Melina Matthews is a Spanish actress and presenter, known as a presenter for the
Sitges Film Festival (Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya), and for her acting roles as Ana in the 2018 film ''Silencio,'' as Juana in season 2 of ''
La peste (The plague)'' 2019, as new teacher Carmen in season 2 of ''
La otra mirada
''A Different View'' ( es, La otra mirada, links=no) is a Spanish drama television series created by Josep Cister and Jaime Vaca. Starring Macarena García, Patricia López Arnaiz, Ana Wagener and Cecilia Freire among others, the show is set in 1 ...
(A different view)'' also 2019, and as
Sister Shannon Masters in ''
Warrior Nun'' in 2020.
Early life
Melina Matthews was born in 1986,
in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
; she is the daughter of a Welsh father and a French mother,
who were both interpreter/translators.
At the age of 19, Matthews moved to London to study for a
BA Hons
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree in
Investigative Journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years rese ...
at the
University of Westminster
, mottoeng = The Lord is our Strength
, type = Public
, established = 1838: Royal Polytechnic Institution 1891: Polytechnic-Regent Street 1970: Polytechnic of Central London 1992: University of Westminster
, endowment = £5.1 million ...
, graduating in 2009.
During her time as a student in London, Matthews studied theatre at the
Central School of Speech and Drama
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a ...
working at
The Old Vic
The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit organization, not-for-profit producing house, producing theatre in Waterloo, London, Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Th ...
theatre and at the
Southbank Centre
Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames (between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge).
It comprises three main performance venues (the Royal Festival Hall including the Nat ...
, with hopes of pursuing an acting career.
Her initial involvement in theatre, was as an accent trainer and dialogue coach, helping American actors to polish their English and Spanish accents.
Acting career
Matthews debut appearance on the big screen was as Laura Moffat in the movie ''
Savage Grace
''Savage Grace'' is a 2007 drama film directed by Tom Kalin and written by Howard A. Rodman, based on the book ''Savage Grace'' by Natalie Robins and Steven M.L. Aronson. The story is based on the highly dysfunctional relationship between heiress ...
'' 2007, opposite
Julianne Moore
Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is particularly known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, a ...
and
Eddie Redmayne
Edward John David Redmayne (; born 6 January 1982) is an English actor. Known for his roles in biopics and blockbusters, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Olivier Awards.
He ...
.
In 2013. Matthews played the voice of 'Mama' in the
Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and actor. He directed the Academy Award–winning fantasy films ''Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006) and ''The Shape of Water'' (2017), winning the Academy Awards for Be ...
produced horror film ''
Mama
Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to:
Roles
*Mother, a female parent
* Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority
*Mamas, a name for female associates of the Hells Angels
Places
*Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlement ...
.''
In 2016, Matthews landed a role as Sofía Marín alongside
Jodie Comer
Jodie Marie Comer ( ; born 11 March 1993) is an English actress who rose to global prominence for her role as Oksana Astankova / Villanelle in the BBC America spy thriller '' Killing Eve'' (2018–2022).
She has received various accolades in ...
in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
''.
as lovers in the movie ''El Jugador De Ajedrez'' (The Chess player), which featured at the
2017.
Matthews played the lead actress role as 'Ana' in the Mexico-based 2018 film ''Silencio''.
.
(A different view) '' in 2019.
'' in 2020. ''
(Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya), which is a Spanish film festival specialising in fantasy and horror films.
In 2017, Matthews was reported to be in a relationship with Spanish film actor and director
whom she purportedly met while filming ''El Negociador (The Negotiator)'' in 2014.