Meet Kiki Melendez | Actress, Writer, Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kiki Melendez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kiki, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.
I often wonder how I ended up in the entertainment business. I think that growing up as an only child and brought up by a single mother I naturally needed and craved attention, but as I started to get deep into the creation of content I realized it was not all about me, it was not about trying to get attention, I realized it was about making an impact, making a difference, uniting our races, creating a platform for other amazing talent that would otherwise not get a shot in Hollywood Hell, I realized that the passion and love I have for all people is what created Latin Hollywood Films Inc, in 1998 and Omni Cultural Tv Fest in 2019.

I want to make people laugh, cry and most of all think…
I want to inspire and leave a legacy through my stories, I want to make the world a better place in my own little way.

What should our readers know about your business?
I attended Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute in NYC, straight out of college. My goal was to be an actress. I started working as an account executive at the first Spanish Language FM station in NYC, I started a morning show there and I was probably the first female morning lead in the big apple, I then moved to LA where I also did morning on KRLA and Groove 103.1 FM.

I was discovered by Galavision National Cable Network and was thrown into production by Javier Saralegui it’s CEO. He said Kiki, you sound great on the radio, you have a television appearance and a great following.
What show could you create for our network that would reach the young audiences.
Without any knowledge of production I set out to create a pilot called Salsa Desde Hollywood, it was one of the first bi-lingual variety shows in America. It was a huge ratings success and I ended up getting 13 episodes which were renamed Kiki desde Hollywood. August 28th, 1998 was the birth of my production company Latin Hollywood Films.

I got a deal with one of the big 3 networks to have my own talk show, but unfortunately, a guard change at the National Television station put my show in development hell.

Although, I was devastated, I picked myself up, dusted meself off and with the help of my friend Eva Longoria, we created a platform for women in comedy. Hot Tamales Live became sold out shows at the Hollywood Improv, Comedy Store, Laugh Factory and we travelled the nation. Almost every female comic from NYC to LA have graced our stages. We were instrumental in giving a launching pad to countless women in comedy today.
We were discovering talent left and right!

We went to the HBO Comedy Festival in Vegas and soon after we got a special on Showtime Networks
which ran for 3 Years!

I was working on a movie about a Latina Rockstar for many years, I invested countless hours of script writing, finding A list attachments and pre pro but when I was almost at the finish line, the deal fell apart. I had to pick myself up and dust myself off again, I remember one of the comics that I worked with Nadine Rajabi (currently the ep on Below Deck on Bravo) suggested, I do a movie about my journey. She said my life was like a movie, and she inspired me.
I went on to film Journey of a Female comic currently on Peacock NBC.
The Docu-comedy was groundbreaking due to it’s original content and dual language translation.
It ended up getting a theatrical run, and was Oscar qualified.
Erick Crespo and I shared directing credit and our film is at the Academy Library for Motion Picture study.

I created more shows that got on the air in both English and Spanish Television
Kiki Mobile on FYI network, Locos Y Contentos on Estrella Tv, and most recently Reinas De La Risa,
Black Girl Magic, and Broads Abroad which is currently available on Peacock NBC, Amazon Prime, Tubi, Plex, Sling, Hoopla and more…
I am proud of this show as it is a hybrid between a Comedy Special and a Travel show. It is incredibly exciting and I am grateful to my partner Doug Schwab for believing in my and giving us the opportunity to create this brand of comedy in an exotic location like Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

I can honestly say this business is not easy, you have to create your own opportunities. You have to try to work
hard and make magic happen for yourself.
I learned that it is all about relationships. You need to have the patience of a saint.
It’s disappointing when you help people with all your heart and when they get a break they
forget who opened doors and believed in them. I started focusing more on my career because my biggest problem is I put others in front of myself, but hey, if that is what is on my tomb stone, I have lived a glorious life!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
LA is so exciting!

I love to catch a broadway show at the Pantageous theater, Moulin Rouge is great!
Love the beaches of MALIBU and eating across the Pier at Del Friscoe’s Grill.
I also love taking a ride up pacific coast highway and stopping for brunch at Moon Shawdows.
I enjoy hiking by Runyon Canyon.
Roller blading from Venice to Pacific Palisades on the bike path by the ocean.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My beautiful family husband John Berry, twin daughters Alessandra and Isabella and son Nathaneal they keep me going, they inspire me to be a better person and help make a difference in the world.

Although, I am a Latina and was too young to live during his time, I also admire so many people that gave their lives so that we could live a better one
Martin Luther King, for example is someone that I have always admired, I met one of his daughters and
I begged her to tell me something about him no one else knew. She confessed that he was a comedian at the dinner table! I was shocked to hear this as I am also a comic! It made me feel even closer to him.

Instagram: @KikiMelendez

Image Credits
Marcus Casias