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Melina Kanakaredes

 
Actor: Melina Kanakaredes
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Apr 23, 1967 in Akron, Ohio
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '90s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Drama, Crime
  • Career Highlights: CSI: NY: Season 03, CSI: NY, 15 Minutes
  • First Major Screen Credit: Bleeding Hearts (1994)

Biography

With her genuine smile, earthy beauty, and striking green eyes, Melina Kanakaredes staked her claim on daytime television in The Guiding Light before expanding her talents to numerous other popular series and, eventually, the silver screen.

Born and raised in Akron, OH, the second-generation Greek-American was the third daughter of an insurance salesman and homemaker who began her career as an actress in a community theater production of Tom Sawyer at the age of eight. Later enrolling in Ohio State University to study music, dance, and theater but disheartened at poor inter-departmental relations, Kanakaredes opted for a conservatory education at Point Park College in Pittsburgh. Soon performing with the Pittsburgh Playhouse and appearing in commercials and industrial videos, Kanakaredes moved to New York after graduating magna cum laude and began working in dinner boat theater and off-Broadway productions. Taking her role as Greek immigrant Eleni Andros Cooper in The Guiding Light after being spotted by the William Morris Agency in 1991, Kanakaredes was nominated for two Emmys and soon began to expand to roles on NYPD Blue and OZ. Soon turning up in such features as The Long Kiss Goodnight and Rounders, the natural beauty began to gain even more footing in her feature aspirations with her turn in the Robert DeNiro heist-thriller The Score in 2001. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Melina Kanakaredes
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Melina Kanakaredes
Born Melina Elena Kanakaredes
April 23, 1967 (1967-04-23) (age 42)
Akron, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1991–present
Spouse(s) Peter Constantinides (September 6, 1992-present) (2 children Zoe-b.May 23, 2000 and Karina Eleni-b.January 25, 2003)

Melina Elena Kanakaredes (born April 23, 1967) is a Daytime Emmy Award-nominated American actress. She is widely known for two starring roles on U.S. prime-time television drama series: playing Detective Stella Bonasera in CSI: NY and portraying Dr. Sydney Hansen in Providence.

Contents

Career

Kanakaredes's first television role was on the daytime drama Guiding Light, originating the role of Eleni Andros Spaulding Cooper from 1991 to 1995. She was nominated twice for a Daytime Emmy Award for her portrayal of Eleni.

Her most high-profile roles on television were as the series protagonist Dr. Sydney Hansen on Providence, which ran for five seasons (1999–2002), and since 2004 in a leading role on the CBS drama series CSI: NY as Det. Stella Bonasera.

Her other television credits include NYPD Blue (in a recurring role as reporter Benita Alden during that show's second season), Northern Exposure, Due South, Oz (TV series), The Practice, MTV's The Ben Stiller Show, and a Hallmark Hall of Fame adaptation of the Anne Tyler novel Saint Maybe.

Her appearances in movies include The Long Kiss Goodnight as Trin and 15 Minutes as Nicolette Karas, the girlfriend of Robert De Niro's character. She was considered for the lead role in My Big Fat Greek Wedding but had to turn it down due to her pregnancy.[1]

Personal life

Kanakaredes was born in Akron, Ohio, the daughter of Connie, a candy company owner, and Harry Kanakaredes, an insurance salesman.[2] She is a second-generation Greek-American and is fluent in Greek.[3][4] Her two maternal uncles own and run a candy store in Akron called "Temo's Candy Company," a chocolate store established in its current location by Kanakaredes' great-uncle Christ Temo.[5] Melina's sister is an attorney in Akron, Ohio.

Kanakaredes graduated from the Firestone High School in Akron.[4] She attended Ohio State University for a short time, and then transferred to Point Park College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Point Park in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater arts.[6]

She married Peter Constantinides[7] on 6 September 1992.[citation needed] The couple have two daughters, Zoe (born 23 May 2000) and Karina Eleni (born 25 January 2003).[7] She and her husband and a former restaurant consultant[7] own the "Tria Greek Kuzina"[8] in Powell, Ohio.

Filmography

Film Role Other notes
Bleeding Hearts Daphne
The Guiding Light Eleni Andros TV Series

Nominated for a Soap Opera Digest award (1994)

Nominated for a Soap Opera Digest award (1994)

Nominated for a Daytime Emmy award

Nominated for a Daytime Emmy award

Won a PFSCA award
Due South Victoria Metclafe TV Series (3 episodes)
New York News Angelina Villanova
NYPD Blue Benita Alden TV Series (5 episodes)
The Long Kiss Goodnight Trin
Leaving L.A. Libby Galante
The Practice Andrea Wexler
Dangerous Beauty Livia
Rounders Barbara
Saint Maybe Rita
15 minutes Nicolette Karas
Providence Dr Sydney Hansen Won a TV Guide Award (2001)

Nominated for a TV Guide Award (2000)
CSI: NY Detective Stella Bonasera 2004 to present

Won a Scream Award (2006)

Nominated for a Scream Award (2007)
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Athena Completed

References

  1. ^ Pierce, Scott D. (2003-02-16). "Mega-hit 'Wedding' had in a suspicious beginning". Deseret News (Salt Lake City. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20030216/ai_n11378238. Retrieved 2008-07-11. 
  2. ^ Melina Kanakaredes Biography (1967-)
  3. ^ Whitfield, Fredricka (2002-10-02). "Interview with Melina Kanakaredes". CNN. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0210/04/lt.09.html. Retrieved 2008-07-11. 
  4. ^ a b Profile from "Women in Akron History" from a University of Akron website
  5. ^ Temo's candy is an Easter tradition in Akron, a March 2007 Akron Beacon Journal article via Topix.net
  6. ^ Past Distinguished Alumni from the Point Park University website
  7. ^ a b c Kanakaredes savors her married life from USA Today
  8. ^ Official website for Tria Greek Kuzina

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
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Letting Go: Due South (TV Episode) (1995 TV Episode)
15 Minutes (2001 Crime Film)

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