Melissa Mascara
- Actress
Melissa Mascara was born in a tiny Steel Mill town near Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. Her Italian-American grandparents introduced her to jazz
when she was a child, and her love of music led her to a lifelong love
of the performing arts. She escaped small-town life at 17 to study
Theatre and Dance at the University of Maryland. After graduation, she
was offered a coveted spot at the highly competitive Professional Actor
Training Program at the University of Washington in Seattle. She earned
her Master of Fine Arts there in 1998. A few months later, with no
agent and no movie experience, she won a small part in Peter Hyams' End
of Days. Her career has continued with commercials, films and
considerable stage work.