Actress-Model Melissa Kurland is coming soon to a movie theater near you in two anticipated comedy adventures and a dark crime thriller.
The Eurasian natural beauty recently wrapped a pivotal role alongside Owen Wilson, Matt Rife, and Jolene Blalock in “Rolling Loud.” From writer-director Jeremy Garelick, the film centers around an overprotective father’s attempt to be a cool Dad by sneaking his young son into a wild hip-hop festival resulting in a chaotic escapade.
“I’ve been a big fan of comedian Matt Rife since I saw him do his incredibly genius, yet VERY ballsy crowd-work at a small venue in Los Angeles before he ‘blew up’. So, to be in one of his first big films with him as the lead, it really is such an honor,” shares Kurland.
The talented actress also pops up in the rowdy roadtrip movie “New Year’s Rev,” a Green Day inspired comedy from writer-director Lee Kirk. It follows three musician buddies driving cross-country in a van towards their big break: opening for Green Day on New Year’s Eve.
Additionally, Kurland is set to emerge in the indie drama “East of Western,” written and directed by Francis dela Torre and starring Dante Basco. The project is currently in post-production, but further details of this dark crime-thriller are being kept under wraps.
Raised in Connecticut and Virginia, Kurland first discovered her passion for performing when her parents enrolled her in the Hartford Children’s Theater. “I felt I was finally able to use my voice and express fully all of the colors of my personality,” explains Kurland. She went on to study at University of North Carolina at Greensboro before heading to New York to pursue her career professionally.
Carving out a similar path to many before her, Kurland started as a model first before transitioning into the acting arena. She was photographed by famed visual artist Marilyn Minter and featured in Allure Magazine as “The Face of the Future.” She hit the cover of the Philippines’ high-end fashion magazine “Spark” and landed a “Model Profile” feature interview in Zink Magazine. She has appeared in numerous global campaigns, including Coca-Cola, Bumble & Bumble and Levi’s.
Kurland eventually moved to Los Angeles, where she made her television debut in the popular HBO sports comedy series “Ballers.” She also appeared in Maxwell’s “Pretty Wings” music video which has over 92 million views.
Ever evolving, Kurland has become a multi-hyphenate creating her own projects. She teamed with director Kevin Foong to co-write, produce, and star as a vigilante against the black-market poaching industry in “The Evolution of Ilaria Frost.” Filmed in Paris, the project came together quickly, “I had a month’s notice that Kevin was available, so I am most proud of the speed in my ability to put all the production pieces together while based in Los Angeles. I also took several Krav Maga classes to be able to handle my own stunts in the project. It was a blast!”
Melissa Kurland is represented by manager Brenda Fisher at Untamed Artists LA and recently signed with agents Courtney Peldon at Aqua Talent (theatrical) and Shannon O’Dowd at Taylor Talent Services (commercial).
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