Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Gomez.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Everything I love can be traced back to the first memories I have with my mom in our living room as early as four years old. She was an incredibly gifted seamstress and together, we drew inspiration for her latest masterpieces by watching as many movies and pop star concerts we could consume. The desire to style and creative direct these living room performances were magnified by the purchase of a shiny new VHS video camera recorder in the late 80s. Weekends were spent accessorizing trendy looks and taking them for spirited spins in front of the tripod-mounted recorder with other friends & sometimes just the two of us. It wasn’t long before I began to daydream about being one of those kids I would see on tv variety shows, happily singing, dancing and performing and looking fabulous while doing it.
These experiences laid the fruitful foundation that would eventually blossom a successful ten years career as a full-time, high-end makeup and hair artist, a career as a signed professional Actor, and a skilled MC/Host for dozens of prestigious festivals & events throughout the city of Houston, TX where I was born and raised.
In the last year, I also started a Youtube Channel called Becoming an Actor where I’m quickly becoming proficient in the art of vlogging. The sum of which is all turning into a lifestyle blog being currently in the works!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve been extremely fortunate in that my makeup and MC career was practically served on a silver platter and placed right in my lap. My acting career on the other hand was slow in coming but only because of my own self-doubt and limiting beliefs. However, once I decided to go for it, it also came really easy. But don’t get me wrong, it is true what they say: nothing comes easy without hard work. I may have had the doors easily opened but walking through them and having the power to stay in the room has not been possible without A TON of work ethic, discipline, and MUCH sacrifice.
The current obstacle is transitioning all of the years of hard work and success I built in the state of Texas into the market of Atlanta, but I am overjoyed to be able to call Atlanta my new home and get started on the new adventure! The next couple of goals includes finding representation here in ATL as an actor & building a client base as a freshly solo, freelancing makeup and hair artist in this promising city. My makeup and hair client base was in Texas with Kiss and Makeup Houston (KMH), a company I co-founded and went on to work for as a Lead Senior Artist among a team that grew to 13 artists over the last 9 and a half years. I hope to continue to provide the same level of expertise and customer service to my new clients in Atlanta that made me a sought-after bridal, pageant, and all occasions glam artist at KMH. I’ve even exploring the possibility of getting signed to an agent for makeup and hair and try to break into tv and film! I also hope to tap into the festival market and attempt to network and find MC work on stages throughout Atlanta. I’m excited about all the possibilities!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Melissa Makeup and Hair Atlanta: I am highly skilled in the art of makeup and hair application having worked with many high-end clients such as numerous titleholders from Miss Universe & Miss USA organizations. I’ve worked with companies such as Francesca’s, Pepsi, and Nike to name a few. I’ve traveled all over both the country & world for clients to places like Nashville, Arizona, Alabama, New York, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Guatemala and even Paris, France! As impressive and exciting as this may sound, what I’m most proud of is my work with my brides. Every weekend you can find me painting beautiful brides and their fun bridal party. I think what sets me apart as an artist is not only my unique experiences but the fact that I am a true empath. It doesn’t matter who is sitting in my chair, what I most care about most is how that person feels after they get up and look in the mirror. My deepest joy comes from nailing whatever look my client desires to achieve and making sure they feel their absolute best for any occasion.
Acting: I have been patiently and quietly studying acting slow and steady my entire life. My initial exposure to theater came in my sophomore year Drama 101 class in high school. Through the encouragement of our theater teacher, Mrs. Lamascus, we all tried out for the play and I went on to book a principle role. Yente the matchmaker in Fiddler on the Roof was my first role as an actor and it was exhilarating! The next year I booked the role of Anita in West Side Story and by my senior year, I was cast as the lead character of Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. The acting bug bit me and it bit me hard! After graduating, I went on to miss what felt like my calling to continue pursuing acting in college. That didn’t stop me from regularly checking out any and all theater and acting-related books from my local library and reading and re-reading them profusely. Eventually, I would save my money from whatever part-time job I had at the time in my 20s and would spend 2-6 weeks at a time visiting the place I thought would make all my acting dreams come true, New York City! I have studied at the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts where I went through two weeks of intensive and then years later — after another round of saving my part-time money– I came back for a month and studied Meisner Technique at James Franco’s newly opened but short-lived, Studio 4. It wasn’t until 2018 when I finally garnered the courage to start auditioning that I booked my first professional acting job. I’ve been consistently booking since.
I eventually signed to Pastorini Bosby Talent Agency in 2020. The entirety of my acting resume is made up of commercial and industrial work. (Although, I did recently audition for my first feature film with a prolific director and I’m pinned for the part!) I’ve been cast as a lead in commercials for companies like Frito Lays, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Sprouts, Dell, & Carl’s Jr to name a few. I am most proud of my will and determination to not give up on the dream that was planted in me so long ago. I think that’s what sets me apart from others. It’s my stamina and determination to never give up, the commitment to continue to grow and learn, my insatiable thirst for collecting tools in my actor’s toolbox. It’s the knowing that when the right roles come to me, I will be ready for them because I’ve done and am doing the work. I plan to submit for representation in Atlanta at the beginning of 2023 and look forward to exploring the world of tv and film here.
MC/HOST: My onstage experiences as a Host and MC have brought me nothing but good times for the last 12 years. I’m known for my bold looks, high energy and quick wit on the mic. Beyond my radio-esque voice (I’m always asked what station I’m on when I host an event.) that is pleasant to most ears (my voice gets lots of compliments!), I think my success can be attributed to my attention to detail. First, my makeup and hair skills help me create a pleasant visual experience on theme for any event I’m booked. Second, my experience with acting and the many classes I’ve taken such as improv and voice classes keep me extra sharp on the mic. Add to that those empath tendencies I mentioned before, the ones that help me really care about both the audience and onstage performers’ experience and it’s a recipe for a really good time for all! I’ve worked with companies such as Redbull, AT&T, Discovery Green, the Houston Chronicle, House of Blues, and the Houston Museum of Fine Arts to name a few. Of course, I am very much still the MC for the DJ Collective Bombon-Texas where I got my start in 2010. In 2018, November 3rd was proclaimed to be the Official Bombon-Texas Day in the city of Houston.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I think the best advice I can offer is: build it and they will come. Build up your skill set, whatever it is. Invest in yourself and in honing said skills and the right community will find you. For me, it’s looked like consistent acting classes, and continued education with makeup and hair in the form of workshops in person and online. Social media is a powerful tool when utilized correctly. You can find people with your same interests on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, Discord, Clubhouse, etc. You’ll find the tribe that resonates with your vibe. When you find it invest in it! Be open to purchasing whatever program they might be offering. There are so many trustworthy, well-equipped people online, capitalizing on the ability to sell you access to their information via workshops, apps, exclusive memberships, modules, online or in-person communities and so much more. We are not limited by proximity anymore, you can connect with anyone you admire from anywhere in the world.. Do your due diligence by doing the research and pull the trigger when it feels right.
I’m personally enrolled in several myself. I have a membership with The Actor’s Growth Lab run by Kurt Yue who is an incredible working actor in Atlanta. I found him on YouTube! I went to one of his $30 workshops he promoted on his YouTube channel almost two years ago. That workshop led me to his former acting school in Ohio, The Houde School of Acting, where he got his introduction to Acting. I’ve been regularly taking classes at Houde for almost 18 months now! Those initial 30 bucks have COMPLETELY changed my life. Kurt was one of the main people who made me grow comfortable with the idea of moving to Atlanta to pursue acting in a bigger market and through his new platform The Actor’s Growth Lab I have had access to weekly zoom calls with top professionals in the acting industry. It’s all so mind-blowing when you think about it!
I also joined The Creator’s Club another online membership meant to help navigate content creation started by Jade Beason who I also found on Youtube. She is based in the UK. I literally get top insight to algorithms and analytics by someone in London and I don’t leave my house for it.
I also just recently decided I want to finally start a blog and after months of eyeing different programs, I found the perfect one for me called The Blogger’s Bootcamp by Christina Galbato. I actually don’t even know where she’s based out of but it doesn’t matter because I have access to her expertise and attention via the modules in the program and the private Facebook group for life! The list goes on… same with Yoga Teacher Training, I found an online program and am set to graduate with 200YTT really soon. All of this incredible information and all of this mentorship and guidance all from the remote comfort of my home and computer. Of course, some of these online experiences can eventually be made into IRL experiences and many have and still will for me but don’t hesitate to start where you can. Zoom life is a great place to start! But in general, find people who are doing what you want to do and connect any way you can!
Pricing:
- Hosting/MC $150 an Hour
- Makeup Only $150 (does not include additional fees)
- Hair Only (Dry Styling only) $150 (does not include additional fees)
- Makeup and Hair $300 (does not include additional fees)
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/melissaleegomez?utm_medium=copy_link
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaGomezActor
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/melissaleegomez
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCZLYhGQh77GG7yZ6ANo-NAQ
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@melissaleegomez?_t=8VP0aFOScik&_r=1
- Other: Makeup and Hair Instagram https://instagram.com/melissamakeupandhair?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Image Credits
Claire McAdams Photography Marco From Houston Kiss and Makeup Houston
