
Melanie Haynes
Acting
Biography
Actress Melanie Haynes (born April 28, 1961) has earned a solid reputation by delivering standout performances across a variety of genres in film, television, commercials, voice-over and more. Originally from a small Kansas town, Haynes studied dance, piano and drama growing up. Later, when her family moved to Texas, she attended Lamar University, winning Best Actress in her sophomore year, and earning a degree and teaching certificate in Theater and English at the University of Houston. After college, she spent several years dancing with Patsy Swayze's Houston Jazz Ballet Company before her passion for acting pulled her in a different direction. Haynes' film and television credits range from big studio and network productions to prominent indies. She has landed opposite several Academy Award winners, starting with Dianne Wiest in The Face of Rage, to more recently Mahershala Ali in HBO's True Detective. She also joined numerous A-listers voicing Sony's Oscar-winning Best Animated Feature, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Over the years, Haynes has gained attention for portraying a wide variety of characters. Most notably, as a wicked doula in Terror Films creepy Blood Born, a cumbersome aunt in the quirky comedy Antiquities, a baseball bat toting Texas bar owner in The Last Mark, and a supportive mother in Lifetime's The Road Home for Christmas. While raising her family, Haynes soared as a voice-over artist and started her own studio in 2002, which continues to thrive today. She has proudly served 15 years on the board of SAG-AFTRA's Houston Local Branch and as the President for two terms. Today, she splits her time between Los Angeles and Houston, and although she is a grandma, Haynes continues to be "refined, not tamed".
Known For

The early life of child genius Sheldon Cooper, later seen in The Big Bang Theory.
Young Sheldon

The daily mishaps of a married woman and her semi-dysfunctional family and their attempts to survive life in general in the city of Orson, Indiana.
The Middle

An American anthology police detective series utilizing multiple timelines in which investigations seem to unearth personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within or outside the law.
True Detective

Struggling to find his place in the world while juggling school and family, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales is unexpectedly bitten by a radioactive spider and develops unfathomable powers just like the one and only Spider-Man. While wrestling with the implications of his new abilities, Miles discovers a super collider created by the madman Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk, causing others from across the Spider-Verse to be inadvertently transported to his dimension.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

A hit man from the Midwest moves to Los Angeles and gets caught up in the city's theatre arts scene.
Barry

The Hitter, the Hacker, the Grifter and the Thief are together again, this time with help from a new tech genius and corporate fixer, to take on a new kind of villain. From the man who created an opioid crisis from the comfort of his boardroom to the shadowy security firm that helps hide dangerous secrets for a price - when someone needs help, they provide... Leverage.
Leverage: Redemption

Victor is a new student at Creekwood High School on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city, and struggling with his sexual orientation. When it all seems too much, he reaches out to Simon to help him navigate the ups and downs of high school.
Love, Victor

Featuring an all-star cast, this genre-bending anthology series weaves together eight darkly comedic feminist fables that take unexpected approaches to subjects like gender roles, autonomy, and identity.
Roar

In Texas, Mo straddles the line between two cultures, three languages and a pending asylum request while hustling to support his Palestinian family.
Mo

The story of Ronald Reagan's press secretary who was crippled in the 1981 assassination attempt on the president and who, with his wife, became the lightning rod for the gun control movement in the years since.
Without Warning: The James Brady Story

Two rival musicians, Lindsay and Wes who perform in a dueling piano show, suddenly find themselves without a gig on Christmas Eve and decide to road trip to their neighboring hometowns together.
The Road Home for Christmas

When mattress store manager Perry's childhood crush, Lynette, announces she's leaving town, he panics. Desperate to prove himself, he and his reckless best friend, Wyatt, concoct a harebrained scheme to "rescue" her younger brother from a fake kidnapping--only to accidentally pull off a real one.
California King

A profile of the astronauts, crew, and civilians who were involved in the January 28, 1986 flight of the spaceship, Challenger, that resulted in its explosion upon takeoff. The center point of the film is the safety inspections and arguments surrounding the use of the o-rings that ultimately were blamed for the explosion.
Challenger

The Christmas Queens of North Pole, Vermont, Trish and Diana, have won the Best Holiday House decorating competition every year for the past nine years. But days before Christmas, a friendship-ending argument sparks a town-wide feud and draws the attention of a national magazine writer hoping to make a name for herself with her scintillating expose.
The Housewives of the North Pole

A young Oklahoma artist, struggling with a recent death, finds escape in a reckless affair with her brother's girlfriend.
Heartland
Filmed in quasi-documentary fashion, the made-for-TV The Face of Rage is set in a rehabilitation facility. Here a group of rapists are required to confront their victims face-to-face. The film concentrates on the bitter verbal sparring session between assaulter Richard (Graham Bechel) and assaultee Rebecca (Dianne Weist). Director Donald Wrye co-wrote the screenplay for Face of Rage with Hal Sitowicz, drawing much of the dialogue from real-life transcripts. The film was first aired as an "ABC Theatre" presentation on March 20, 1983, preceded with an all too appropriate "parental guidance" proviso.
The Face of Rage

When two sisters can no longer go on living with the painful memory of their baby sister being murdered 37 years ago by their stepmother, together they try to uncover the truth.
A Promise to Carolyn

Becky wants to become an actress. After an audition for a dog food ad she has best chances to get the part - but the day after her dog Petey becomes very ill. She has to come up with $700 until 5 pm for the operation - else Petey will be put to death! Lacking only $70, she takes a job as messenger. She needs only one delivery, but her car breaks down and bad luck delays her again, and again, and again...
Save the Dog!

Ellie is a 27-year old whose life is far from where she imagined it to be. Filled with annoying friends, a self-involved boyfriend, and a career that she can’t bring herself to pursue, Ellie feels detached from her life. When she learns that her estranged alcoholic father has died, her world is disrupted and she begins a journey that takes her to a small town in Texas. While dealing with the logistical arrangements of her father’s death Ellie has to confront what happens when the structures and safety nets we build for ourselves come undone.
A Country Called Home

Old uncle Bill who served as the sidekick to the legendary gambler/card shark, Harry tells the story of how they gambled and partied their way from the high rolling days of the 50's to the crazy drug fueled times of the 60's and reveals a dark secret. Harry's son, Hoppy finally finds the courage to escape his bleak future as "a mark" through uncle Bill's story and redemptive kindness.