Melissa Center is an actress, filmmaker, & crowdfunding coach. Her multifaceted career began after graduating Summa Cum Laude from Northwestern University. As an actor, her most notable credits include roles on This is Us (NBC), Grey's Anatomy (ABC), Masters of Sex (SHO), and more. Favorite roles onstage include Maggie in A Chorus Line (Dir. Mitzi Hamilton), Olivia in Sex with Strangers (Hollywood Fringe), and Jan in 50 Words (The Lab Creative, LA). She also originated the stage adaptation of Lois Lowry’s The Giver, directed by the late Wynn Handman of The American Place Theater. She is the producer, co-writer, and star of feature film All I Want (Prime, Vudu, TubiTV, itunes), & the co-director, writer, & star of award-winning short film R.v, a narrative that anticipated the overturn of Roe vs Wade. Her short film His Name is Niv, which she wrote & directed, is inspired by her own experience with sexual assault. Her solo show Marrying Jake Gyllenhaal debuted during Pandemic lockdown via livestream at The Pico, LA followed by Edinburgh Fringe Digital to rave reviews. She is now seeking producers for its Off-Broadway debut. melissacenter.com
Act 2 of SPEAK: Laughter features 4 incredible talks to close our show. (click the photo to read their bio) <br> 🎤 MELISSA CENTER: “My Mom Thinks I'm Marrying Jake Gyllenhaal” <br> 🎤 TOM KELLY: “Funny or Mean?” <br> 🎤 GLENN FREEZMAN: “Bad Moon Rising: Thank Your Antagonists” <br> 🎤 CHRIS ROACH: “Fear, My Friend…I Couldn’t Have Done It Without You"