Born at Fort Riley, Kansas, actress Melanie Robel was born over eight weeks early, which resulted in her, being basically born deaf. This was the start of a challenging life. Melanie heard sound at the age of three and started talking at five. When her family was stationed in Germany, her mother discovered that she was deaf and as a result, she started school and was taught, "Total Communication" This includes: sign language, lip reading and vocalization. By the time Melanie graduated high school, she'd had twelve years of speech therapy. As an "Army Brat", there was a lot of moving around. In San Diego, doctors did experimental surgery on her bad ear which restored hearing in that ear. Melanie's family finally settled in Florida where she had some rambunctious teenage years while in high school. During this time, Melanie had set her sights on a career as a classical ballerina. After an injury sidelined that dream, she decided to attend an open casting call and signed with a management agency. She went to Los Angeles, but after some months and dead ends, she moved back to Florida for a "normal" life and college. However, she still felt something was missing and realized that acting was still in her blood. Melanie has done short and feature length films and is enrolled in ongoing acting classes, which continues to inspire Melanie's passionate pursuit for acting. Show less «