21][22]
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
2023–24 Not Dead Yet 2 episodes

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1978 British Academy Film Awards Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles Girlfriends Nominated [23]
1997 Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs Toothless (for The Wonderful World of Disney) Nominated [24]
1978 Locarno International Film Festival Bronze Leopard Girlfriends Won
1989 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series thirtysomething Won [5]
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 [25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Riggs, Thomas, ed. (2002). Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. Volume 40. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale. p. 149. ISBN 0-7876-5112-5.
  2. ^ "Today's Birthdays". The Tennessean. October 20, 2023. p. 2A. ProQuest 2879542421. Actor Melanie Mayron is 71. Director Danny Boyle is 67. Actor Viggo Mortensen is 65. See also:
    • "Time Capsule: Today's Birthdays". The North Jersey Herald & News. October 20, 1998. p. 2. ProQuest 2818703477. Actress Melanie Mayron is 46. Baseball All-Star Keith Hernandez is 45. Actor Viggo Mortensen is 40.
  3. ^ "Melanie Mayron". TVGuide.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  4. ^ "Thirtysomething actress about her twin pregnancy weight". Peoplemag. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Melanie Mayron". Television Academy. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  6. ^ Levin, Jennifer (February 9, 2018). "Trading places: Actor-director Melanie Mayron". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  7. ^ ‘Slap’ Happy Actor-director Melanie Mayron is breaking stereotypes in front of and behind the camera Archived April 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine By Naomi Pfefferman of the Jewish Journal, August 22, 2002
  8. ^ "Mayron, Melanie 1952-". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Girlfriends review – a lo-fi indie miracle about love and the city". the Guardian. July 23, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  10. ^ Canby, Vincent (February 12, 1982). "'MISSING' BY COSTA-GAVRAS". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  11. ^ Horowitz, Joy (May 23, 1991). "One of the Characters In 'Thirtysomething' May Outlive the Series". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c Berkshire, Geoff (June 9, 2016). "Melanie Mayron on Directing 'Jane the Virgin,' 'Grace and Frankie' and Age in Hollywood". Variety. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  13. ^ YouTube. www.youtube.com.
  14. ^ "JANE THE VIRGIN". Library of Congress. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  15. ^ Collins-Hughes, Laura (December 12, 2023). "Review: 'Madwomen of the West' Is Comedy as Comfort Food". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  16. ^ Gilchrist, Tracy E. (May 22, 2008). "Tabloids speculate about Jodie Foster's "other woman"". PinkNews.
  17. ^ Staff (May 25, 2008). "Jodie Foster dumps long-time girlfriend for screenwriter Cindy Mort". New York Daily News.
  18. ^ "Before Girls, cult classic Girlfriends captured young women's hopes, fears and friendships". the Guardian. June 28, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  19. ^ a b "BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. April 6, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  20. ^ "BBC - Cumbria Films - Slap Her, She's French". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  21. ^ Lodge, Guy (July 31, 2018). "Film Review: 'Snapshots'". Variety. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  22. ^ Lodge, Guy (July 31, 2018). "Film Review: 'Snapshots'". Variety. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  23. ^ "BAFTA Awards". bafta.org. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  24. ^ "50th DGA Awards". Directors Guild of America Awards. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  25. ^ "Oprah Winfrey, Kerry Washington Among Women's Image Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. October 14, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2015.

Further reading

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  • Ileane Rudolph. "Catching Up With Melanie Mayron," TV Guide. Issue 2701. January 2, 2005.
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