Melissa Reeves
Melissa Reeves | |
|---|---|
 Reeves in 2010 | |
| Born | Melissa Brennan March 14, 1967 Eatontown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Melissa Reeves (née Brennan; born March 14, 1967)[1] is an American actress. She is known for playing Jennifer Horton on the NBC Daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives (1985–1995, 2000–2006, 2010–2022). She has been nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards for her work on Days of Our Lives. She has also won four Soap Opera Digest Awards.
Early life
[edit]Reeves was born in Eatontown, New Jersey and raised in Red Bank.[2][3] Her maiden name is Melissa Brennan.[3] Her father was a Disc jockey for a radio station in Asbury Park, where he met musicians like Bruce Springsteen.[4] She has one sibling, a brother.[1]
At the age of thirteen, she started taking the bus and train to New York to attend dance classes, studying with Phil Black. Reeves wanted to become a dancer on Broadway.[2][1] She also studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Manhattan.[5]
Career
[edit]In the early 1980s, Reeves (then known as Melissa Brennan) began acting in television commercials to help pay for her dance classes. She worked as an extra on the NBC soap opera Another World.[2] She appeared in the afterschool special The Lakeside High Experiment.[1] She also appeared in the film Somewhere, Tomorrow (1983), co-starring with Sarah Jessica Parker.[6]
Reeves moved to Los Angeles in 1984, when she was cast as Jade Perkins on the NBC soap opera Santa Barbara. She was seventeen years old at the time. She became emancipated from her parents and finished high school with a GED.[2] Reeves was dismissed from her role on Santa Barbara after nine months. The character of Jade went out on a date and was never seen again.[7] Reeves received two Young Artist Award nominations for her work on Santa Barbara.[8][9]
In 1985, she guest starred on Hotel and Highway to Heaven.[7] A month after leaving Santa Barbara, Reeves was cast as Jennifer Horton on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives. She auditioned with Michael T. Weiss, who played Mike Horton.[2] The role had previously been played by child actress Jennifer Peterson in 1978.[10] Reeves received two Young Artist Award nominations for her work on Days of Our Lives.[11][12]
Reeves played Heather in the thriller film Summer Camp Nightmare (1987).[13] She guest starred on The Hitchhiker.[1]
During her early years on Days of Our Lives, Reeves was involved in teen storylines. In 1990, the character of Jennifer was given an adult storyline when she was paired romantically with Jack Deveraux (Matthew Ashford).[10] In 1991, Reeves and Ashford won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Super Couple: Daytime.[14] In 1992, they won Soap Opera Digest Awards for Best Love Story and Best Wedding.[15] In 1992, Reeves was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series.[16]
Reeves played Jennifer Horton Deveraux in the Days of Our Lives television film One Stormy Night (1992).[17] She also played Jennifer in the Days of Our Lives television film, Night Sins (1993).[18] In 1994, she won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Hottest Female Star.[19] She played Jennifer in the Days of Our Lives television film Winter Heat (1994).[20]
Reeves abruptly left Days during the show's thirtieth anniversary season in 1995, and Corday Productions and Sony TV Entertainment sued her for breach of contract. The matter was settled out of court with Reeves paying an unspecified sum, which Days Executive Producer Ken Corday donated to pediatric AIDS research. The role of Jennifer had quickly been recast with actress Stephanie Cameron, who remained on the show until 1998.
In 1999, Melissa and Scott Reeves starred in the made-for-TV movie Half a Dozen Babies.
In 2000, Reeves returned to Days of Our Lives in the role of Jennifer Horton. After leaving the show for the second time in 2006, she and her family moved to Tennessee.[21]
Reeves returned to Days of Our Lives on June 9, 2010, for a one-month guest stint and subsequently became a regular cast member again in November of that year. On September 15, 2020, it was announced that Reeves had opted not to return to the role when filming began again after a hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role would be recast. This followed criticism she received from some fans, as well as her co-star Linsey Godfrey, for 'liking' social media posts by conservative commentator Candace Owens which denounced the Black Lives Matter movement.[22] Reeves had previously drawn criticism in 2012 for expressing support for fast-food chain Chick-fil-A during a controversy over its Chief Operating Officer declaring the chain's stance against same-sex marriage.[23]
Personal life
[edit]Since March 1990, she has been married to actor and country music singer Scott Reeves. They have a daughter, born in 1992, and a son, born in 1997.[1]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Somewhere, Tomorrow | Georgina | |
| 1987 | Summer Camp Nightmare | Heather | |
| 1992 | Days of our Lives: One Stormy Night | Jennifer Horton | Television film |
| 1993 | Days of our Lives: Night Sins | Jennifer Horton | Television film |
| 1994 | Days of our Lives: Winter Heat | Jennifer Horton | Television film |
| 1999 | Half a Dozen Babies | Becki Dilley | Television film |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-1985 | Santa Barbara | Jade Perkins | Contract role Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Daytime or Nighttime Television Series (1985-1986) |
| 1985–1995, 2000–2006, 2010–2020 Guest: 2021-2022 |
Days of Our Lives | Jennifer Horton | Contract role Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Daytime Super Couple (shared with Matthew Ashford) Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Daytime Wedding (shared with Matthew Ashford) Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Primetime or Daytime Love Story (shared with Matthew Ashford) Soap Opera Digest Award for Hottest Female Star Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series Nominated — Young Artist Award for Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor in a Daytime Series Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Drama Series
|
| 1987 | The Hitchhiker | Denise O'Mell | Episode: "Homebodies" |
Awards and nominations
[edit]- 1992: Nominated, "Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series" - Days of Our Lives
- 2016: Nominated, "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" - Days of Our Lives
- 1991: Won, "Outstanding Daytime Super Couple" - Days of Our Lives (shared w/Matthew Ashford)
- 1992: Won, "Best Daytime Wedding" - Days of Our Lives (shared w/Matthew Ashford)
- 1992: Won, "Best Prime time or Daytime Love Story" - Days of Our Lives (shared w/Matthew Ashford)
- 1994: Won, "Hottest Female Star" - Days of Our Lives
- 1985: Nominated, "Best Young Actress in a Daytime or Nighttime Television Series" - Santa Barbara
- 1986: Nominated, "Best Young Actress in a Daytime or Nighttime Television Series" - Santa Barbara
- 1987: Nominated, "Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor in a Daytime Series" - Days of Our Lives
- 1988: Nominated, "Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Drama Series" - Days of Our Lives
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "About the Actors: Melissa Reeves". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 2, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Jacobs, Damon L. (January 18, 2011). "Melissa Reeves: The We Love Soaps TV Interview, Part One". welovesoaps.net. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "Credits: Melissa Reeves". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ Byron, Ellen (June 25, 1991). "Golden Girl". Soap Opera Digest. 16 (13): 6–10.
- ^ Rout, Nancy E.; Buckley, Ellen (1992). The Soap Opera Book: Who's Who in Daytime Drama. Todd Publications. p. 225. ISBN 978-0-915344-23-9.
- ^ "Somewhere Tomorrow - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "#TBT - Melissa Reeves". Soap Opera Digest. October 31, 2019. Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "Sixth Annual Youth in Film Awards 1983-1984". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
- ^ "Seventh Annual Youth in Film Awards 1984-1985". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
- ^ a b "Who's Who in Salem: Jennifer Horton Deveraux". Soap Central. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "Eighth Annual Youth in Film Awards 1985-1986". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on May 24, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ "Ninth Annual Youth in Film Awards 1986-1987". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
- ^ "Summer Camp Nightmare - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "The Soap Opera Digest Awards 1991". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 9, 2004. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ "The Soap Opera Digest Awards 1992". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 9, 2004. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "The Nineteenth Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (1992)". Soap Central. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ Slate, Libby (January 10, 1992). "For Soap Awards, a Nighttime 'Days' : Television: The special 'Days of Our Lives' episode will precede the first prime-time Soap Opera Digest Awards broadcast". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Days of Our Lives: Night Sins". tcm.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "The Soap Opera Digest Awards 1994". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 9, 2004. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "Days of Our Lives: Winter Heat". tcm.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Dan J. "Reeves Trading Salem for Nashville". Soapcentral. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (2020-09-15). "Days of Our Lives' Melissa Reeves Out, All My Children Vet Cady McClain In as Jennifer — But for How Long?". TVLine. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
- ^ Giddens, Jamey. "Days of Our Lives Star Melissa Reeves Tweeted Support During Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day". Daytime Confidential. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
External links
[edit]
