Meet Melissa Alvarez | Actor, Writer & Post Producer

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

Hi Melissa, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I’d say my entire career has been about taking risks. I look at taking big risks as just part of my journey. I’ve always been pretty set in pursuing the life of a creative. Taking the time to really marinate on the grandiosity of the risk would scare me into not taking it at all!

Everything is a risk. We don’t know the outcome of every choice we make. Getting in your car every day is a risk. Taking a leap of faith is the only way we’ll ever accomplish anything.

The first risk I ever took was quitting Volleyball and auditioning for the High School play instead. That risk has shaped my entire life. Since then I’ve taken the risk to move to southern California. I’ve quit jobs and applied to jobs in hopes it’d get me one step closer to my dreams. Risk taking is vital if you want to be happy when you look around and access your life.

The life I have now is only a culmination of the toughest risks I’ve taken.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I first expressed an interest in wanting to be on TV, my mom told me to cultivate other talents. She pointed out that actors like Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, and Drew Barrymore started production companies to produce their own films. Since then I’ve taken the multi-hyphenate approach. I want to have the creative freedom as well as financial freedom to be an actor and writer, so for my day job–I pursued Producing.

In between acting in plays or short films, I’m working as a Post Producer. I think it’s so so so important to have more than one trade. When I’m at home, I’m writing. I run a Dating & Relationships blog that really took off in 2021.

I try to make art any way I can. In order to make art consistently, you have to do more than one thing.

One lesson I’ve learned, that’s very cliche is to keep going. I have to take that advice, sometimes on a daily basis. Even when I feel like I’m not making the creative progress I want, I remind myself to keep going. To pivot and try something else. You’ll only fail if you stop.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve lived in the Silver Lake/Echo Park area for a while. I’d take my best friend out there. I’m from the Portland, OR metro area so there’s many spots that are reminiscent to that. I’d take them to Blue Star Donuts, Salt & Straw, and Crossroads in that regard.

Then we’d have to check out Bacari. I love all of their locations.

We’d do all the touristy things like The Grove and Century City Mall. I’d probably take them to the Chinese Theater and the Grammy Museum.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people I could shoutout and credit my success to. Drama teachers, acting coaches, professors. I have close friends who have always supported me when it comes to my dreams.

I have to shoutout my family who never skipped a beat when I told them I wanted to become an actor. My dad especially, never questioned my love for theatre or want to move to Los Angeles. I really was blessed with great parents and my sister Tiffany.

Website: imdb.me/melannealva

Instagram: @melannealva

Other: My Dating & Relationships Blog “Here’s The Thing” : https://medium.com/@melannealva

Image Credits
Diana K Photos Zachary I Smith tashh_shoots