Melissa Benoist
| Melissa Benoist | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Melissa Marie Benoist October 4, 1988 Littleton, Colorado |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Known for | Glee |
| Partner(s) | Blake Jenner |
Melissa Marie Benoist (born October 4, 1988)[1] is an American actress and singer. Benoist is starring in the Fox television series Glee as newcomer Marley Rose. She made her debut in the season four premiere "The New Rachel". Aside from her role on Glee, she has appeared in a number of television series including Homeland, The Good Wife, Law & Order, the movie Tennessee, and has been cast in the upcoming movie Imagine.
Early life
Melissa Benoist was born to Tag Worley and Julie Benoist in Littleton, Colorado. There, she attended Arapahoe High School, where she felt like an outsider and through school she was made fun of often. Though she worked on many extracurricular theater shows, she claims that she was a wallflower and spent much of her time alone. However, she did not mind this and was quite comfortable considering her situation. She graduated from Arapahoe in 2007,[2] but instead of attending graduation parties, she chose to perform the play Evita with other cast members at the shut-down Country Dinner Playhouse.[3] In 2011, Benoist graduated from Marymount Manhattan College.[4]
Career
Benoist made her film debut in Tennessee in 2008.
In May 2012,[5] she auditioned for Glee in New York at the Roundabout Theatre Company. She sang different songs for her five auditions: "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor, "King of Anything" by Sara Bareilles, a Colbie Caillat song, and some musical theater songs. In July,[5] she had two screen tests in California for Ryan Murphy, the casting directors, and executive producers. Because the creators had been looking for Marley for a long time, she started working immediately.
She and Darren Criss appeared with Josh Duhamel in the opening of the 2013 Kids' Choice Awards.[6]
She was chosen, along with fellow Glee cast members Jacob Artist, Dean Geyer, and Becca Tobin as an ambassador for Coca Cola's new product, P10 300 ml Coke Mismo.[7][8] In June 2013, they were flown to Manila, Philippines to endorse the product by visiting different malls and meeting with fans.[9][10]
In July 2013, Benoist was cast in Imagine, an indie film, in the role of Jamie, a desk clerk at a hotel frequented by one of her favorite rock stars of all time.[11]
Personal Life
Melissa has been dating her Glee co-star Blake Jenner since 2012; the two are engaged to be married.[12]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Tennessee | Laurel Michaels - age 18 | Film debut |
| 2014 | Whiplash | Nicole | Completed |
| 2014 | Imagine | Jamie | Completed |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Jessalyn Kerr | Episode: "Delicate" |
| 2010 | Blue Bloods | Renee | Episode: "Privilege" |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Ava | Episode: "Wet" |
| 2010 | The Good Wife | Molly | Episode: "Nine Hours" |
| 2011 | Homeland | Stacy Moore | 2 episodes |
| 2012–present | Glee | Marley Rose | Season 4 – Recurring Role Season 5 – Main Cast |
| 2013 | Master Chef | Herself | Season 4: Episode 10 |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Sound of Music | Little Brigitta | Town Hall Arts Center production |
| 2006 | Bye Bye Birdie | Kim McAfee | Town Hall Arts Center production |
| A Month in the Country | Vera | Town Hall Arts Center production | |
| A Chorus Line | Bebe | Town Hall Arts Center production | |
| 2007 | Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella | Title Character | Town Hall Arts Center production |
| Footloose | Ariel | Town Hall Arts Center production | |
| Evita | Peron's young mistress | Country Dinner Playhouse's final production | |
| 2009 | Thoroughly Modern Millie | Millie Dilmount | Marymount Manhattan College production |
| As You Like It | Rosalind | Marymount Manhattan College production | |
| 2011 | The Unauthorized Biography of Samantha Brown | Kelly | Goodspeed Musical production |
Other projects
- She was in a Tampax Radiant commercial.
- She was in a Clean and Clear commercial.
- She was in an Apple Facetime commercial.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Teen Choice Awards 2013 | Choice TV Breakout Star | Glee | Nominated |
Discography
- Glee: The Music, Season 4, Volume 1
- Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 3
- Glee Sings the Beatles
References
- ↑ Benoist, Melissa (October 4, 2012). "@itsmmbenoist: @druidDUDE hey thanks, mister! :)". Twitter. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ↑ Congratulations, Arapahoe High School grads May 2007.
- ↑ Moore: "Evita" players make passionate exit May 2007.
- ↑ From MMC to McKinley High: Alumna Melissa Benoist October 2012.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Who Is Melissa Benoist? All About Glee Season 4's Marley November 2012.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYVPmXZGi2k March 2013.
- ↑ The Cast of GLEE FOR COKE June 2013.
- ↑ SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED: COKE LAUNCH WITH GLEE STARS June 2013.
- ↑ ‘Glee’ cast members invade 3 malls June 2013.
- ↑ Newest ‘Glee’ stars overwhelmed by Pinoys’ welcome June 2013.
- ↑ Melissa Benoist Joins 'Imagine'; Natalie Dormer Cast In ‘Posh’; Carter Jenkins Leads 'Skate God'
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2361535/Glee-newcomers-Blake-Jenner-Melissa-Benoist-engaged.html