Melina Kanakaredes was born April 23, 1967 in Akron, Ohio. She is the youngest of 3 daughters. A 2nd generation Greek-American, she knows both Greek and English fluently. Her performing career started at a young age when singing with her sisters. She made her first acting performance at the age of 8 in "Tom Sawyer" and hasn't stopped since. Kanakaredes attended Point Park college in Pittsburg, PA and started acting at the Pittsburg Playhouse and the Pittsburg Public Theatre. She then moved to New York and performed in off-Broadway plays. Kanakaredes got her first big break when, after being discovered by a William Morris agent, was cast as Eleni Andros Cooper on "The Guiding Light", which earned her two Emmys. She stayed with the show from 1991-95 and in 1999 was cast as the lead for the hit primetime drama, Providence on NBC. In 2000, she starred opposite Robert DiNiro in the movie "Fifteen Minutes". She has also co-starred in such series as "New York News" and "Leaving LA" as well as a recurring role on NYPD Blue as Jimmy Smits' girlfriend. She has gueststarred in the TV series "The Practice" "Oz" and was in the television movie "Saint Maybe". She has appeared in the movies "Long Kiss Goodnight" "Dangerous Beauty" and "Rounders". She is married to a chef, Peter Constantinedes and the couple have a daughter, Zoe, who was born in 2000. She lives in Los Angeles.      |
