Melissa Bergland

Melissa Bergland
Bergland at the 2011 Logie Awards
Born
Adelaide, Australia
OccupationActress
Years active2010–present

Melissa Bergland is an Australian actress best known for her role as Jenny Gross in the Seven Network drama Winners & Losers.

Early life

Bergland was born in Adelaide and she attended Pembroke School.[1][2] Her father died of cancer when she was 14.[2] Bergland then attended Flinders University, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama.[3] Bergland then went to the Victorian College of the Arts and she spent six months studying acting in New York.[3] Bergland is also a singer and possesses a mezzo-soprano vocal range.[1]

Career

Bergland created and toured a cabaret show called Blue Eyed Soul at the Adelaide Fringe Festival.[4] Bergland was in the final stages of auditions for a production of Hairspray when she was asked to audition for the role of Jenny Gross in Bevan Lee's new drama Winners & Losers.[5] Bergland wore her own glasses and sported her "signature" red hair, which the producers loved and decided to keep for the character.[6] Bergland made her television acting debut as Jenny.[1]

After wrapping the third series of Winners & Losers, Bergland flew to Los Angeles in August and signed with Untitled Management.[7] Two weeks later she was cast as the lead in Relative Happiness, an independent Canadian film based on the eponymous novel by Lesley Crewe.[7] Bergland stars as Lexie Ivy, a bed and breakfast owner, who is looking for love.[8] After filming on Relative Happiness wrapped, Bergland returned to Australia to continue working on Winners & Losers.[7] Bergland appears in the 2016 romantic comedy film Spin Out, alongside Xavier Samuel and Morgan Griffin.[9]

In 2019, Bergland appeared in the fourth episode of the Hulu anthology horror series Into the Dark.[10] In 2024, she starred in Robert Lang's mockumentary film Mind, Body & Soul.[11]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Underbelly Files: Tell Them Lucifer was Here Joanne Debs
2011–2016 Winners & Losers Jenny Gross Main cast
2012 10 Terrorists Car Hijack Victim
2014 Relative Happiness Lexie Ivy
2016 Spin Out Mary
2019 Into the Dark Chloe Episode: "New Year, New You"
2024 Mind Body & Soul Mimi Wilde
2024 Matlock Rosie Martin Epsiode: "No, No Monsters"

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Result
2012 Logie Awards[12][13] Most Popular New Female Talent Won
Most Outstanding New Talent Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b c "Melissa Bergland". Yahoo!7. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  2. ^ a b Haddow, Nicole (19 June 2012). "Melissa Bergland: Eyes on the prize". The Weekly Review City. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  3. ^ a b Coetsee, Alexa (21 March 2011). "Winners and Losers star Melissa Bergland lands on her feet". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  4. ^ "Melissa Bergland and Melanie Vallejo are really great pals". The Advertiser. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  5. ^ Finney, Sarah (28 April 2011). "AFI Quick Quiz: Melissa Bergland". Australian Film Institute. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  6. ^ "Melissa's style is a winner". The Advertiser. 23 June 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  7. ^ a b c Kit, Borys (16 October 2013). "Australian Newcomer Books Lead in Indie 'Relative Happiness' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  8. ^ Devlyn, Darren (15 June 2014). "Melissa Bergland of Winners & Losers reveals her unwitting friendship with a white supremacist". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  9. ^ Johnson, Neala (1 July 2016). "First trailer for Aussie rom-com Spin Out: fast utes, bare bums and beer". Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  10. ^ Kohn, Eric (7 December 2018). "Blumhouse Finally Hires a Woman Director: Sophia Takal's All-Female Horror Movie". IndieWire. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  11. ^ Hipes, Patrick (25 March 2024). "Robert Lang's Devilish Mockumentary 'Mind, Body & Soul' Lands Indican Films Deal; Watch The Trailer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  12. ^ Byrnes, Holly (18 March 2012). "Karl Stefanovic nominated to win back-to-back Gold Logies as Australian television awards announced". Herald Sun. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  13. ^ Bodey, Michael (16 April 2012). "Hamish Blake networks his way to Gold Logie glory". The Australian. Retrieved 12 May 2012.