| Biography 
One  of  Australia's  most  prolific  and  enduring  performers  and
  all-round  entertainer, Melissa Tkautz's career not only encompasses
  film and television acting, but also includes modelling as  well  as
  a  triumphant  singing  career.  In only 27 years, she has attracted
  the level of success that would take most others an entire  lifetime
  to  achieve.  Born  in  1974 in Sydney, Australia, Melissa began her
  career at the age of 3, featuring in  over  one  hundred  and  sixty
  television   commercials   over   five   years,  produced  for  both
  Australian and international  companies  which  include  Qantas  and
  Cadbury.  The  Austrian/Maltese  descended teenager made the natural
  progression to television drama, taking on roles  in  Richmond  Hill
  and  Home  and  Away  as  well as the acclaimed mini-series The Girl
  From Tomorrow. After graduating from the  Academy  of  Dramatic  and
  Social  Arts  in  1991, Melissa took on a starring role in E Street,
  becoming a household name overnight with her  appealing  performance
  as  Nikki  Spencer.  Following  her  success  on  Australian TV, the
  performer surprised the nation by signing  a  record  contract  with
  Phantom  Records.  Her  debut single 'Read My Lips' shot to number 1
  on the charts and attained platinum sales in a matter of weeks.  Her
  second  hit  single  'Sexy  Is The Word' reached gold sales, and the
  artist was showered with accolades including ARIA awards  for  'Most
  Popular  New  Talent'  and 'Most Popular Music Video' whilst touring
  the country throughout 1992. By  this  time  Melissa  had  become  a
  national   phenomenon,   gracing   the  covers  of  virtually  every
  newsstand magazine known including  Vogue,  Cosmopolitan,  TV  Week,
  Smash  Hits,  Dolly and TV Hits, in which she was voted the 'Hottest
  Woman on Earth'. Melissa returned  to  television  screens  in  1993
  with  a  starring  role  in the series Paradise Beach and Echo Point
  and in 1996 portrayed Bethany, a model who comes to terms  with  HIV
  infection  in  the  series  Pacific Drive. In the same year, Melissa
  appeared in various magazines including  the  highly  reputed  photo
  journal  Black  and  White,  and  featured  on  the  cover  of  both
  Australian Playboy and the premiere issue of  Ralph.  She  continued
  to  appear  in  magazines such as Australian Swimsuit and FHM before
  taking on her first feature role in the motion picture  'Game  Room'
  which  was completed in 1998. In 1999, Melissa was flown to Barbados
  by FHM UK for a photo shoot, and in that same year featured  in  the
  Australian  FHM  calendar as well as performing covergirl duties for
  the second anniversary issue  of  Ralph.  As  well,  Melissa  graced
  North  American  television  screens  in a guest role for the hit US
  series Beastmaster. The celebrity's dazzling looks  were  in  demand
  for  the  Myer  Intimacy  Apparel Parade in Melbourne as well as the
  Wella ADC  Mercedes  Australian  Fashion  Week  both  in  2001.  And
  recently,  Melissa  went  before the cameras for a guest role in the
  Channel  Seven  drama   'All   Saints'.   With   so   much   already
  accomplished,  Melissa  Tkautz  promises to excel in her established
  fields, and has proven time and again that she is nothing  short  of
  being equal to the task.
 Biography courtesy of the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).
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