Mela Hudson
| Mela Hudson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Nicole Marie Marinucci 24 July 1987 Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S. |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actress, Producer |
| Years active | 2009-present |
| Height | (5 ft 0 in (1.52 m)) |
| Website | www.melahudson.com |
Mela Hudson (born July 24, 1987) is an American actress, and producer best known for her roles in Men in Black 3, The Sisterhood of Night, and Hits.[1] Hudson made her producer debut in 2013 for such films as Presence, and Resident Evil: Red Falls, which was highly recognized by CAPCOM and the Resident Evil franchise.[1]
Personal life
Hudson was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York to a Michael Marinucci Jr., and Carol Ann Dalrymple. She has a brother, Michael, who is five years older, and a twin brother, Vincent.[2] At the age of four, she belonged to the Estelle and Alfonso Performing Arts Program, and the Betty Jean Studio where she performed on stage in huge venues such as the Mid-Hudson Civic Center. She started acting at the age of eight when she was cast as the lead in her elementary school's play. She attended a private Catholic school called Holy Trinity from first grade to third grade, then finished elementary school at Brinkerhoff Elementary. She then attended Van Wyck Junior High, and then John Jay Senior High School where she continued to act on stage, as well as build sets for the productions. She graduated from high school in 2005.[3]
Progressing to motion picture, she then studied acting at Dutchess Community College where she focused her skill in multiple student films. In 2009 she was introduced to the New York Talent Club where she started to obtain professional on-set experience working in independent films, TV commercials, and music videos that were being shot locally. She has trained professionally at the John Pallotta Studio of Acting, and Jordan Bayne's Permission Playground in New York City. Mela is most proud of learning from the great Dustin Hoffman, and Kevin Spacey in their Masterclasses.
Career
Mela Hudson originally picked "Nikki Holister" for her stage name because she felt her real name would get her typed-cast. In July 2015, she announced via social media that she was permanently changing her name to "Mela Hudson".[2]
On September 11, 2012 Professional Models and Actors Consolidated announced that out of 75 nominees nationwide, Mela was the People's Choice Award winner at the Coleman Awards.[4]
Hudson appeared in Deborah Harry's music video for "Mother" as an 80's zombie.[5]
Mela appeared in David Cross' film Hits which premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2014.[6][7] Rather than selling the film rights to distributors, the movie was sold to Bit Torrent through their "bundles" program.[8] According to The Verge, it is the first feature film to be distributed in such a way.[8] Cross also launched a Kickstarter campaign at the same time for the movie's general release using a pay what you want methodology which would then distribute the movie to more theatres.[8]
In October 2014, Hudson announced that she was creating her first animation film, Tomboy. She had written it as a short story at first, but then soon after decided to adapt it to screen.
Philanthropy
In September 2013 Mela started volunteering her time annually with the Toys for Tots Foundation,[9] Guns and Hoses, a local organization created in honoring policemen and firefighters who lost their lives in 9/11, as well as Play For Your Freedom [10]an organization focused on helping veterans suffering from PTSD through wellness workshops. In an interview she said, "These things have always been important to me in my life. It is important that we use our position to do good in the world."[1] Some of Hudson's charities include those devoted to fighting hunger, domestic violence, and suicide prevention.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Z Day | Katherine | |
| 2012 | The Curse of Ba'al | Natalie | |
| 2012 | Men in Black 3 | Downtown Hipster | |
| 2013 | Presence | short film
Executive Producer | |
| 2013 | Resident Evil: Red Falls | Co-Executive Producer | |
| 2014 | Hits | Juli's Friend | |
| 2014 | The Sisterhood of Night | Secret Sisterhood Girl | |
| 2015 | Where Is My Golden Arm | Alisha | short film |
| 2015 | The Brain Hunter | Detective Mills | |
| 2015 | Hybrid Vigor | Associate Producer | |
| 2016 | Split Costs | Emma | Lead role
short film |
| 2016 | Pick Me Up | Jen | Lead role
short film |
| 2017 | Eight | Sarah | Lead role
short film |
| 2017 | Tomboy | Jenny (voice) | short film, animation
Lead role, Producer, Screenwriter |
| 2017 | Share with Me Your Brightest Colors | Executive Producer | |
| 2017 | Candles | Ellen Rowden |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-2012 | I Just Want My Pants Back | Bartender | Episodes: "Pilot" & "Baby Monkeys" |
| 2013 | Death's Chronicles | Megan | Episode: "Mac the Mechanic" |
| 2013 | Blue Bloods | Helpful Stranger/Commuter | Episodes: "Unwritten Rules" & "The City That Never Sleeps" (uncredited) |
| 2014 | Celebrity Paranormal Lockdown | Herself | Episode: "Madison Seminary" |
| 2015-present | Essence Cartoon | Elmo / Shannon (voice) | 6 Episodes |
| 2016 | The Sherry Wolf Show | Social Media Manager | Pilot |
Awards
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Title | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Coleman Awards | People's Choice Award | Won | [11] | |
| 2015 | Shorty Awards | Best Actress in Social Media | Nominated | [1] | |
| 2015 | The Broad Humor Awards | Best Supporting Broad | Won | [1] | |
| 2016 | Women's Only Entertainment Film Festival | Best Actress | Split Costs | Won | [12] |
| 2016 | Hudson Valley International Film Festival | Best Actress in a Short Film | Split Costs | Nominated | [13] |
| 2016 | Best Shorts Competition | Award of Merit for Leading Actress | Split Costs | Won | [14] |
| 2016 | North American Film Awards | Best Actress in a Short Film | Split Costs | Nominated | [15] |
| 2016 | The Short Film Awards | SOFIE Award - Best Lead Actress | Split Costs | Nominated | [16] |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Mela Hudson". IMDb. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- 1 2 "Mela Hudson". IMDb. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
- ↑ "Mela Hudson". Mela Hudson. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ↑ PMAC (2012-09-10). "Professional Models and Actors Consolidated".
- ↑ "Mela Hudson - Other works". IMDb. Retrieved 2015-09-06.
- ↑ Indiewire. "Sundance 2014: World Cinema Dramatic Competition". Retrieved 2015-09-06.
- ↑ "Hits | Director David Cross | Filmmaker Magazine". Retrieved 2015-09-06.
- 1 2 3 "David Cross' new movie will be the first feature film distributed in a BitTorrent Bundle". The Verge. Retrieved 2015-09-06.
- ↑ "Nipora, 5th Annual Toys for Tots".
- ↑ "Play For Your Freedom".
- ↑ PMAC (2012-09-10). "Professional Models and Actors Consolidated".
- ↑ Woefilmfest. "Women's Only Entertainment Film Festival".
- ↑ HVIFF (2016-08-31). "Hudson Valley International Film Festival".
- ↑ Best Shorts (2016-09-23). "Best Shorts Competition Winners".
- ↑ North American Film Awards (2016-11-03). "North American Film Award Winners".
- ↑ SOFIE Awards (2016-10-01). "The Short Film Awards Nominees".