Melina Kanakaredes, is a multi-talented actor, writer, director and philanthropist. Her work in TV, film and Broadway has earned her critical acclaim.

Ms. Kanakaredes is best known for her long running starring role of Stella Bonasera in the CBS series CSI: New York. While working full time on this series, she was inspired and supported by her colleagues to start writing. Melina sold her first penned half hour pilot script to CBS in 2004 and consequently began writing and acting simultaneously on CSI: New York. Her first solo episode aired May 15th 2009. Since then, Melina has sold several pilot scripts both on her own and with writing partner Nancy Miller (Creator of Saving Grace). She currently has several shows in development.

Prior to CSI: New York, Ms. Kanakaredes starred for five seasons as Dr. Sydney Hansen on the NBC-TV critically acclaimed series Providence. She directed her first episode while six months pregnant with her second child. In 2003, four months after giving birth, she took back to her theater roots, and starred on Broadway as Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret.

Other television credits include Notorious, Extant, NYPD Blue, New York News, Leaving LA, The Practice and Oz. She also received two Emmy nominations for her work on The Guiding Light. Currently you can see Melina starring as “Dr. Lane Hunter” in the Fox series The Resident.

On the Feature film side, Melina co-starred with Dwayne Johnson in the film SNITCH. A few years earlier she went back to her Greek roots playing the mythological icon, Goddess Athena in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. And one of her favorite jobs was costarring opposite Robert De Niro in the film 15 Minutes. Other film credits include Rounders, Dangerous Beauty and The Long Kiss Goodnight.

Ms. Kanakaredes graduated Magna Cum Laude from Point Park College in Pittsburgh, PA with a BFA in Musical Theater. While pursuing her degree she appeared in commercials, industrial films and on stage at the Pittsburgh Playhouse and Pittsburgh Public Theater. In 2002 the college awarded her a Doctorate of Humane Letters Degree. Away from the set, Ms. Kanakaredes enjoys celebrating her Greek heritage with her friends and family and travels to Greece with her husband and daughters as often as possible. Melina is dedicated to working with many charitable groups and foundations, Americans for the Arts, Jhpiego, and Xprize to name a few.

Melina is proud and honored to have recently joined the LACHSA Foundation board. Educating our future artists and our future citizens, through art, is of the utmost priority to Melina. As both an artist and a parent, she knows that there is no better place that exemplifies those values than the Los Angeles County High School of the Arts.