Her latest film
roles include starring as Pete Rose’s wife, Carol, in Director
Peter Bogdanovich and ESPN’s recent production of ‘Hustle
– The Pete Rose Story’, as well as playing the voice
of Tess, the canine love interest to Jon Lovitz’s character
Bailey, in the family feature ‘Bailey’ to be released
in February 2005. Melissa speaks highly of these filmmaking experiences,
enthusiastically offering -
“Working with artists like Peter Bogdanovich and Tom Sizemore;
wow, everybody comes together and breathes life into a story –
being there was such an adrenaline rush and really reminded me
of why I chose to do this for a living!”
The many (many) viewers and fans of Melissa DiMarco know that
she’s beautiful and talented. Those who actually know her
also know that she’s witty, altruistic, intelligent and
has a head for business. As the writer on her latest project,
the television series “Out There”, I’ve had
the opportunity to both watch and discuss some of the changes
that are sweeping through my busy friend’s life.
Melissa’s career expands far beyond her work in front of
the camera. For over five years she has been a story producer
and host on a variety of prime time specials, she has also hosted
and produced the entertainment segment ‘Nite Life’
on OMNI as a lead in to David letterman. During this stint she
gained an enviable reputation as a gregarious and insightful interviewer,
not only introducing ground breaking directors, actors and industry
people, but also attracting top stars, such as Tom Cruise, Michael
Douglas, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Bruce Willis and John Travolta.
When asked about the efforts involved in hosting and producing,
Melissa laughed “Sleep, who needs it?”
She also recently hosted and produced ‘Dreamseeker’;
a documentary profiling Winnipeg-native Nia Vardalos of ‘My
Big Fat Greek Wedding’ fame and her 20-year journey to stardom,
under her production shingle, DiMarco Entertainment. “I
had this idea that I felt would utilize all of my industry skills.
It’s a project that’s close to my heart, being about
someone who believed in herself enough to pursue a career faced
with a lot of challenges. Even the talented often fail in this
business”. The result was a great program now backed by
a solid distributor.
Melissa’s latest endeavor is the role of creator, producer
and star in her own half-hour television program, “Out There”,
which follows the trials and tribulations of a seasoned entertainment
broadcaster as she ‘gets her story’. A humorous peek
at the behind the scenes efforts involved in getting that movie
or rock star interview; this new show is sure to be compared to
the likes of The Larry Sanders Show or Curb Your Enthusiasm –
with a twist. “It’s actually different on numerous
levels” Melissa offered “Those other shows are entirely
scripted with fictional characters. Our show is based on real
experiences, real people”. The writing and story telling
is pulled from the humorous and astute experiences and observations
of Melissa and her experienced team, evolving around the interviews
and the variety of things that can (and have) occurred in this
crazy business of marketing show business.
The “Out There” cast and crew were hand picked by
Melissa herself. She fondly lists them off, with something to
say about each: “I’ve worked with Story Producer Adam
Pal for years, he has experience on both sides of the camera and
is really well-rounded. He has a comedic, unconventional approach
that really works. Ron Camilleri is the show’s Music Composer
and one of the best out there for TV and Film, and I love that
he comes from both the artistic and the business side of the music
world. Ellen Douglas, the show’s writer is not only a great
writer; she has a great overall sensibility about this business,
a good combo. Our fantastic Research Assistant, Shallima Maharaj,
brings to the mix a real knack for finding information like no
other. Keith “Kid Rock” Correa, a well-known Entertainment
Promoter in the Toronto area will be bringing a lot of great guest
elements to the mix; what can I say about Keith? He’s the
man! And Philip “Flip” Dixon, the Intern, well, he’s
this fun skateboarding teen with such a passion for filmmaking
– he’s great. I chose all of these people, basically
because they all get it, which makes everything really work”.
The show is also supported by numerous behind the scenes professionals,
family members and friends, many of whom will be making appearances. |
