Hailing from just outside of Champaign, Illinois, Melanie Paxson has been involved in the arts from a young age. After earning a Theater Performance degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, her travels took her to Chicago, where she trained at the famed Second City Training Center and performed with the Steppenwolf Theater Company. Eventually, she arrived in Los Angeles and landed the national commercial gig for Glad’s Voice of Reason campaign. You may recognize her from playing Joyce DeWitt in the TV movie, Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of ‘Three’s Company, Paxson also had a starring role on the NBC sitcom, Happy Family.
You can now see Melanie Paxson on ABC’s Notes from the Underbelly, a comedy series about how pregnancy affects the relationships of family and friends. At home, however, it’s her pets that are her babies. Paxson’s two dogs, Sophie and Owen, and cat, Jesse, keep her on her toes. “It’s not the pets that need to be trained,” explains Paxson, “it’s the owner that needs to be trained.”
“I’ve had Jesse since ’96, Sophie I got for Christmas three years ago when my husband and I were at the Grove. We just
saw a movie, I was starving and we were going to La Piazza, and I couldn’t wait. My husband said, ‘I just want to do one thing,’ and he handed me a picture of Sophie saying, ‘I’m waiting for you, come pick me up at the airport.’”
Although Paxson has been married to her husband, Andy, for over four years, she wholeheartedly believes in puppy love. “I think that women in L.A. and bigger cities who are waiting to have children are getting little dogs and falling madly in love with them.” As a result of her puppy love, Paxson’s pets never cease to amuse her. Owen even does handstands to pee!
Melanie Paxson is an advocate for World Vision, a charity that is helping children all over the world. It is a Christian relief organization that wishes to help communities worldwide to reach their full potential. She is also involved with Operation Smile, an organization that helps to correct facial deformities for children in need. Operation Smile also advocates for sustainable healthcare for children and families.
For more information visit: operationsmile.org.
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