Melinda Page Hamilton is an accomplished American actress, renowned for her captivating performances in various film and television projects. Born in New York City, she attended Princeton University and later honed her craft at the Tisch School of the Arts in New York University.
Hamilton's early career was marked by her appearances in numerous theatre productions, including the original stage production of Cornelia, where she played the title character. Her television debut came in 1997 with an episode of NBC's legal drama Law & Order, followed by recurring guest-starring roles in shows such as Star Trek: Enterprise, Nip/Tuck, Ghost Whisperer, Criminal Minds, The Closer, Castle, NCIS, Modern Family, and True Blood.
In 2003, Hamilton's memorable role as Feezal, the alien scientist and second wife of Doctor Phlox, in Star Trek: Enterprise explored the concept of polygamy. Her film credits include supporting roles in Promised Land (2004) and Corporate Affairs (2008),as well as leading roles in Sleeping Dogs Lie (2006) and Not Forgotten (2009).
Hamilton's television career has been marked by her recurring roles in the ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, where she played Sister Mary Bernard, a nun trying to pursue married man Carlos Solis, and on the AMC period drama Mad Men, where she portrayed Anna Draper, a polio survivor and widow of the man whose identity Don Draper stole in Korea. She has also guest-starred on Grey's Anatomy and its spin-off Private Practice, as well as all of the CSI shows, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: NY, and CSI: Miami.
From 2009 to 2010, Hamilton appeared in the HBO drama series Big Love. In 2013, she was cast as Odessa Burakov in the Lifetime comedy-drama series Devious Maids, working with a dialogue coach to perfect a Russian accent for her role. She appeared in the first two seasons of the show. In 2015, Hamilton had recurring roles in the USA Network series Dig and the SundanceTV drama Rectify.
