Melissa Bonne
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4254441/
An accomplished actress and filmmaker Zimbabwe-born Melissa Bonne began her career as a theatre actress. The multi-talented Bonne performed in stage productions including Alan Ball's Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, Richard Stockwell's Killing Time and Theresa Rebeck's Mauritius.
Starring in numerous Australian TV series, Bonne’s first television role was Jazmyn in one episode titled 'Wild' of Network 10's comedy-drama series Wonderland in 2015.
From there, she portrayed the role Keisha Gibson in ABC's mystery crime drama series Janet King. In 2017, she appeared as Donna Fields in the long-running drama TV series Home and Away.
Following this, Bonne made a guest appearance in the ABC mystery TV series Harrow, portraying the role of Jo in the episode titled 'Lex Talionis.'
Additional television credits include her breakout role as Ana Dumont in ABC TV series, Reef Break in 2019. She also played Zoe Mendosa on ABC medical drama TV mini-series Pulse, inspired by a true story of a transplant patient who went on to become a doctor
Bonne also made an appearance in feature film Back of the Net. In 2022, she appeared as Cynthia in Netflix's eight part thriller series Pieces of Her, adapted from Karin Slaughter's 2018 novel of the same name.
The gifted stage actress debuted her career as a filmmaker with the 2011 animated short comedy film iBerry. She produced, directed, and acted in iBerry. She also served as an animator, and sound editor and provided digital effects for the short film. It tells the story of the unlikely romance between Eye Fone and Bee Berry, two phones very different to each other who must do everything they can to keep in contact.
In 2022, she wrote, produced, and directed the short film Project Ryan followed by the short film Guardian Elf in 2013. Additionally, she wrote the 2014 short film The Evil Within.
Bonne also taught The Meisner Technique at The Actor's Pulse in Sydney from age 22.
“Being a working actor will take more than just an acting course, a great acting teacher, or a great role in a big production. It’ll take more than you realise when you first decide to give this dream of yours a chance. And while there are great schools and teachers out there, very rarely will you find a place that not only teaches you the craft at a deep and meaningful level, but also prepares you for what will become a life of work, discipline, resilience, and most of all, play. Billy has built a school that is based on finding the truth; the truth of your characters, the truth of you, the truth of what you can, and are willing to give. But it is also a school that will excite you and inspire you even when the work is hard. And the work will get very, very hard. You want a school like this when you choose a career as an actor, because a school like this will get you working. It will get you moving and keep you moving forward.” - Melissa Bonne
“Mel became my adopted child early on. Not only did I guide her and train her with acting I also focused, as I do with all my students, on ways to better your life. The art of happiness and infecting those around you is highest on my list. Mel has both. Mel’s talent and skill is truly up there and she is constantly improving. Her ability and commitment to affect others is the very gift that makes Mel so respected from those that get to work with and along side her. Mel is a hard working talented and skillful actor and teacher.”
Billy Milionis