---
name: "Melissa De Sousa"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/melissa-de-sousa"
fi1m_id: "melissa-de-sousa"
imdb_id: "nm0211726"
tmdb_id: 75696
wikidata_id: "Q529906"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "25 September 1967"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-10-05T02:14:26.283380+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Melissa De Sousa

## Identity

Melissa De Sousa

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/melissa-de-sousa
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** melissa-de-sousa
- **IMDb ID:** nm0211726
- **TMDB ID:** 75696
- **Wikidata ID:** Q529906
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_De_Sousa, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q529906, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0211726/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/75696

Actor. Born 25 September 1967 in New York City, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 25 September 1967, New York City, New York, USA
- **Also known as:** 멜리사 드 수사
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_De_Sousa, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q529906, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0211726/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/75696

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Miss Congeniality*](https://film.one/film/miss-congeniality.md) (70)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Melissa De Sousa is an American actress born in New York City on 25 September 1967. She trained as a ballet dancer at the High School of Performing Arts and began her career as a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company before moving into acting.

De Sousa made her feature film debut in *Ride* (1998). She received a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her role as Shelby in *The Best Man* (1999) and reprised the part in *The Best Man Holiday* (2013). In 2000 she appeared as Karen 'New York' in *Miss Congeniality*.

On television she has been a series regular in *Reed Between the Lines* (2011) and has recurred in *Black Lightning* (2018) as Chief Ana Lopez. Guest appearances include episodes of *Criminal Minds*, *Shameless*, *Castle*, *Elementary* and *ER*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Miss Congeniality* (2000), Fi1m 70, as Karen 'Rhode Island' — [page](https://film.one/film/miss-congeniality.md)

## Complete filmography (38)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Operation: Aunties* (2025), as Carol
- *The Best Man: The Final Chapters* (2022), series, as Shelby
- *Bel-Air* (2022), series, as Steph
- *On Becoming a God in Central Florida* (2019), series, as Mirta Herrera
- *Ladies of the Law* (2018), series, as Tina
- *Black Lightning* (2018), series, as Chief Ana Lopez
- *Supermodel* (2015), as Det. Lacey
- *Divas!* (2015), as Angie
- *Cru* (2014), as Michelle Hughes
- *The Best Man Holiday* (2013), as Shelby
- *Elementary* (2012), series, as Luz Horowitz
- *Reed Between the Lines* (2011), series, as Gabriella Jimenez
- *Single Ladies* (2011), series, as Austin Aguilera
- *Ashes* (2011), as Camille
- *Shameless* (2011), series, as Tina — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/tv/shameless-2011.md)
- *Castle* (2009), series, as Liz Penn — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/tv/castle.md)
- *A Good Man Is Hard to Find* (2008), as Monica
- *Bats: Human Harvest* (2007), as O'Neal
- *Constellation* (2007), as Lucy Boxer
- *The Ron Clark Story* (2006), as Marissa Vega
- *Saturday Night Life* (2006), as Darlene Maye
- *Ghost Whisperer* (2005), series, as Christine Nelson
- *Criminal Minds* (2005), series, as Adele McCord — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md)
- *Second Time Around* (2004), series, as Coco Herrera
- *Laurel Canyon* (2003), as Claudia
- *30 Years to Life* (2001), Actor
- *Miss Congeniality* (2000), as Karen 'Rhode Island' — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/miss-congeniality.md)
- *The $treet* (2000), series, as Donna Pasqua
- *Lockdown* (2000), as Krista
- *The Best Man* (1999), as Shelby
- *Grown Ups* (1999), series, as Donna Parris
- *Ride* (1998), as Leta
- *Damon* (1998), series, as Stacy Phillips
- *Moesha* (1996), series, as Jennifer
- *The Wayans Bros.* (1995), series, as Charmaine
- *ER* (1994), series, as Estella — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *Valley of the Dolls* (1994), series, as Neely O'Hara
- *Living Single* (1993), series, as Carmen, Lisa

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/melissa-de-sousa