Melissa Fumero

Melissa: I come from a big Cuban family, a lot of whom reside in the New York area. That's the best part of getting a big job, is your family being excited for you -- especially my parents, who shelled out a lot for college, dance classes and acting classes. It's so good to be able to give something back and say, 'See, your investment was worth it.' My dad's favorite joke over Christmas was 'Melissa was an unemployed actress for four hours.

Melissa: It was so crazy! I had one really hard exam and it was my last one. After I took it I called my family and said, 'I'm done, I graduated!' I was so excited. Then five hours later I found out I got One Life to Live. It was a little overwhelming. I thought, 'I can't tell anybody this. My friends will hate me.' But it was a wonderful day that I will remember forever.