View source for Melonie Diaz

{{about|the American actress|the Puerto Rican table tennis player|Melanie Díaz}}
{{short description|American actress}}
{{Infobox person
| name               =
| image              = Melonie Diaz at Cold Wallet World Premiere at SXSW 2024 (cropped).jpg
| imagesize          =
| caption            = Diaz in 2024
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1984|4|25}}
| birth_place        = [[New York City, New York]], U.S.
| alma_mater         = [[Tisch School of the Arts]]
| credits            = Mel Vera in [[Charmed (2018 TV series)|Charmed]]
| occupation         = Actress
| spouse             = Octavio Genera (m. 2020)
| children           = 1
| yearsactive        = 2001&ndash;present
}}
'''Melonie Diaz''' (born April 25, 1984) is an American actress who has appeared in many independent films, including four shown at the [[2008 Sundance Film Festival]].<ref name="laTimes">{{cite web | url = http://theenvelope.latimes.com/movies/filmfestivals/sundance2008/la-et-queen25jan25,0,192258.story | title =Melonie Diaz: This year's Queen of Sundance | access-date = 2008-06-12| last = Keeps | first = David A. | date = 2008-01-25 | work = [[Los Angeles Times]] }}</ref> 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 one of the main roles as Mel Vera on the remake television series ''[[Charmed (2018 TV 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 people|Puerto Rican]] descent.<ref>[http://www.papermag.com/?section=article&parid=3381 ''Melodie Diaz''] from ''Papermag'' 11 September 2009</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nbclatino.com/2013/07/16/fruitvale-station-actress-melonie-diaz-says-film-speaks-to-modern-day-racism/|title="Fruitvale Station" actress Melonie Diaz shares why film speaks to race relations today|first1=Nina|last1=Terrero|date=16 July 2013|website=NBC Latino}}</ref> 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 (play)|Medea]]'' at [[Bullet Space]], the Hip Hop Theater Festival at [[P.S. 122]], and the New York City Fringe Festival.
==Career==
[[File:Melonie Diaz.jpg|thumb|left|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 (film)|Double Whammy]]'' ([[2001 in film|2001]]) and later landed roles in [[Jim McKay (director)|Jim McKay]] and [[Hannah Weyer]]'s ''From an Objective Point of View'' and [[Peter Sollett]]'s ''[[Raising Victor Vargas]]'' (both [[2002 in film|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 in film|2005]]) and as Laurie in [[Dito Montiel]]'s ''[[A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints]]'' ([[2006 in film|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 (2008 film)|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 [[Shooting of Oscar Grant|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 {{lang|fr|[[Un Certain Regard]]}} section and won the {{lang|fr|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 School of the Arts|Tisch]] in order to complete her degree in filmmaking, citing director [[Kathryn Bigelow]] as an inspiration.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2013/08/melonie-diaz-fruitvale-hbo-girls |title=Melonie Diaz |access-date=August 14, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713180515/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2013/08/melonie-diaz-fruitvale-hbo-girls |archive-date=July 13, 2014 |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |date=July 14, 2013 }}</ref>
[[File:CW Charmed cast at Comic-Con 2018.jpg|thumb|Diaz with ''Charmed'' co-stars at the 2018 Comic-Con]]
In 2014 she appeared briefly on an episode of ''[[Girls (TV series)|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 (2014 film)|The Cobbler]]'' starring [[Adam Sandler]].
Diaz co-starred in the dystopian thriller ''[[The First Purge]]'', the [[prequel]] to 2013's ''[[The Purge]]'' and the fourth installment in [[The Purge (film series)|''The Purge'' franchise]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.awardscircuit.com/2018/04/06/watch-trailer-for-the-first-purge-shows-us-a-deadly-origin-story/ |title=WATCH: Trailer For ''The First Purge'' Shows Us A Deadly Origin Story |work=Awards Circuit |date=April 6, 2018 |access-date=November 10, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/first-purge-movie-trailer-poster/ |title=''The First Purge'' Trailer & Poster Want to Make America Great |first=Carolyn |last=Burke |work=[[Screen Rant]] |date=April 6, 2018 |access-date=November 10, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/charmed-reboot-pilot-cw-melone-diaz-1202705330/ |title=CW's ''Charmed'' Reboot Pilot Casts ''Fruitvale Station'' Star Melonie Diaz |first=Joe |last=Otterson |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=February 20, 2018 |access-date=November 10, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/01/the-first-purge-teaser-trailer-make-america-great-again-1201923486/ |title=''The First Purge'' Teaser Trailer Will Make America Great Again, Complete With Government-Sanctioned Murder — Watch |first=Kate |last=Erbland |work=[[Indiewire]] |date=January 31, 2018 |access-date=November 10, 2018 }}</ref> The film was released July 4, 2018.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://comicbook.com/horror/2018/01/30/blumhouse-first-purge-sequel-july-4/ |title=''The First Purge'' Gets Official Poster and Release Date |first=Charlie |last=Ridgely |work=ComicBook.com |date=January 30, 2018 |access-date=November 10, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Metacritic film |qid=Q42048180|title=The First Purge}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/the-purge/262324/the-first-purge-trailer-and-release-date |title=The First Purge Trailer and Release Date |first=Tony |last=Sokol |work=[[Den of Geek]] |date=April 6, 2018 |access-date=November 10, 2018 }}</ref>
==Personal life==
Diaz is married to singer Octavio Genera, having eloped during the COVID-19 pandemic. She announced her pregnancy with their first child in March of 2021.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.distractify.com/p/melonie-diaz-pregnant |title=Is 'Melonie Diaz Pregnant? The 'Charmed' Actress Eloped Mid-Pandemic |first=Anna |last=Garrison |work=[[Distractify]] |date=March 21, 2021 |access-date=May 31, 2021 }}</ref>
==Filmography==
===Films===
{|class="wikitable"
! Year
! Film
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 2001
| ''[[Double Whammy (film)|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&nbsp;— [[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 (2008 film)|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&nbsp;— [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female]]<br>Nominated&nbsp;— [[Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress]]<br>Nominated — [[Black Reel Awards|Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female]]
|-
| 2014
| ''[[X/Y]]''
| Jen
|
|-
| 2014
| ''[[The Cobbler (2014 film)|The Cobbler]]''
| Carmen
|
|-
| 2016
| ''[[Ghost Team]]''
| Ellie
|
|-
| 2016
| ''[[The Belko Experiment]]''
| Dany Wilkins
|
|-
| 2017
| ''[[And Then I Go]]''
| Ms. Meier
|
|-
| 2018
| ''[[Gringo (2018 film)|Gringo]]''
| Mia
|
|-
| 2018
| ''[[All About Nina]]''
| Gloria
|
|-
| 2018
| ''[[The First Purge]]''
|Juani
|
|-
| TBA
| ''[[Roofman (film)|Roofman]]''
|
| Filming<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/10/roofman-movie-adds-juno-temple-lakeith-stanfield-ben-mendelsohn-more-1236163490/|title=Uzo Aduba, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield & Juno Temple Among Final Additions To Miramax And Paramount’s True Crime Pic ‘Roofman’|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Matt|last=Grobar|date=October 31, 2024|access-date=October 31, 2024}}</ref>
|}
===Television===
{|class="wikitable"
! 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 (TV series)|Person of Interest]]''
| Paula Vasquez
| Episode: "[[Number Crunch]]"
|-
| 2012
| ''Ro''
| Ro
| 6 episodes
|-
| 2014
| ''[[Girls (TV series)|Girls]]''
| Susan
| Episode: "Dead Inside"
|-
| 2016
| ''[[The Breaks (TV series)|The Breaks]]''
| Damita
| Main role
|-
|  2017
| ''[[Room 104]]''
| Meg
| Episode: "Ralphie"<br>Nominated — [[Imagen Foundation Award|Imagen Foundation Award for Best Supporting Actress - Television]]
|-
| 2017
| ''[[Elementary (TV series)|Elementary]]''
| Tanya
| Episode: "Hurt Me, Hurt You"
|-
|  2018–2022
| ''[[Charmed (2018 TV series)|Charmed]]''
| Mel Vera
| Main role<br>Nominated — [[Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress Fantasy/Sci-Fi]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2019/06/19/teen-choice-awards-2019-nominations-full-list-nominees/|title=Teen Choice Awards: Shadowhunters, Riverdale, The Flash Lead Nominations|first1=Matt Webb|last1=Mitovich|date=19 June 2019|work=TV Line}}</ref>
|-
| 2024
| ''[[American Horror Stories]]''
| Mary Gentile
| Episode: "The Thing Under the Bed"
|}
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0246686}}
* [http://www.nochelatina.com/Articles/2432/Melonie-Diazs-Top-Indie-Flicks|Melonie Diaz’s Top Indie Flicks]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diaz, Melonie}}
[[Category:1984 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:American actresses of Puerto Rican descent]]
[[Category:Actresses from Manhattan]]
[[Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]