Melina Kanakaredes
Melina Constantinides, born Melina Eleni Kanakaredes and professionally known as Melina Kanakaredes (born April 23, 1967) is a Greek-American actress best known for her starring role as Dr. Sydney Hansen on the television show Providence. She currently stars in the CBS show CSI:NY, opposite Gary Sinise.
Kanakaredes was born in Akron, Ohio to a Greek American family. She is a second-generation Greek and is fluent in the Greek language. Her family owns and runs a candy store in Akron called "Temo's Candy Company," and she and her husband own a Greek restaurant in the Columbus, Ohio, suburb of Powell, Ohio.
She graduated from Firestone High School in Akron and attended the Ohio State University, where she competed in synchronized swimming and was first runner-up in the Miss Ohio pageant. She transferred to Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater.
She married Peter Constantinides, a chef and restaurateur on September 6, 1992 and has two daughters, Zoe (b. May 23, 2000) and Karina Eleni (b. January 25, 2003).
Her other television roles include: NYPD Blue as Benita Alden (1995), and Guiding Light as Eleni Andros Cooper (1991- 1995).
She was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards for her role on Guiding Light.
She had guest roles in Northern Exposure, Due South, Oz and The Practice. She was considered for the lead role in My Big Fat Greek Wedding but had to turn it down due to pregnancy.
Trivia
- While most of the CSI: NY cast is from New York, Kanakaredes is one of three exceptions. The others are Gary Sinise (born in Illinois) and Anna Belknap (born in Maine).
External links
- IMDB entry
- Profile from "Women in Akron History"
