Melissa Ann Francis (born December 12, 1972) is an American television news personality who most recently appeared as an anchor and commentator for the
Fox Business Network
Fox Business (officially known as Fox Business Network, or FBN) is an American business news channel and website publication owned by the Fox News Media division of Fox Corporation. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios at 1211 Avenu ...
(FBN) and
Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is o ...
(FNC). Previously, she worked as an actress.
Prior to FBN, she worked at
CNBC
CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk s ...
. She had been the co-host of ''After The Bell'' weekday afternoons with Connell MacShane. She also was most recently an anchor on FNC's ''
Happening Now
''Happening Now'' was an American news- talk television program that aired on Fox News Channel from November 5, 2007 to June 8, 2018. It was hosted by Fox News anchor Jon Scott for its entire run, with the co-anchors being Jane Skinner and Jenna ...
'' newscast. She most recently had been a regular panelist on FNC's afternoon talk show ''
Outnumbered''. However, in late October 2020, it was reported that she had been pushed out of Fox. Although there was not a formal announcement to that effect, all signs point to her having departed Fox, likely not on her terms.
Education
Born and raised in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
, Francis graduated from
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...
in 1995 with a
Bachelor of Arts
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 yea ...
degree in economics.
Career
Acting
Francis started her acting career on television by appearing in a
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company i ...
shampoo commercial at 6 months old. She was known for her role as Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on ''
Little House on the Prairie
The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books is a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adolescence in the American Midwest (Wisconsin, Kansas, ...
'', for two seasons. Other television appearances include two series regular roles: ''Morningstar/Eveningstar'' and ''Joe’s World'', and three films including ''
Man, Woman and Child
''Man, Woman and Child'' is a novel by Erich Segal. It details the lives of Robert and Sheila Beckwith and their daughters Jessica and Paula.
Synopsis
Robert is contacted one day by a friend in France, who tells him that Nicole, a woman with ...
'', where she played Paula Beckwith. She has also had appearances in the television series ''
St. Elsewhere
''St. Elsewhere'' was an American medical drama television series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series stars Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, and William Daniels ...
'' in 1986 and the 1988 film ''
Bad Dreams'', where she played young Cynthia. Melissa appeared in nearly 100 commercials during her acting career. She is reportedly the inspiration for the fictional character Avery Jessup (conceived of and played by
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks (born Elizabeth Irene Mitchell; February 10, 1974) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is known for playing Effie Trinket in ''The Hunger Games'' film series (2012–2015) and Gail Abernathy-McKadden in the ''Pitch Perf ...
) in the show ''
30 Rock
''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', tak ...
'', although Banks herself has denied this.
Journalism
Francis has worked as a reporter for
CNBC
CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk s ...
and
CNET
''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...
.
In January 2012, Francis became an
anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek � ...
for
Fox Business Network
Fox Business (officially known as Fox Business Network, or FBN) is an American business news channel and website publication owned by the Fox News Media division of Fox Corporation. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios at 1211 Avenu ...
.
In 2014, Francis became a recurring co-host of Fox News Channel's talk and news commentary program, ''
Outnumbered''. She also anchored FNC's ''
Happening Now
''Happening Now'' was an American news- talk television program that aired on Fox News Channel from November 5, 2007 to June 8, 2018. It was hosted by Fox News anchor Jon Scott for its entire run, with the co-anchors being Jane Skinner and Jenna ...
'' newscast.
Departure from Fox
In late October 2020, it was reported that Francis had been pushed out at Fox. She had not been seen on the network since early in the month. Her contract had expired about a year earlier and had not been renewed.
The only communication on the issue from Francis herself came in a tweet, where she thanked her followers for their support. However, her profile on Twitter soon dropped any reference to Fox as well.
In late 2020, Francis filed a pay discrimination action against Fox. Francis claimed that Fox News underpaid her compared to her male colleagues, and she initiated legal claims against Fox. Fox and Francis reached a settlement in June 2022 whereby Fox paid Francis $15 million.
Writer
Francis authored a book in November 2012, ''Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter: A Memoir'', concerning the trials, tribulations and joys of having an overbearing mother; and in April 2017, published ''Lessons from the Prairie'', relating childhood experiences from the show as applied to her adult life.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
Fox Business bio*
Melissa Francis: Lessons From The Prairie*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Melissa
1972 births
Living people
American child actresses
American television actresses
Actresses from Los Angeles
Harvard College alumni
American women journalists
CNBC people
20th-century American actresses
Fox News people
Fox Business people