Melvin Lima

Melvin Lima is a Cuban-American actor, writer and producer living in NYC. He was born and raised in Miami, Florida where he showed a talent for painting and acting from a young age. As a boy Melvin frequented plays in his elementary school. His first role was Joseph in a Christmas play. Melvin received a BFA in painting from Florida International University in 2005. In 2007 while working as a gallery assistant, he worked as an extra in a music video as a favor to some friends. He was mostly there for the free food. During the shoot he met director Fro Rojas. Rojas offered him his first role in the short film Inventing Kin playing the boyfriend to the lead. Although his only acting experience until then was in elementary school plays, Melvin embraced this exciting opportunity. From the first take in the first scene, it became clear to him that he had discovered a new, powerful and dynamic medium to immerse himself in. Melvin quickly became a regular face at independent film auditions in Miami, often securing lead roles. With some momentum built and experience under his belt he was picked up by a commercial agency. He began appearing in regional South Florida commercials (ITT Tech, Sedano's, Navarro) and after booking two national spots (VW, KFC) Melvin knew training was an essential part of turning this new passion into a lasting and meaningful career. In 2011 he moved to New York and began training at the William Esper studio. It was a blessing and an honor for him to be a student of Terry Knickerbocker who had trained one of his all-time favorite actors - Sam Rockwell. The two year commitment proved to be an incredible artistic journey of self-discovery, growth and discipline. In Summer of 2013 Melvin had his first big-screen appearance in the feature film Tio Papi, which was directed by long-time friend and collaborator Fro Rojas. The team also shot a short film sponsored by Bacardi and the Reel Miami Project titled Wynwood which will be released later this year.