Mel is like one of those rare finds, a hidden treasure that keeps on giving. Her smile will glow up an entire room in seconds.

“I don’t know what it is, but I never had to look for work, work just came to me,” said Mel. “I think its just who I am, my soul, my being.”

Mel is no doubt a performer by nature. She started her career teaching ballet and tap in Ottawa at multiple local dance studios. After high school, she told herself she was going to study nursing. An audition drew up for the Lion King in Toronto. The show needed 10 girls, usually they pick one from each province. They only picked one. Mel was really upset and discourage, and the casting director approached her to tell her she was one of the top 5 finalist. The casting director invited her to a private audition for the major blockbuster 2002 movie Chicago directed by Rob Marshall. Mel didn’t have an agent, and this seemed like a disadvantage.

Needless to say, it was not. Melly Mel got the part.

“I gain so much wisdom from that shoot, it was big and truly a pivotal point in my career because otherwise I was going to quit dance,” said Mel. “The cast was amazing; I was only 19 and most dancers were much more experienced than I was. “Renee Zellweger was ham, Queen Latifah was so kind, and Richard Gere was into Buddhism teaching us wise lessons.”

She learnt the ins and outs of the “Hollywood” business, through her fellow mature dancers on set. She still receives a royalty checks from Chicago. When the time came to sign a negotiation contract it was there she said she learnt the most. There were two contracts, the first one was a large lump sum of cash, were they bought out all the dancer’s “part”. The second was a royalty for every time the film is viewed you get a small percentage.

“Deals like this don’t happen anymore they just by the dancers out theses days,” Mel said. She was apprised to sign the royalty contract by the older dancers, which she did and is truly grateful till this day.