Melody Thomas Scott
Encyclopedia
Melody Thomas Scott is an American actress, best known for playing Nikki Newman on the soap opera
The Young and the Restless
since 1979.
” and “Wagon Train
”. Her childhood idols included Shirley Temple
, Margaret O’Brien and Hayley Mills
, with whom she shares her birthday of April 18. She was cast in her first feature film in 1964 by Alfred Hitchcock
as the younger version of Tippi Hedren’s character in “Marnie.” (Costarring Sean Connery and Bruce Dern.) Screen tested for the part of Marta in “The Sound of Music”, directed by Robert Wise, Melody continued to work consistently through the sixties, doing guest shots on numerous television shows of that era such as “Ironside”, and had a regular role on a very short-lived series, “The Tammy Grimes Show”. In 1970, the thirteen year old was cast as Abigail in the Clint Eastwood
gothic thriller, “The Beguiled
”, co-starring with Geraldine Page
, the late Elizabeth Hartman
, and the five other young ladies that resided in the Civil War tale of a girl’s boarding school. Don Siegel
, director of “The Beguiled
,” cast her again in the role of the kidnapped girl in “Dirty Harry
,” again with Eastwood.
to be a concert pianist. After just one year, she realized she did not have the discipline required to perform at that level. Her acting career resumed with an out-of-the-blue phone call from her childhood agent, Lola Moore, who had set up a meeting for Melody for a Western feature, “Posse,” for which she won the role and was directed by Kirk Douglas
. This vaulted her back to the acting world with more films, such as “The Fury,”(Twentieth Century Fox) playing the role of LaRue, Amy Irving’s character’s best friend, directed by Brian DePalma, and “The Shootist,” her only scene being with the late John Wayne, in what became his final film, again directed by Siegel. “The Car,” Universal’s tongue-in-cheek thriller about a possessed Lincoln Continental was followed by “Piranha,” Roger Corman’s wink at “Jaws,”(directed by Joe Dante) while she picked up great momentum doing miniseries,(“Studs Lonigan,” ” The Scarlett O’Hara Wars,”etc.) television episodics, such as “Charlie’s Angels, ”The Rockford Files,” “Fish,” “Movin’ On,"Billy,” and a host of other shows and MOW’s (“Secrets”.) In 1977, Melody was cast as Darlene Jarvis in a recurring role on “The Waltons
” as Ben’s girlfriend, then fiancee, then wife. When "The Young and the Restless" cast her in February 1979 as Nikki Reed, Melody had to give up her recurring status on "The Waltons" but was thrilled that her replacement turned out to be her good pal, Lesile Winston.
”) when her work schedule permits. For instance, Melody played a pill-popping, sexy alcoholic Mom in an episode of “My Name is Earl” in 2009. In January 2011, she costarred in an episode of ABC’s “Castle” as a wealthy socialite caught up in a murder mystery. Past cameos have included appearing as herself in CBS
’ “The Nanny,” “Diagnosis: Murder,” with Dick Van Dyke and several appearances as her “Y and R” character, Nikki Newman in the feature, “Mr. Mom,” “Criminal Minds,” among others. She also starred in the feature length “Paradise Virus,” as the female lead as a Doctor of Biology opposite Lorenzo Lamas in 2002. Along with her longtime costar Eric Braeden, she was featured in a series of Zeller’s commercials for a nationwide campaign in Canada. Playing the role of an Oscar-winning actress, Scott appears in the feature, “Freezerburn,” which is awaiting its release date.
and Desi Arnaz
. Located in Jamestown, New York, Lucy’s hometown, the Center is still active, though Ms. Scott resigned from her position in 2008. She hopes to resume her seat on the Board when infrastructural conditions improve.
She was also a founding Board Member of the ATAS (Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) “TV Cares”, an AIDS awareness campaign, for several years. She recently posed for the NOH8 Campaign
.
It was on the set of "Young and the Restless" that she met her second husband, the show's executive producer Edward J. Scott
. They married in 1985 and have three daughters, Jennifer, Alexandra Danielle Yeaggy ( Father is the late Carlos Yeaggy a makeup man Melody met on the set of Y&R. Alexandra was adopted by Scott) and Elizabeth. Aside from her immediate family, she dotes on her two dachshunds, Luca and Lola. The family resides in Beverly Hills, California. Her oldest daughter, Jennifer, gave birth to twins on May 25, 2011, a boy named James and a girl named Charlotte. James and Charlotte are Melody and Edward's first and second grandchild, respectively.
Her union affiliations include joining AFTRA in 1959, SAG in 1960, and Equity in 1962.
Over the last twenty years, Ms. Scott has hosted several celebrity events on both coasts, raising money for the Save the Earth Foundation, of which she was the National Spokesperson, dedicated to environmental research at the university level. Over one million dollars has been raised to date.
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,...
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The 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...
since 1979.
Early Training
Melody Thomas Scott has been a working actress since the age of three. Under the tutelage of Ethel Meglin, who was instrumental in starting Shirley Temple’s career, Melody was chosen to be the youngest member of what ultimately became Mrs. Meglin’s last professional group, known then as The Meglin Kiddies. Acting, singing, tap dancing, ballet, jazz were but a few of the skills that the performing troupe was highly trained in. She also was part of the Hollywood Children’s Theater and the Three Arts Studio for many years. Through both the Meglin Kiddies and the Three Arts Studio, Melody performed in countless stage productions for the U.S.O. and many other charities and venues including the historical Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Local Los Angeles television shows, professional modeling, (She was a student of the Caroline Leonetti Modeling Academy on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood,) theater productions, etc. kept this youngster quite busy. Early theater productions include “Heidi,” “The Bad Seed,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” and as the young Alma in “Summer and Smoke.” Having shot many commercials (Plochman’s mustard, Clorox Bleach, Scott Tissue, etc.) by the age of six, Melody landed her first national commercial, as the sleepy breakfaster at the table for Kellogg’s Rice Krispies.The 1960s
The early sixties found Melody doing frequent appearances in numerous television shows of that era, including “My Three SonsMy Three Sons
My Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS...
” and “Wagon Train
Wagon Train
Wagon Train is an American Western series that ran on NBC from 1957–62 and then on ABC from 1962–65...
”. Her childhood idols included Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple Black , born Shirley Jane Temple, is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia...
, Margaret O’Brien and Hayley Mills
Hayley Mills
Hayley Mills is an English actress. The daughter of John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, and sister of actress Juliet Mills, Mills began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising newcomer, winning the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for Tiger Bay , the Academy Juvenile Award...
, with whom she shares her birthday of April 18. She was cast in her first feature film in 1964 by Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
as the younger version of Tippi Hedren’s character in “Marnie.” (Costarring Sean Connery and Bruce Dern.) Screen tested for the part of Marta in “The Sound of Music”, directed by Robert Wise, Melody continued to work consistently through the sixties, doing guest shots on numerous television shows of that era such as “Ironside”, and had a regular role on a very short-lived series, “The Tammy Grimes Show”. In 1970, the thirteen year old was cast as Abigail in the Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
gothic thriller, “The Beguiled
The Beguiled
The Beguiled is a 1971 drama film directed by Don Siegel, starring Clint Eastwood and Geraldine Page. The script was written by Albert Maltz and is based on the 1966 Southern Gothic novel written by Thomas P. Cullinan, originally titled A Painted Devil...
”, co-starring with Geraldine Page
Geraldine Page
Geraldine Sue Page was an American actress. Although she starred in at least two dozen feature films, she is primarily known for her celebrated work in the American theater...
, the late Elizabeth Hartman
Elizabeth Hartman
Mary Elizabeth Hartman was an American actress, best known for her performance in the 1965 film A Patch of Blue, playing a blind girl named Selina D'Arcy, opposite Sidney Poitier, a role for which she won the Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year - Actress and was nominated for the Academy...
, and the five other young ladies that resided in the Civil War tale of a girl’s boarding school. Don Siegel
Don Siegel
Donald Siegel was an influential American film director and producer. His name variously appeared in the credits of his films as both Don Siegel and Donald Siegel.-Early life:...
, director of “The Beguiled
The Beguiled
The Beguiled is a 1971 drama film directed by Don Siegel, starring Clint Eastwood and Geraldine Page. The script was written by Albert Maltz and is based on the 1966 Southern Gothic novel written by Thomas P. Cullinan, originally titled A Painted Devil...
,” cast her again in the role of the kidnapped girl in “Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
,” again with Eastwood.
The 1970s
From age 14-18 Melody focused more on her piano abilities, being groomed by her family and professors at USCUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
to be a concert pianist. After just one year, she realized she did not have the discipline required to perform at that level. Her acting career resumed with an out-of-the-blue phone call from her childhood agent, Lola Moore, who had set up a meeting for Melody for a Western feature, “Posse,” for which she won the role and was directed by Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...
. This vaulted her back to the acting world with more films, such as “The Fury,”(Twentieth Century Fox) playing the role of LaRue, Amy Irving’s character’s best friend, directed by Brian DePalma, and “The Shootist,” her only scene being with the late John Wayne, in what became his final film, again directed by Siegel. “The Car,” Universal’s tongue-in-cheek thriller about a possessed Lincoln Continental was followed by “Piranha,” Roger Corman’s wink at “Jaws,”(directed by Joe Dante) while she picked up great momentum doing miniseries,(“Studs Lonigan,” ” The Scarlett O’Hara Wars,”etc.) television episodics, such as “Charlie’s Angels, ”The Rockford Files,” “Fish,” “Movin’ On,"Billy,” and a host of other shows and MOW’s (“Secrets”.) In 1977, Melody was cast as Darlene Jarvis in a recurring role on “The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
” as Ben’s girlfriend, then fiancee, then wife. When "The Young and the Restless" cast her in February 1979 as Nikki Reed, Melody had to give up her recurring status on "The Waltons" but was thrilled that her replacement turned out to be her good pal, Lesile Winston.
Other Projects
While the #1 daytime drama keeps her busy, she has enjoyed continuing working on feature films, television and theater productions (e.g.“The Vagina MonologuesThe Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
”) when her work schedule permits. For instance, Melody played a pill-popping, sexy alcoholic Mom in an episode of “My Name is Earl” in 2009. In January 2011, she costarred in an episode of ABC’s “Castle” as a wealthy socialite caught up in a murder mystery. Past cameos have included appearing as herself in 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 Nanny,” “Diagnosis: Murder,” with Dick Van Dyke and several appearances as her “Y and R” character, Nikki Newman in the feature, “Mr. Mom,” “Criminal Minds,” among others. She also starred in the feature length “Paradise Virus,” as the female lead as a Doctor of Biology opposite Lorenzo Lamas in 2002. Along with her longtime costar Eric Braeden, she was featured in a series of Zeller’s commercials for a nationwide campaign in Canada. Playing the role of an Oscar-winning actress, Scott appears in the feature, “Freezerburn,” which is awaiting its release date.
Travels
The worldwide popularity of “The Young and the Restless” (airing in 55 countries) has taken her to many destinations throughout the world, including several parts of Italy, France, Monaco, Turkey and Australia, most often in demand in Canada, where her show is extremely popular. She has also traveled to most of the United States for personal appearances promoting "The Young and the Restless."Other venues
Scott has also enjoyed participating in the game show genre, having won record high winnings for her contestants on The 25,000 Pyramid. When appearing on celebrity episodes of game shows, she would frequently donate her winnings to the "Save the Earth Foundation." In 1996 she hosted the Daytime Emmys live from Radio City Music Hall in 1996 with costar Eric Braeden. In 1999, she was honored with a Best Actress Emmy nomination.Additional Endeavors
Ms. Scott has also produced her own clothing line for HSN, hair and skin products for Canadian Home Shopping and enjoys traveling the world with her husband and family. She is currently working on her autobiography, which will at long last reveal the details of her troubled, untraditional upbringing.Charity Participation
She flew to several disaster sites in the U.S. after the tragedies of “Hurricane Katrina,” “Mississippi Rising,” and visited hospitalized victims from the devastating Oklahoma City bombings. Ms. Scott served as a founding Board Member of the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center when it was conceived in 2001. She enjoyed being involved in the Center’s activities, enhancing and celebrating the genius and legacy of Lucille BallLucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
and Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is probably best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the American TV series I Love Lucy, starring with Lucille Ball, to...
. Located in Jamestown, New York, Lucy’s hometown, the Center is still active, though Ms. Scott resigned from her position in 2008. She hopes to resume her seat on the Board when infrastructural conditions improve.
She was also a founding Board Member of the ATAS (Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) “TV Cares”, an AIDS awareness campaign, for several years. She recently posed for the NOH8 Campaign
NOH8 Campaign
The NOH8 Campaign is a silent protest photo project against California Proposition 8. The campaign features photographs portraying people in front of a white backdrop wearing white t-shirts, their mouths taped shut and "NOH8" painted on their cheek. The campaign was created on February 1, 2009, by...
.
Personal
Thomas has been married two times. Her first marriage was to Michael Altman in January 1979 but they divorced after only six months.It was on the set of "Young and the Restless" that she met her second husband, the show's executive producer Edward J. Scott
Edward J. Scott
Edward J. Scott is an American soap opera producer. Born and raised in Santa Monica, California, Scott earned a B.A from California State University at Northridge with a double major of anthropology and broadcasting journalism...
. They married in 1985 and have three daughters, Jennifer, Alexandra Danielle Yeaggy ( Father is the late Carlos Yeaggy a makeup man Melody met on the set of Y&R. Alexandra was adopted by Scott) and Elizabeth. Aside from her immediate family, she dotes on her two dachshunds, Luca and Lola. The family resides in Beverly Hills, California. Her oldest daughter, Jennifer, gave birth to twins on May 25, 2011, a boy named James and a girl named Charlotte. James and Charlotte are Melody and Edward's first and second grandchild, respectively.
Her union affiliations include joining AFTRA in 1959, SAG in 1960, and Equity in 1962.
Over the last twenty years, Ms. Scott has hosted several celebrity events on both coasts, raising money for the Save the Earth Foundation, of which she was the National Spokesperson, dedicated to environmental research at the university level. Over one million dollars has been raised to date.
Filmography
- MarnieMarnie (film)Marnie is a 1964 psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and based on the novel of the same name by Winston Graham. The film stars Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery. The original film score was composed by Bernard Herrmann.-Plot:...
- Young Marnie (1964) - Dirty HarryDirty HarryDirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
- Ann Mary Deacon [photographs] (uncredited) (1971) - The BeguiledThe BeguiledThe Beguiled is a 1971 drama film directed by Don Siegel, starring Clint Eastwood and Geraldine Page. The script was written by Albert Maltz and is based on the 1966 Southern Gothic novel written by Thomas P. Cullinan, originally titled A Painted Devil...
- Abigail (1971) - PossePosse (1975 film)Posse is a 1975 Western film, produced by, directed by and starring Kirk Douglas. The screenplay was written by Christopher Knopf and William Roberts. The plot centers on a U.S. marshal with political ambitions leading an elite posse in pursuit of a notorious bank robber to further his political...
- Laurie (1975) - The ShootistThe ShootistThe Shootist is a 1976 Western starring John Wayne in his final film role. It was based on the 1975 novel of the same name by Glendon Swarthout. Scott Hale and Miles Hood Swarthout wrote the screenplay...
- Girl on streetcar (1976) - The CarThe CarThe Car is a 1977 thriller/horror film directed by Elliot Silverstein and written by Michael Butler, Dennis Shryack and Lane Slate. The film stars James Brolin, Kathleen Lloyd, John Marley, and Ronny Cox, and tells the story of a mysterious car which goes on a murderous rampage, terrorizing the...
- Suzie (1977) - The Fury - LaRue (1978)
- Piranha - Laura Dickinson (1978)
- 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...
- Nikki Reed Newman (February 1979 - present) - The NannyThe NannyNanny may refer to:* Nanny, a child's caregiver* A grandmother * A Cajun word for godmother * A female goat* Nanny , a 1981–83 British drama series starring Wendy Craig* Nanny of the Maroons...
- Herself (1997) - The Paradise Virus - Linda Flemming (2003), written by Peter Layton, co-starring Lorenzo LamasLorenzo LamasLorenzo Lamas y de Santos is an American actor. Lamas is known for playing Lance Cumson on the popular 1980s soap opera Falcon Crest, Reno Raines on the 1990s crime drama Renegade, and Hector Ramirez on the daytime soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful...
, and directed and produced by Brian Trenchard-SmithBrian Trenchard-SmithBrian Trenchard-Smith is an English film and television director, producer, writer, consultant and actor who is notable for his contributions to the horror and action genre during the 1970s and 1980s in Australia. Most of his work has been in television, and the majority of his films have been...
Awards and nominations
- Daytime Emmys Nomination, Outstanding Lead Actress (1999)
- Daytime Emmys Pre-Nomination, Outstanding Lead Actress (2005, 2008)
- 1991 Telegato Best Actress (Italy)
- Soap Opera Digest Best Actress 2001
- Soap Opera Update Best Actress Several back-to-back wins
- American Heart Association
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving
- Save the Earth Foundation award