From a young age Melissa Coles had dreams of being an actress on the Broadway Stage and the Silver Screen. But unlike other kids who are bursting with childhood dreams, only to see them die a slow disappointing death, she had the tenacity to work to achieve these dreams. She studied drama, became verse in literature and conquered the theater stage at her high school.

However, as life often does, it unleashed storms upon Melissa that blindsided her, which left her beat down and broken. Though she fought valiantly to keep the dream alive, it was eventually replaced with life's realities. That flame that burned so bright in Melissa's heart was unceremoniously extinguished.

Eventually Melissa had a child young, whom she placed for adoption to a good Christian home. Years later she was reunited with her birth son and a documentary about this part of her life called, "I Lived on Parker Avenue," was produced. This led to Alex and Stephen Kendrick along with Kirk Cameron producing the feature film about these events called, "Lifemark," in which Melissa made a couple of appearances. Being on set of Lifemark relit a fire in Melissa, she thought was just a smoldering dream long forgotten.

Melissa is a beautiful woman on the in and the outside, with a take no prisoner's attitude. She's a rough and tough real life Rocky Balboa, who has fought her way into the film industry. The word "NO" is not a word she uses or acknowledges but is instead fuel for the insatiable fire that is burning inside her. Melissa grew up a tomboy, who did the kind of things most often associated with a boy's world. To this day, she shoots guns and throws knifes with great proficiency, blazes across trails on four wheelers at harrowing speeds and heavy terrain. She shoots arrows with pinpoint accuracy and is taking weapons training, kickboxing and stage combat training. She loves anything that triggers that adrenaline rush, such as jumping out of airplanes, or doing her own stunts.

Melissa loves telling stories and doesn't want to be stereotyped as any one character. She can play the grieving mother, a street wise detective, the dark and brooding villain, the tough and rugged take no prisoners woman (Marion Ravenwood of Indiana Jones comes to mind), but first and foremost on Melissa's "want to play list" is a bad girl. That's right, she wants to play a deranged woman (Kathy Bates in Misery comes to mind)!

Melissa hopes to use her acting to help people escape the reality of the world in which we live. She wants to display her sarcastic humor and be a role model for girls just like her, sitting in their bedrooms with nothing but a dream and the fire to make them happen. Melissa is an encourager who loves her family, her friends, her fur-babies, her Jeep and above all else, loves the Lord.

When I think of Melissa Coles, I am reminded of the great quote from Rocky Balboa, "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward." That is Melissa Coles, and I am Proud to know her.

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