Melissa Johnston is a Canadian-born American actress who was raised in the Detroit suburbs by her mother, a Canadian business owner, and her father, an American steel worker. She has a twin sister with whom she remains close.
Following secondary school, Melissa moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career. She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in the summer of that year and then transferred to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, where she completed her conservatory studies in 2009.
Melissa quickly began performing in regional theater productions and independent short films. In the summer of 2009, she became a spokesmodel for Neutrogena's skiniD campaign, which gained her national recognition as a model. Leveraging her success in the commercial world, she started landing small roles on network television and in theatrical film releases, including ABC Family's Greek and Twentieth Century Fox's Water for Elephants.
The following year, she earned her first lead role in a feature film, playing Sue in Asylum's Barely Legal. The low-budget, raunchy, teen comedy enjoyed unexpected success, earning Melissa nods for outstanding performance. Although she admitted to having no time to prepare for the role, being handed the script on the first day of filming, the film earned Melissa international recognition in the genre and opened many doors for her in acting and modeling.
Later this spring, Melissa will be taking on a highly dramatic role in John Brian King's Redlands, set to be released later this year.
