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

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

Early life edit

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 edit

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 edit

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

Awards and nominations edit

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

References edit

  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.

External links edit