Melonie Diaz

Melonie Diaz
Diaz at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival
Born (1984-04-25) April 25, 1984 (age 39)
Alma materTisch School of the Arts
OccupationActress
Years active2001–present
Notable creditMel Vera in Charmed
SpouseOctavio Genera (m. 2020)
Children1

Melonie Diaz (born April 25, 1984) is an American film and television actress who has appeared in many independent films, including four shown at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. She received Independent Spirit Awards nominations for performances in films A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006) and Fruitvale Station (2013). From 2018 to 2022, she appeared as the leading role of witch Mel Vera on the remake television series Charmed on The CW.

Early life

Diaz was born in New York City, and was raised along with her elder sister on the Lower East Side ("Loisaida" or Alphabet City, Manhattan), by parents of Puerto Rican descent. She became interested in acting at the Henry Street Settlement and subsequently attended the Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan.

She completed a degree in Film Production at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and has made numerous off-Broadway and workshop appearances including Medea at Bullet Space, the Hip Hop Theater Festival at P.S. 122, and the New York City Fringe Festival.

Career

Diaz introducing the film Be Kind Rewind at the 2008 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

She started her film career with a supporting role in Tom DiCillo's Double Whammy (2001) and later landed roles in Jim McKay and Hannah Weyer's From an Objective Point of View and Peter Sollett's Raising Victor Vargas (both 2002). Television work at this time included an episode of Law & Order and a pilot for Queens Supreme (both 2003).

Her breakthrough roles came as Blanca in Catherine Hardwicke's Lords of Dogtown (2005) and as Laurie in Dito Montiel's A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006) which earned her an Independent Spirit Awards nomination for Best Supporting Female. She was subsequently cast by Jamie Babbit in the lead role of Anna in Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007) as well as a role in Hamlet 2, Be Kind Rewind, and also played Christina in American Son in 2008.

She appeared in the Mary J. Blige video "We Got Hood Love" which debuted on May 10, 2010.

In 2012, she starred in the indie romantic comedy, She Wants Me with Josh Gad and Kristen Ruhlin. In a hyped-up, Woody Allen, Annie Hall-type film, she plays a girl who gets caught in a love triangle between aspiring artists and a celebrity.

In 2013, she appeared in Fruitvale Station, a film based on the shooting of Oscar Grant. The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, where it earned the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic and the Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic. The film had its international premiere at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where it played in the Un Certain Regard section and won the Un Certain Regard Best First Film award. For her work in the movie she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female.

She has expressed a desire to return to Tisch in order to complete her degree in filmmaking, citing director Kathryn Bigelow as an inspiration.

Diaz with Charmed co-stars at the 2018 Comic-Con

In 2014 she appeared briefly on an episode of Girls as Susan, a friend of Jessa Johansson's. That same year she appeared in Ryan Piers Williams' film X/Y alongside America Ferrera as well as The Cobbler starring Adam Sandler.

In February 2018, Diaz was cast in the lead role of Mel Vera in The CW's fantasy drama series Charmed, a reboot of the 1998 series of the same name. The reboot "centers on three sisters in a college town who discover they are witches".

Diaz co-starred in the dystopian thriller The First Purge, the prequel to 2013's The Purge and the fourth installment in The Purge franchise. The film was released July 4, 2018.

Personal life

Diaz is married to actor Octavio Genera, having eloped during the COVID-19 pandemic. She announced her pregnancy with their first child in March of 2021.

Filmography

Films

Year Film Role Notes
2001 Double Whammy Maribel Benitez
2002 From an Objective Point of View Kelly
2002 Raising Victor Vargas Melonie
2005 Lords of Dogtown Blanca
2006 A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints Young Laurie Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
2006 Emil Unnamed Actress
2007 Itty Bitty Titty Committee Anna
2007 Remember the Daze Brianne
2007 Feel the Noise Mimi
2008 American Son Cristina
2008 I'll Come Running Veronica
2008 Assassination of a High School President Clara
2008 Be Kind Rewind Alma
2008 Hamlet 2 Ivonne
2008 Nothing like the Holidays Marissa
2012 She Wants Me Gwen
2012 Supporting Characters Liana
2012 Save the Date Isabelle
2013 Fruitvale Station Sophina Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
Nominated — Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress
Nominated — Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female
2014 X/Y Jen
2014 The Cobbler Carmen
2016 Ghost Team Ellie
2016 The Belko Experiment Dany Wilkins
2017 And Then I Go Ms. Meier
2018 Gringo Mia
2018 All About Nina Gloria
2018 The First Purge Juani

Television

Year Series Role Notes
2003 Queens Supreme Mr. Diaz's Daughter Episode: "Pilot"
2003 Law & Order Bettina Episode: "Ill-Conceived"
2010 Nip/Tuck Ramona Perez 3 episodes
2010 CSI: Miami Ivonne Hernandez Episode: "Manhunt"
2010 Rizzoli & Isles Mia Episode: "When the Gun Goes Bang, Bang, Bang"
2011 Person of Interest Paula Vasquez Episode: "Number Crunch"
2012 Ro Ro 6 episodes
2014 Girls Susan Episode: "Dead Inside"
2016 The Breaks Damita Main role
2017 Room 104 Meg Episode: "Ralphie"
Nominated — Imagen Foundation Award for Best Supporting Actress - Television
2017 Elementary Tanya Episode: "Hurt Me, Hurt You"
2018–2022 Charmed Mel Vera Main role
Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress Fantasy/Sci-Fi

This page was last updated at 2024-01-13 06:29 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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