Born and raised in Eatontown, New Jersey, Melissa grew up in a close family environment, which included her father, Lawrence Brennan, her mother, Marion, and her older brother David. "My family always gave me a lot of encouragement to pursue a career in the performing arts," explains Melissa. "My dad is a disc jockey in New Jersey and growing up near New York City, a great cultural centre, also didn't hurt."
Melissa initially dreamed of dancing professionally and commuted into New York City to study dance with
… More href="http://www.tv.com/phil-black/person/595591/appearances.html">Phil Black. "I took dancing very seriously," recalls Melissa. "Then I landed some commercials when I was fifteen and that gave me the acting bug."
Melissa studied theatre at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Institute in Manhattan and soon landed roles in the HBO movie Somewhere Tomorrow and the After School Special - The Lakeside High Experiment. Her first foray into daytime television was on Another World. Landing the role of Jade Perkins on Santa Barbara was Melissa's first contract job on a daytime drama.
Melissa relocated to Los Angles and graduated from high school while appearing on Santa Barbara, but after only one year on the show, she was released from her contract when the Perkins family was written off the canvass. In September of 1985, one month after leaving Santa Barbara, Melissa landed the role of Jennifer Horton on Days of our Lives, a role that earned her four Soap Opera Awards and a place amongst television's most beloved heroines.
Melissa met her husband, actor Scott Reeves, when he joined the cast of Days of our Lives. At the time, they were both involved with other people and there were no romantic sparks. Sometime later, however, Scott Reeves invited Melissa to a party and on their first date, it was clearly love at first sight. The couple became engaged one month later and they married on March 23, 1990.
Scott Reeves, who currently stars as Ryan on The Young and the Restless, and Melissa recently celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary. They currently reside in the San Fernando Valley with their daughter, Emily, and their son, Larry. They have a menagerie of pets, which includes two dogs named Grace and Coco.
In 1999, both Melissa and Scott Reeves starred in the film Half a Dozen Babies, which told the real story of the Dilley family and their six little blessings.
Melissa likes to unwind by quilting, sewing, and painting. She has blonde hair and green eyes and celebrates her birthday on March 14.
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