Actor

Click here to watch samples of my film and TV work

Scroll to bottom of resume to see production photos and read reviews

Height: 5’4”

Weight: 130 lbs

Hair & Eyes: Dark Brown

FILM:

Bad Day

Delinquent

13 Conversations About One Thing

Petty Crimes

Never Again

The Thomas Crown Affair

TELEVISION:

FBI: Most Wanted, "Overlooked"

MANIFEST: “Duty Free”

MADAM SECRETARY: “Daisy”

MRS. FLETCHER: "Welcome Back"

HOSTAGES: "2:45 PM"

LAW & ORDER:

“Memo From the Dark Side”

“Melting Pot”

“Fame”

“Embedded”

As The World Turns

JONNY ZERO: “Sins of the Father”

THIRD WATCH: “Crime & Punishment II”

SOPRANOS: “Watching Too Much Television”

SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT:

“Wrath”

“Limitations”

OZ: “Blizzard of 01”

All My Children

Dottie Gets Spanked

THEATRE:

MINT THEATER COMPANY

Zack

Garside's Career DRAMA DESK nom:

Outstanding Revival of a Play

GREAT RIVER SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

Much Ado About Nothing

Hamlet

GUTHRIE THEATER

THE HISTORIES: Richard II

Henry IV

Henry V

GREAT RIVER SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

The Tempest

GUTHRIE THEATER

Steel Magnolias

GREAT RIVER SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

No Child

Cymbeline

GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE

The Trial of Donna Caine

GREAT RIVER SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

Shakespeare in Love

All's Well That Ends Well

Richard III

Comedy of Errors

THE PUBLIC THEATRE OF MAINE

Under The Skin

NEW FEDERAL THEATRE

Josh: The Black Babe Ruth

Satchel: Requiem for Racism

THE PEARL THEATRE

The House of Bernarda Alba

Iphigeneia at Aulis

CAPITAL REP

Crumbs From The Table Of Joy

DELAWARE THEATRE COMPANY

The Taming of the Shrew

STAMFORD THEATRE WORKS

A Lesson Before Dying

HELEN HAYES PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

The Odd Couple

ALABAMA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

A Lesson Before Dying (World Premiere)

Antony & Cleopatra

Measure For Measure

The Coming Of Rain

The Miracle Worker

BARTER THEATRE

Ellen Foster

On the Third Day

KENNEDY CENTER

Flyin’ West

CROSSROADS THEATRE

Home

Oak & Ivy (World Premiere)

FILM:

Judge

Mrs. Hendricks

Del’s Receptionist

INS Officer Warren

Doctor Taylor

Teacher

TELEVISION:

Dr. Beth Carey (Guest Star)

Judge Dorothy L. Wright (co-star)

Judge Carmen Jones (co-star)

Clerk

Lilith

Judge Arlene Jones

Arraignment

Dr. Binder

DA June Hamilton

Doctor Mathis

Doctor MathisDoctor Mathis

Clerk Harris

Regina Hicks

Bank Manager

Trish Lohman

Reporter

Nurse Arlene

Mother

Dottie Gets Spanked

MINT THEATER COMPANY

Mrs. Munning

Lady Mottram

*D

RAMA DESK: Outstanding Revival of a Play

Beatrice

Gertrude

Duchess of Gloucester / Bishop of Carlisle

Westmoreland

Prospero

GUTHRIE THEATER

M'Lynn

GUTHRIE THEATER

16 Different Characters

Queen / Belarius

GUTHRIE

Judge Olivia Easton

GUTHRIE

Queen Elizabeth I / Nurse

The Countess / Marianna

Queen Margaret/Citizen/Scrivener/Blunt Abbess

TGUTHRIE THEATER

Marlene / Dr. Badu / Barista

NEW FEDERAL THEATRE

Grace

Dotty

THE PEARL THEATRE

Magdalena

Chorus

CAPITAL REP

Lily Ann Green

DELAWARE THEATRE COMPANY

Tranio

STAMFORD THEATRE WORKS

Vivian Baptiste

HELEN HAYES PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Renee

ALABAMA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

Vivian Baptiste

Charmian

Mistress Overdone

Hag 2

Viney

BARTER THEATRE

Starletta’s Mama / Mavis

Anna / Mary

KENNEDY CENTER

Fannie / Minnie (u/s)

CROSSROADS THEATRE

Pattie Mae / Woman #1

Alice Dunbar

MINTHBOFILM:

NETFLIX, Dir: Jake Szymanski

Dir: Kieran Valla

Dir: Jill Sprecher

Dir: Michel Ferry

Dir: Eric Schaeffer

Dir: John McTiernan

TELEVISION:

CBS, Milena Govich

NBC, Ruba Nadda

CBS, Rob Greenlea

HBO, Gillian Robespierre

CBS, Russell Fine

NBC, Fred Berner

NBC, Jean DeSagonzac

NBC, Ed Sherin

CBS

Fox, Felix Alcala

NBC, Peter Ellis

HBO, John Patterson

NBC, Jean DeSagonzac

NBC, Constantine Makris

HBO, Leslie Libman

WABC

PBS, Todd Haynes

Dottie Gets Spanked

MINTNT THEATER COMPANY

dir. Britt Berke

dir, Matt Dickson

*DR

AMA DESK: Outstanding Revival of a Play

dir, Gaby Rodriguez

dir, Doug Scholz-Carlson

dir, Joe Haj

dir, Beth Gardiner

dir, Lisa Rothe

GUTHRIE THEATER

dir, Tarah Flanagan

dir, Doug Scholz-Carlson

GUTHRIE

dir, David Saint

GUTHRIE

dir, Doug Scholz-Carlson

dir, Rick Barbour

dir, Doug Scholz-Carlson

dir, Melissa Rain Anderson

THE PUBLIC THEATRE OF MAINE

dir, Janet Mitchko

NEW FEDERAL THEATRE

dir, Coleman

THE PEARL THEATRE

dir, Shepard Sobel

CAPITAL REP

dir, Coleman Laura Margolis

DELAWARE THEATRE COMPANY

dir, Fontaine Syer

STAMFORD THEATRE WORKS

dir, Patricia R. Floyd

HELEN HAYES PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

dir, Harvey Medlinsky

ALABAMA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

dir, Kent Thompson

dir, Derek Anson Jones

dir, James Bohnen

dir, Marco Barricelli

BARTER THEATRE

dir, Constance McCord

dir, Richard Rose

KENNEDY CENTER

dir, Rick Khan

CROSSROADS THEATRE

dir, Ken Johnson

dir, Shirley Jo Finney

Garside's Career

"On the posher side of town, the wealthy Mottram family schemes to stymie Peter's election. They include Lady Mottram (Melissa Maxwell, who is deliciously villainous and imperious), the steely matron who despises anyone that reeks of Socialism."

—TalkinBroadway.com

"Melissa Maxwell has us rolling as the Edwardian battle-ax Lady Mottram…”

—Theatermania

“...Melissa Maxwell scores highly as the domineering Lady Mottram…”

—theaterlife.com

"Melissa Maxwell is deliciously snobbish and condescending as Lady Mottram, who wants nothing to do with the Labour party or socialism."

—north jersey.com

"The star of this production is Brighouse’s playwriting itself, followed by Stephanie Klapper’s casting of the women’s roles: Melissa Maxwell as Lady Mottram, Sara Haider as her daughter Gladys, Amelia White as Peter’s mother, and Madeline Seidman as Peter’s fiancée are all pitch perfect and grounded in this world without a false moment.

—Stage and Cinema

“...haughty Lady Mottram, given an imposing presence by Melissa Maxwell.”

—New York Stage Review

"Melissa Maxwell is a model of controlled malice as the lady of quality who holds sway over Margaret's teaching career. "

—Light and Sound America

Hamlet

"Melissa Maxwell is magnificent as Gertrude, torn between loyalty to her new husband and king, and to her son, whose erratic behavior deeply troubles her. It is never clear at what point Gertrude becomes an accomplice to Claudius, and Maxwell expertly keeps us on edge as to whether she is part of the crime or is herself a victim."

—TalkinBroadway.com

"Melissa Maxwell is a good Gertrude: an obsequious wife who obsessively shadows her husband, and a guilty mother."

—Winona Post

Melissa Maxwell, Will Sturdivant, Emily Fury Daly and Diana Coates (photo: Dan Norman)

Much Ado About Nothing

"There must be palpable chemistry between our Beatrice and Benedick for their romance via venom to be believed and Maxwell and Sturdivant have that in spades....The roles of Benedict and Beatrice call for a good deal of comic physicality in scenes where they are trying to stay hidden while listening to other characters' banter aimed at getting the two adversaries to acknowledge their true feelings for one another. Sturdivant's turn is first...His shenanigans set a high bar for Maxwell to meet, only to have her outdo her sparring partner with even more phenomenally funny physical machinations, driven by the desire to know that she too is loved....Much Ado About Nothing attains high marks. It delivers a delightfully breezy time, with a pair of tremendous performances by Melissa Maxwell and Will Sturdivant."

—TalkinBroadway.com

"What does work like gangbusters are the choices Melissa Maxwell and Will Sturdivant make as Beatrice and Benedict. Their line readings and the way in which they carry themselves along with the comedic physicality which they bring to the roles is unique and brings a fresh perspective to these timeless characters. The space they have to perform in is limited, but...the physical limitations seem to act as a catalyst for creativity. That Sturdivant and Maxwell shine in the roles is no surprise to anyone who has seen them perform in the past. To see them in these roles is worth the trip alone."

—The Stages of MN

"Melissa Maxwell and William Sturdivant (fresh from the Guthrie's masterful History Plays) play Beatrice and Benedick....The two actors' sparkling wit, chemistry, and willingness to throw themselves physically into the roles (the famous hiding and eavesdropping scenes a highlight) are a delight to watch."

—Cherry and Spoon

Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V

"Of the 22 with speaking roles there isn’t a bad performance and too many to single out individually but here are the names of just a few of those not already mentioned who created very memorable moments and characters across multiple plays; John Catron, Charity Jones, Melissa Maxwell, Lanise Antoine Shelley, and Eric Sharp most of whom local audiences will recognize."

—The Stages of MN

"There are no slouches when it comes to the actors' line readings but these two stand out alongside Charity Jones as John of Gaunt and Melissa Maxwell as the Duchess of Gloucester."

—The Star Tribune

The Tempest

"Melissa Maxwell is wonderful as Prospero, expressing the sagacity and long-simmering patience of the character along with his tenderness toward the daughter he has raised in isolation from the world of men. Maxwell is a superb actor who in the past few seasons has become an indispensable member of the Great River company. She tackles the cross-gender casting with aplomb...."

—TalkinBroadway.com

Steel Magnolias

"The six actors who occupy the stage are a dream team, each and every one sublime. ... Melissa Maxwell, also making a Guthrie debut after several impressive seasons at the Great River Shakespeare Festival, is deeply moving as M'Lynn...."

—Talkin' Broadway

"Maxwell lets us see into M’Lynn’s ways and worries, taking the edge off a therapist character who seemingly gives her daughter a reason to need therapy. ...this is a show that everyone should see, including men. “Magnolias” takes a viewer inside a place where women are themselves, empowered, witty and free. It’s a period piece, yes, with big hair and all, but it resonates in this moment in 21st-century America."

—Star Tribune

"Melissa Maxwell (who can also be seen in Minnesota at the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona) and Nicole King make a believable mother/daughter team as M'Lynn and Shelby, with a palpable love (and sometimes frustration) between them." —Cherry and Spoon

"Her mother, M’Lynn (Melissa Maxwell), is also strong, opinionated, and fierce as a bear when it comes to her daughter. The mother-daughter dynamic between these two actors felt so real, like they were actually related. They know how to get under each other’s skin, to poke, to prod, to rile each other up, and to love with devotion."

—Play off the Page.

No Child...

"...the one-actor performance by Melissa Maxwell is a singularly brilliant tour de force.... Some theatre experiences are unforgettable and Maxwell's performance in NO CHILD is firmly in this category."

—Broadwayworld.com

"The real reason to go to this play is not to hear the well-worn message, but rather to experience the acting talent of Maxwell. It is something you don’t see every day." —Winona Post

"Melissa deftly transforms herself from the old janitor to the teaching artist to an inexperienced teacher to a half dozen very different teenagers. It's spell-binding to watch her tell this story and infuse each character with distinct life and personality." —Cherry and Spoon

"No Child ... performed by the amazing Melissa Maxwell ....A gorgeous tour-de-force of an evocative and sometimes heartbreaking work." —Minnesota Theater Lover

Cymbeline

"In typical Shakespeare fashion, several actors play multiple characters and Melissa Maxwell deserves masses of praise as the most elegant and stately of queens, then, in act two, disappears utterly into the poor woodsman and father Belarius."

—Minnesota Theater Lover

"The king's second wife, a character we love to hate called only Queen - a deliciously wicked Melissa Maxwell - will stop at nothing to manipulate her husband on any number of matters."

—Broadwayworld.com

"As his Queen, Melissa Maxwell is fully realized villain, her ambition driving her every act as she conspires to deceive her husband, the king. She does admirable as Belarius, the man who long ago kidnapped Cymbeline's two sons, now living secluded deep in the forest." —Talkin' Broadway

The Trial of Donna Caine

"But under David Saint’s direction, there is appropriate humor, notably in the performances of Melissa Maxwell as an exacting federal judge….” —My Central Jersey

"Curiously, what keeps our attention more than the obligatory surprises and revelations are the interesting cast of characters who appear before a no-nonsense court judge (a very fine Melissa Maxwell)."

—Curtain Up

"Melissa Maxwell, who plays the presiding judge in the case, is terrific.” —Front Row Center

"Melissa Maxwell lent a welcome touch of humor as the sarcastic, no-nonsense judge presiding over the trial.” —Out in Jersey

All's Well That Ends Well

"Melissa Maxwell, as the Countess of Rossillion, brings an essential emotional arc to this production, as she is first a grieving widow, then joyfully considers her adopted daughter as a daughter-in-law, then moved to anger at her own son for having wrong Helena, and descending to scorn when she realizes how terribly he has debased himself and his legacy, and finally dissolving into a burst of gratitude when, against all odds, he is redeemed. Thanks to Maxwell's stunning work, the depth and nature of emotions throughout the play can be measured through the Countess."

—Talking Broadway

Shakespeare in Love

"Melissa Maxwell is superb in two roles: as Queen Elizabeth, staunch and regal, though not above a cut of low humor, and as the nurse to Viola, frantically trying to protect her mistress from impending scandal."

—TalkinBroadway.com

" Indeed, one of my favorite aspects of this play is the portrayal of Queen Elizabeth played beautifully by Melissa Maxwell. " —Bric-A-Brac

The Tragedy of Richard III

"...the one-actor performance by Melissa Maxwell is a singularly brilliant tour de force.... Some theatre experiences are unforgettable and Maxwell's performance in NO CHILD is firmly in this category."

—Broadwayworld.com

"The real reason to go to this play is not to hear the well-worn message, but rather to experience the acting talent of Maxwell. It is something you don’t see every day."

—Winona Post

"Melissa deftly transforms herself from the old janitor to the teaching artist to an inexperienced teacher to a half dozen very different teenagers. It's spell-binding to watch her tell this story and infuse each character with distinct life and personality." —Cherry and Spoon

"No Child ... performed by the amazing Melissa Maxwell ....A gorgeous tour-de-force of an evocative and sometimes heartbreaking work." —Minnesota Theater Lover