Melissa Molinaro
Encyclopedia
Melissa Molinaro also credited or known as Melissa S. or Melissa Smith is a Canadian, pop singer, actress, choreographer and model. She is perhaps best known for her reality TV appearances on Making The Band 3 and Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll
. She is ready to release her debut pop/dance album scheduled for a 2012 release, recently co-starred in Dolph Lundgren
's action film, Command Performance
, and had a major role in Honey 2
. She adopted her mother's maiden name Molinaro
as her professional name in 2010. Melissa has received notable attention from her appearance in Old Navy's "Super C-U-T-E" commercial in 2011. The video for "Dance Floor", the first single from Melissa's debut album "The Love/Dance Project" features choreography by JaQuel Knight had its debut on YouTube on 24 February 2011.
when she was 13 years old. She began figure skating at the age of 3, gymnastics at age 5 and soon began attending Deborah's Stage Dance Door Performing Arts Academy. She was cast as the lead in on-stage productions like "Cinderella", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Cabaret".
At the age of 18, Melissa auditioned for the girl pop group, "Goddess", and became its lead singer. She was signed to a production deal with Interscope Records, and made her first recording demo. While Goddess never achieved greatness, Melissa continued to work consistently as an actor, dancer and model, appearing in several films, television shows, music videos and commercials.
Her early credits include feature film High Crimes
and The Hillz
; TV series Happy Family, Rodney
and Grounded for Life
and the unaired WB pilot Prep; music videos for Celine Dion
and JC Chasez and The Black Eyed Peas Instant Def webisode. She has appeared in many commercials and done promotional modeling for Miss Fitness, Detroit Automotive Show, Sports By Brooks, Microsoft, Xbox, Sketcher, Nappytabs, Nivea and Dickies Girls.
She auditioned for MTV's Making The Band 3 and almost won a spot in the group Danity Kane
. She made the final eleven girls but when it came to the finale of the show, the final slot came down to Melissa and Aundrea Fimbres
and Fimbres made the cut. She later took part in another music-themed reality TV show called Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll
in which she competed to become the next member of The Pussycat Dolls. She won many challenges and finished as the 3rd runner up. She went on to host the Detroit auditions for Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious
for CW 50.
She recorded her debut solo single I Believed with producer Rex Rideout, which was released independently with 4847 Records in 2008 on iTunes. Her music video to I Believed has collectively received nearly one million views on YouTube.
She landed a lead role in an action movie starring and directed by Dolph Lundgren
, Command Performance
in which she plays Venus, a massive music star who becomes a hostage after a Moscow charity concert turns bloody. She performs a song called Lost In Love in the film, which is commercially available on the 2008 compilation album Soul By The Pound from Fluid Music USA Inc. She guest starred on Slavi's Show
to promote "Command Performance" which premiered at the Ischia Film Festival on July 19, 2009 and was then released on DVD on November 3, 2009.
In 2009, she appeared in the Fox sitcom Brothers and on Jimmy Kimmel Live
at the Los Angeles premiere of the film Michael Jackson's This Is It
. In 2010, she appeared in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother
.
In early 2011, Molinaro was featured as the lead performer in the smash hit Old Navy
advertisement "Super C-U-T-E" that garnered over 1.7 million views on YouTube
within the first week of release. The advertisement also received notice from entertainment outlets such as People
and E! News
for Molinaro's purported resemblance to Kim Kardashian
in the shoot. Old Navy has reportedly been sued by Kardashian for this ad. She also released her single Dance Floor on 25 February 2011 and the music video has over 800 thousand views on YouTube.
She landed the role of Carla in the dance sequel Honey 2
and had a small but memorable role as Melissa in the comedy movie Balls to the Wall
which was released in 2011. Her debut album is expected to be released in 2012 and features collaborations with multiple producers and songwriters. She is set to guest star in The Game episode Catfight on the Catwalk as Kylie. She has been cast as Nooki in the upcoming Syfy TV movie Jersey Shore Shark Attack which will air in 2012.
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll is the first season of Pussycat Dolls Present: that premiered on March 6, 2007 on The CW, and took place over the course of eight weeks...
. She is ready to release her debut pop/dance album scheduled for a 2012 release, recently co-starred in Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, and martial artist. He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the movie action hero stereotype including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.A graduate in chemical...
's action film, Command Performance
Command Performance (2009 film)
Command Performance is an action-thriller film that was directed, co-written, and stars Dolph Lundgren.The film premiered at the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival on July 18, 2009...
, and had a major role in Honey 2
Honey 2
Honey 2 is a dance film which follows the 2003 film Honey. It stars Katerina Graham, Randy Wayne, Melissa Molinaro, Lonette McKee and Audrina Patridge...
. She adopted her mother's maiden name Molinaro
Molinaro
Molinaro is the surname of:* Al Molinaro, American actor* Cristian Molinaro, Italian football player* Édouard Molinaro, French filmmaker* George Molinaro, American politician* James Molinaro, Staten Island politician* Jim Molinaro, American football player...
as her professional name in 2010. Melissa has received notable attention from her appearance in Old Navy's "Super C-U-T-E" commercial in 2011. The video for "Dance Floor", the first single from Melissa's debut album "The Love/Dance Project" features choreography by JaQuel Knight had its debut on YouTube on 24 February 2011.
Career
Born Melissa Ann Smith in Whitby, Ontario, her family moved to Rochester Hills, MichiganRochester Hills, Michigan
Rochester Hills is an affluent city in northeast Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 70,995. The city of Rochester is bounded on the north, south, and west by Rochester Hills...
when she was 13 years old. She began figure skating at the age of 3, gymnastics at age 5 and soon began attending Deborah's Stage Dance Door Performing Arts Academy. She was cast as the lead in on-stage productions like "Cinderella", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Cabaret".
At the age of 18, Melissa auditioned for the girl pop group, "Goddess", and became its lead singer. She was signed to a production deal with Interscope Records, and made her first recording demo. While Goddess never achieved greatness, Melissa continued to work consistently as an actor, dancer and model, appearing in several films, television shows, music videos and commercials.
Her early credits include feature film High Crimes
High Crimes
High Crimes is a 2002 American thriller film directed by Carl Franklin. The screenplay by Yuri Zeltser and Grace Cary Bickley is based on a novel by Joseph Finder.-Plot:...
and The Hillz
The Hillz
The Hillz is a 2004 film written and directed by Saran Barnun and starring Rene Heger, Jesse Woodrow, and Paris Hilton. It centers around four kids from Beverly Hills who form a ruthless gang...
; TV series Happy Family, Rodney
Rodney (TV series)
Rodney is an American television sitcom that was shown on ABC from September 21, 2004, to June 6, 2006. Ric Swartzlander was the creator and executive producer of the comedy series...
and Grounded for Life
Grounded for Life
Grounded for Life is an American television sitcom that debuted on January 10, 2001 as a mid-season replacement on the FOX Network. It was created by Mike Schiff and Bill Martin. It ran for two seasons on the network until being cancelled only two episodes into its third season...
and the unaired WB pilot Prep; music videos for Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
and JC Chasez and The Black Eyed Peas Instant Def webisode. She has appeared in many commercials and done promotional modeling for Miss Fitness, Detroit Automotive Show, Sports By Brooks, Microsoft, Xbox, Sketcher, Nappytabs, Nivea and Dickies Girls.
She auditioned for MTV's Making The Band 3 and almost won a spot in the group Danity Kane
Danity Kane
Danity Kane was an American female music group signed to Bad Boy Records, first established in 2005. Formed on the third installment of MTV's Making the Band reality television series, the quintet comprised members Aubrey O'Day, Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgett, Shannon Bex, Dawn Richard, and Aundrea...
. She made the final eleven girls but when it came to the finale of the show, the final slot came down to Melissa and Aundrea Fimbres
Aundrea Fimbres
Aundrea Aurora Fimbres is an American singer and dancer. Fimbres is a former member of the pop music group Danity Kane, from 2005 to 2009...
and Fimbres made the cut. She later took part in another music-themed reality TV show called Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll is the first season of Pussycat Dolls Present: that premiered on March 6, 2007 on The CW, and took place over the course of eight weeks...
in which she competed to become the next member of The Pussycat Dolls. She won many challenges and finished as the 3rd runner up. She went on to host the Detroit auditions for Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious
Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious
The Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious is the second and final season of Pussycat Dolls Present:, in which young aspiring female singers/dancers compete in order to claim their spots to become the group "Girlicious"...
for CW 50.
She recorded her debut solo single I Believed with producer Rex Rideout, which was released independently with 4847 Records in 2008 on iTunes. Her music video to I Believed has collectively received nearly one million views on YouTube.
She landed a lead role in an action movie starring and directed by Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, and martial artist. He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the movie action hero stereotype including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.A graduate in chemical...
, Command Performance
Command Performance (2009 film)
Command Performance is an action-thriller film that was directed, co-written, and stars Dolph Lundgren.The film premiered at the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival on July 18, 2009...
in which she plays Venus, a massive music star who becomes a hostage after a Moscow charity concert turns bloody. She performs a song called Lost In Love in the film, which is commercially available on the 2008 compilation album Soul By The Pound from Fluid Music USA Inc. She guest starred on Slavi's Show
Slavi's Show
Slavi's Show is a long-running Bulgarian evening talk show aired every workday on bTV from 22:30 to 23:30 EET and hosted by Slavi Trifonov. Occasionally, the show also airs live at 20:00 EET....
to promote "Command Performance" which premiered at the Ischia Film Festival on July 19, 2009 and was then released on DVD on November 3, 2009.
In 2009, she appeared in the Fox sitcom Brothers and on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
at the Los Angeles premiere of the film Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson's This Is It is a 2009 American documentary–concert film directed by Kenny Ortega that documents Michael Jackson's rehearsals and preparation for the concert series of the same name scheduled to start on July 13, 2009, but canceled due to his death eighteen days prior on June 25. It...
. In 2010, she appeared in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
.
In early 2011, Molinaro was featured as the lead performer in the smash hit Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
advertisement "Super C-U-T-E" that garnered over 1.7 million views on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
within the first week of release. The advertisement also received notice from entertainment outlets such as People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
and E! News
E! News
E! News, previously known as E! News Daily and E! News Live, is a nightly entertainment newsmagazine program airing on E!: Entertainment Television. The program debuted on September 1, 1991 and talks about Hollywood celebrities and gossip...
for Molinaro's purported resemblance to Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel "Kim" Kardashian is an American socialite, television personality, model, actress and businesswoman. She is known for the E! reality series that she shares with her family—Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and its spin-offs including Kourtney and Kim Take New York...
in the shoot. Old Navy has reportedly been sued by Kardashian for this ad. She also released her single Dance Floor on 25 February 2011 and the music video has over 800 thousand views on YouTube.
She landed the role of Carla in the dance sequel Honey 2
Honey 2
Honey 2 is a dance film which follows the 2003 film Honey. It stars Katerina Graham, Randy Wayne, Melissa Molinaro, Lonette McKee and Audrina Patridge...
and had a small but memorable role as Melissa in the comedy movie Balls to the Wall
Balls to the Wall (film)
Balls to the Wall is an 2011 American comedy film written by Jason Nutt and directed by Penelope Spheeris. The film had its premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on April 30, 2011.-Plot:...
which was released in 2011. Her debut album is expected to be released in 2012 and features collaborations with multiple producers and songwriters. She is set to guest star in The Game episode Catfight on the Catwalk as Kylie. She has been cast as Nooki in the upcoming Syfy TV movie Jersey Shore Shark Attack which will air in 2012.
Filmography
- Jersey Shore Shark Attack (2012) as Nooki
- The Game (2012) (TV series) (episode Catfight on the Catwalk) as Kylie
- Honey 2Honey 2Honey 2 is a dance film which follows the 2003 film Honey. It stars Katerina Graham, Randy Wayne, Melissa Molinaro, Lonette McKee and Audrina Patridge...
(2011) as Carla (as Melissa Smith) - Balls to the WallBalls to the Wall (film)Balls to the Wall is an 2011 American comedy film written by Jason Nutt and directed by Penelope Spheeris. The film had its premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on April 30, 2011.-Plot:...
(2011) as Melissa - TMZ on TVTMZ on TVTMZ on TV, or simply TMZ and TMZTV, is an American syndicated entertainment and gossip news television show that premiered on September 10, 2007. The program is generally aired on Fox, The CW and MyNetworkTV affiliates, though a majority of the stations that carry the series are Fox affiliates...
(2011) (TV series) (episode dated 28 March 2011) as Herself - Inside EditionInside EditionInside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
(2011) (TV series) (episode dated 10 March 2011) as Herself - ET Canada (2007–2011) (TV series) (2 episodes) as Herself
- E! NewsE! NewsE! News, previously known as E! News Daily and E! News Live, is a nightly entertainment newsmagazine program airing on E!: Entertainment Television. The program debuted on September 1, 1991 and talks about Hollywood celebrities and gossip...
(2011) (TV series) (episode dated 25 February 2011) as Herself - How I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
(2010) (TV series) (episode False Positive (How I Met Your Mother)False Positive (How I Met Your Mother)"False Positive" is the twelfth episode of the sixth season of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and the 124th episode overall. It aired on December 13, 2010.-Plot:...
) as Noelle - Entertainment TonightEntertainment TonightEntertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
(2010) (TV series) (episode dated 25 June 2011) as Herself - BrothersBrothers (2009 TV series)Brothers is a television sitcom, which ran on Fox from September 25, 2009 to December 27, 2009. It originally aired on Friday nights at 8:00 pm EST before moving to Sunday nights at 7:00 pm EST as part of the 2009 fall schedule.- Premise :...
(2009) (TV series) (episode Week in the Chair) as Girl #2 (as Melissa Smith) - Command PerformanceCommand Performance (2009 film)Command Performance is an action-thriller film that was directed, co-written, and stars Dolph Lundgren.The film premiered at the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival on July 18, 2009...
(2009) as Venus (as Melissa Smith) - Jimmy Kimmel LiveJimmy Kimmel LiveJimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
(2009) (TV series) (episode dated dated 29 October 2009) as Herself (as Melissa Smith) - The Aubrey O'Day Show (2009) as Herself (as Melissa)
- Slavi's ShowSlavi's ShowSlavi's Show is a long-running Bulgarian evening talk show aired every workday on bTV from 22:30 to 23:30 EET and hosted by Slavi Trifonov. Occasionally, the show also airs live at 20:00 EET....
(2008) (TV series) (episode dated dated 12 September 2008) as Herself (as Melissa Smith) - The Bad Ass Frank Show (2008) (web series) (episodes #55 & #56) as Herself (as Melissa Smith)
- CushTV (2007) (webisode) as Jenny (as Melissa Smith)
- CW 50 (2007 (webisode) as Herself – Host (as Melissa S.)
- Star! Daily (2007) (TV series) (episode dated dated 23 April 2007) as Herself (as Melissa Smith)
- Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next DollPussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next DollPussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll is the first season of Pussycat Dolls Present: that premiered on March 6, 2007 on The CW, and took place over the course of eight weeks...
(2007) (TV series) as Herself – Contestant (as Melissa S.) - ExposedExposed (MTV series)MTV's Exposed is a television dating show which debuted in December 2006 on MTV. It is produced by Kallissa Productions and Endemol USA. It is also the successor of the dating show Next.-Premise:The premise is based on lie detection software...
(2007) (TV series) (episode Celebrity Edition) as Herself (as Melissa Smith) - Balance (2006) as Girl Victim (as Melissa Smith)
- RodneyRodney (TV series)Rodney is an American television sitcom that was shown on ABC from September 21, 2004, to June 6, 2006. Ric Swartzlander was the creator and executive producer of the comedy series...
(2006) (TV series) (episode Where the Rubber Meets the Road) as Dance Major (as Melissa Smith) - The Black Eyed Peas Instant Def (2006) (webisode) as Girl in the Crowd (as Melissa Smith)
- Making The Band 3 (2005–2006) (TV series) as Herself – Contestant (Season 2) (as Melissa)
- The Young and the RestlessThe Young and the RestlessThe Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
(2004) as JT's Love Interest (as Melissa Smith) - Happy Family (2004) as Hostess (as Melissa Smith)
- The HillzThe HillzThe Hillz is a 2004 film written and directed by Saran Barnun and starring Rene Heger, Jesse Woodrow, and Paris Hilton. It centers around four kids from Beverly Hills who form a ruthless gang...
(2004) as Melissa (as Melissa Smith) - Bikini DestinationsBikini DestinationsBikini Destinations is a reality TV Show airing on HDNet. The show takes the viewer to exotic locations around the world. "Follow top bikini models as they set sail on an array of adventures to the worlds most alluring locations . Every half hour episode will witness glamorous swimsuit models on...
(2004) (TV series) (episode Costa Rica) as Herself – Model (as Melissa Smith) - Destiny's Child (2003) as Danielle (as Melissa Smith)
- Grounded for LifeGrounded for LifeGrounded for Life is an American television sitcom that debuted on January 10, 2001 as a mid-season replacement on the FOX Network. It was created by Mike Schiff and Bill Martin. It ran for two seasons on the network until being cancelled only two episodes into its third season...
(2003) (TV series) (episode Just Like a Woman) as Cheerleader (uncredited) - High CrimesHigh CrimesHigh Crimes is a 2002 American thriller film directed by Carl Franklin. The screenplay by Yuri Zeltser and Grace Cary Bickley is based on a novel by Joseph Finder.-Plot:...
(2002) as Soldier’s Girlfriend (uncredited) - Prep (2002) as Britney (as Melissa Smith)
- Journey of Redemption (2002) as Ashley Anderson (as Melissa Smith)
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Compilation Tracks |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Soul By The Pound | Lost In Love |
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
||||
| 2008 | "I Believed" | I Believed (Single) | N/A | |
| "Lost In Love" | Soul By The Pound | N/A | ||
| 2011 | "Dance Floor" | The Love/Dance Project | N/A | |
| 2011 | "Shake The World" | The Love/Dance Project | N/A | |
Other songs
- So Hot
- Maybe
- Exposed
- Not That Simple
- Pills
- Farenheit
- Goodbye Forever
- Sex Tape
- Turn It Up