Biography

Melanie Martyn is an American actress best known for Us+ (2020), Maysville (2020), and Trouble With Women (2014).

She was born in Rockville, Maryland, to Joan Stiefel and Cuban-born Ignacio Rodriguez, and is the oldest of three children. When she was 3 her parents enrolled her in ballet lessons and she has been performing ever since. Her early life was spent primarily as a dancer: she joined The Rockville Civic Ballet Company in 1997, and was elevated to a principal member of the company in 2003. She danced competitively, winning various Poms competitions and was selected by the Universal Dance Association to perform in the New Year's Day Parade in Paris, France.

She went on to get her BA in Theatre Arts from Boston College, where she was also a 4 year member of the prestigious Dance Ensemble performing group. In her junior year she studied abroad at LAMDA (the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts), where she received rigorous classical acting training.

After graduation, she moved to New York City. She trained at schools such as Stella Adler, The Barrow Group and UBC, and studied dance at Steps and Alvin Ailey. She made her feature film debut in Trouble With Women (2014), and has gone on to play numerous leading roles in film and theater in New York, LA and, most recently, Seattle. Favorite theater roles include Jill in "Butterflies are Free", Ophelia in "Hamlet", and Amanda in "Private Lives". For her role in Us+ (2020) as "Ally", a Type A graphic designer, struggling with her fiance's proposed expansion of their relationship, she received a Best Actress nomination at the Alternative Film Festival.

Melanie is a highly versatile actress and a multifaceted person. Her talents include singing and scuba diving; she is also skilled in a plethora of martial arts.

- IMDb mini biography by: Melanie Martyn