MLA CALL FOR CAST 2026 - TOP 11
Melissa came to acting early...and late. An award-winning journalist, published author and emerging screenwriter, she has loved acting since her youth, as well as film (she was a film critic at one stage).
Her years covering conflict and softer stories in America, the Middle East and Africa have given her a sharp sense of ‘story’ and the chance to experience and develop empathy in many places across the globe. As a journalist, she has ‘stepped into the shoes of others’ countless times, in a way preparing her to go deep and real as an actor.
She wants to both act and write scripts that feature strong women, particularly older ones. Her WW2 spy thriller feature screenplay, The Devil’s Gardens, and one-hour tv pilot, The Rogues (a drama/thriller dealing with wildlife trafficking and set in South Africa), are two of her current projects, along with her third novel. She has been a script consultant and written short scripts for the Cape Town-based Young Actors’ Studio.
American-born, Melissa has lived in South Africa for thirty years, first coming here to fight against and report on apartheid. She now lives near her son, MLA actor Rafe Soule, by the sea in Cape Town’s southern Peninsula.
Please email Yolinda Du Plessis at yolinda@mlasa.com for bookings and further information.
