Melissa Mascara was born in a tiny Steel Mill town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her Italian-American grandparents introduced her to jazz when she was a child, and her love of music led her to a lifelong love of the performing arts. She escaped small-town life at 17 to study Theatre and Dance at the University of Maryland. After graduation, she was offered a coveted spot at the highly competitive Professional Actor Training Program at the University of Washington in Seattle. She earned her Master of Fine Arts there in 1998. A few months later, with no agent and no movie experience, she won a small part in Peter Hyams' End of Days. Her career has continued with commercials, films and considerable stage work. Show less «