Melissa Michaelsen
Encyclopedia
Melissa Michaelsen was an American child actress probably best known for her role as the title character in the James Komack
television show Me and Maxx
.
in 1954, and her mother, Gail Billingsley was once Alwin's secretary. Gail is the niece of Stork Club
owner Sherman Billingsley
. Gail's cousin, Glenn Billingsley, was briefly married to actress Barbara Billingsley
who continued to use his last name for her stage name. Gail was the one who initially took the children around to auditions. Michaelsen's four siblings all acted as children, most notably Peter Billingsley
and, to a lesser extent, Neil Billingsley
who began playing Danny Walton on the daytime soap opera
Search for Tomorrow
in 1975.
, Here's Boomer
, The Young Riders
, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
. Michaelsen also starred in several made-for-TV movies such as Orphan Train, Broken Promise, and the Goldie and the Boxer films.
Michaelsen's major role was as the title character, Maxx Davis, in the NBC
sitcom Me and Maxx in 1980. Melissa was picked for the role when a commercial starring Joe Santos
aired during one of Melissa's early projects. NBC president Fred Silverman
saw the commercial while watching Melissa's TV-movie and reportedly said "I want that guy with that girl." Another source gives credit for the role to the daughter of the producer, James Komack. Maxx Komack, whom the main character was named after, walked in on the screen tests and saw Melissa playing the role. She supposedly blurted out, "That's her. The little blonde girl. That's Maxx!" This was Melissa's second attempt at a network series. In an interview about Goldie and the Boxer, her co-star and producer, O. J. Simpson
, mentioned that he first saw Michaelsen in an unaired ABC
pilot
a few days before the film was to begin shooting.
Michaelsen received favorable reviews from both critics and her costars. The New York Times singled her out in their review of Memories Never Die in which she co-starred opposite Lindsay Wagner
: "The entire supporting cast is uncommonly good, but special notice might be taken of young Miss Michaelsen. Her pouting, sulking, resentful Kathy is in startling contrast to the sunny Shirley Temple type she has played in such television movies as Goldie and the Boxer. Like Miss Wagner, she, too, is proceeding nicely with her career." Television writer Jerry Buck quoted Melissa's co-star Joe Santos as saying that "She's a terrific actress and a wonderful human being," as he went on to praise her work ethic.
Michaelsen made two more attempts at series television. In 1981, she filmed a pilot for CBS
. The show was an attempt to bring the film Little Darlings
to television. It never aired. In 1984, Melissa made another pilot with a role as Stella Stevens
' youngest daughter in the western No Man's Land
. Stella's two older daughters were played by Terri Garber
and Donna Dixon
. The show was not picked up, but the pilot was broadcast as a two hour TV-movie.
Besides acting, Michaelsen also did some public speaking during her youth. For example, in 1983 she was one of the keynote speakers at a conference on Indian unity.
in New York
.
James Komack
James Komack was an American actor, writer and film producer. Komack was in the original cast of the Broadway musical Damn Yankees and also in the film version; in both productions, he was one of the baseball players who perform the song " Heart"...
television show Me and Maxx
Me and Maxx
Me and Maxx was an American sitcom broadcast on NBC starting in 1980. The plot involved a young girl, Maxx , moving in with her dad, Norman , who had created a life for himself as a swinging bachelor.-Cast:...
.
Family
Michaelsen's father, Alwin Michaelsen, is a financial consultant who graduated from PrincetonPrinceton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1954, and her mother, Gail Billingsley was once Alwin's secretary. Gail is the niece of Stork Club
Stork Club
The Stork Club was a nightclub in New York City from 1929 to 1965. From 1934 onwards, it was located at 3 East 53rd Street, just east of Fifth Avenue...
owner Sherman Billingsley
Sherman Billingsley
Sherman Billingsley was an American nightclub owner and former bootlegger who was the founder and owner of New York's Stork Club....
. Gail's cousin, Glenn Billingsley, was briefly married to actress Barbara Billingsley
Barbara Billingsley
Barbara Billingsley was an American film, television, voice and stage actress. She gained prominence in the 1950s movie The Careless Years, acting opposite Natalie Trundy, followed by her best–known role, that of June Cleaver on the television series Leave It to Beaver and its sequel Still...
who continued to use his last name for her stage name. Gail was the one who initially took the children around to auditions. Michaelsen's four siblings all acted as children, most notably Peter Billingsley
Peter Billingsley
Peter Billingsley , also known as Peter Michaelsen and Peter Billingsley-Michaelsen, is an American actor, director, and producer best known for his role as Ralphie in the 1983 movie A Christmas Story. He began his career as an infant, in television commercials.-Early life, family and...
and, to a lesser extent, Neil Billingsley
Neil Billingsley
Neil Billingsley was an American child actor during the seventies and eighties. His four siblings were also child actors, most notably Peter Billingsley and Melissa Michaelsen....
who began playing Danny Walton on the daytime soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow is an American soap opera which premiered on September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS to NBC on March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode aired on December 26, 1986, a run of thirty-five years. At the time of its final broadcast it was the...
in 1975.
Career
For a while, Melissa's resume was nearly as extensive as Peter's having appeared in many television commercials and guest starring in quite a number of television shows including Code RedCode Red (TV series)
Code Red is an American television series that ran from 1981 to 1982 on ABC and was produced by Irwin Allen. This was Allen's sixth and final television series....
, Here's Boomer
Here's Boomer
Here's Boomer is an American adventure/drama series produced by Paramount that aired on the NBC beginning in March 1980. A television movie called A Christmas for Boomer aired on December 6, 1979 and served as the pilot. The show ran for two seasons, ending its run in August 1982...
, The Young Riders
The Young Riders
The Young Riders is an American Western television series created by Ed Spielman that presents a fictionalized account of a group of young Pony Express riders based at the Sweetwater Station in the Nebraska Territory during the years leading up to the American Civil War...
, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (TV series)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is an American musical television series loosely based on the film, which ran on CBS from September 19, 1982 to March 23, 1983.-Synopsis:...
. Michaelsen also starred in several made-for-TV movies such as Orphan Train, Broken Promise, and the Goldie and the Boxer films.
Michaelsen's major role was as the title character, Maxx Davis, in the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom Me and Maxx in 1980. Melissa was picked for the role when a commercial starring Joe Santos
Joe Santos
Joe Santos is an American film and television actor.-Biography:Santos was born Joseph Minieri in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Rose and Joseph Minieri. He began his film acting career in the mid-1960s, appearing in films directed by his cousin, Joseph W...
aired during one of Melissa's early projects. NBC president Fred Silverman
Fred Silverman
Fred Silverman is an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at the CBS, ABC and NBC networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as the series Scooby-Doo , All in the Family , The Waltons , and Charlie's Angels , as well as the...
saw the commercial while watching Melissa's TV-movie and reportedly said "I want that guy with that girl." Another source gives credit for the role to the daughter of the producer, James Komack. Maxx Komack, whom the main character was named after, walked in on the screen tests and saw Melissa playing the role. She supposedly blurted out, "That's her. The little blonde girl. That's Maxx!" This was Melissa's second attempt at a network series. In an interview about Goldie and the Boxer, her co-star and producer, O. J. Simpson
O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
, mentioned that he first saw Michaelsen in an unaired ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
a few days before the film was to begin shooting.
Michaelsen received favorable reviews from both critics and her costars. The New York Times singled her out in their review of Memories Never Die in which she co-starred opposite Lindsay Wagner
Lindsay Wagner
Lindsay Jean Wagner is an American actress. She is probably best known for her portrayal of Jaime Sommers in the 1970s television series The Bionic Woman , though she has maintained a lengthy career in a variety of other film and television productions since.-Early life:Wagner was born in Los...
: "The entire supporting cast is uncommonly good, but special notice might be taken of young Miss Michaelsen. Her pouting, sulking, resentful Kathy is in startling contrast to the sunny Shirley Temple type she has played in such television movies as Goldie and the Boxer. Like Miss Wagner, she, too, is proceeding nicely with her career." Television writer Jerry Buck quoted Melissa's co-star Joe Santos as saying that "She's a terrific actress and a wonderful human being," as he went on to praise her work ethic.
Michaelsen made two more attempts at series television. In 1981, she filmed a pilot for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. The show was an attempt to bring the film Little Darlings
Little Darlings
Little Darlings is a 1980 teen film starring Tatum O'Neal, Kristy McNichol, Matt Dillon and Armand Assante, directed by Ronald F. Maxwell.The screenplay is written by Kimi Peck and Dalene Young. The original music score is composed by Charles Fox...
to television. It never aired. In 1984, Melissa made another pilot with a role as Stella Stevens
Stella Stevens
Stella Stevens Stella Stevens Stella Stevens (born October 1, 1938 is an American film, television and stage actress, who began her acting career in 1959 and starred in such popular films as The Nutty Professor, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Silencers, The Ballad of Cable Hogue and The...
' youngest daughter in the western No Man's Land
No Man's Land (1984 film)
No Man's Land was a television pilot film made in 1984. The pilot featured Stella Stevens as the sheriff of a town in the Old West with three daughters. The youngest daughter was played by Melissa Michaelsen. Stella's two older daughters were played by Terri Garber and Donna Dixon....
. Stella's two older daughters were played by Terri Garber
Terri Garber
Terri Garber is an American actress.Her acting debut was in 1982, when she played Allison Linden on the soap opera Texas...
and Donna Dixon
Donna Dixon
Donna Dixon is an American actress.Donna Dixon was born in Alexandria, Virginia; her father, Earl Dixon, owned a club on U.S. 1, called "Hillbilly Heaven." She is a 1975 graduate of Groveton High School and attended The George Washington University...
. The show was not picked up, but the pilot was broadcast as a two hour TV-movie.
Besides acting, Michaelsen also did some public speaking during her youth. For example, in 1983 she was one of the keynote speakers at a conference on Indian unity.
Later life
Following her acting career, Michaelsen spent some time as a representative of the Morgans Hotel GroupMorgans Hotel Group
Morgans Hotel Group is a hospitality company that owns & operates boutique hotels as well as acquiring and redeveloping in the United States and Europe....
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.