Melissa Johns

Melissa Johns

Melissa Johns is a disabled actor and writer working in film, television and theatre. Born without her right arm, Melissa’s successful career and elevated profile has provided her with a platform to advocate improving inclusion and employment of deaf, disabled and neurodivergent talent.

Melissa attended East 15 Acting School, where she was one of the first disabled actors to win a Laurence Olivier Bursary, given to the best emerging actors. She is perhaps best known for her role as Miss Scott in ITV’s Grantchester and Hannah Taylor in Mike Bartlett drama Life (BBC One), but her breakthrough roles were as Imogen Pascoe in Coronation Street (ITV) and Sadie Moore in thriller The Interceptor (BBC). She has just returned from her first US job, playing the lead in The Cockroach.

In 2022, she made her West End debut in Donmar Warehouse’s Henry V alongside Kit Harrington.

That same year, her one woman show SNATCHED (written and performed by Melissa) finished a sell-out UK tour, receiving five-star reviews and national press. The show is currently being developed for television with Kudos. As a writer, she has a further three shows in development.

Melissa is the co-founder of BAFTA-winning organisation TripleC, which also created DANC (Disabled Actors Networking Community), and is an ambassador for the Reach Charity, Models of Diversity and InvisiYouth Charity. She was featured in the Shaw Trust’s Disability Power 100 List; was shortlisted for the Positive Role Model category at the National Diversity Awards; and was named in JCI’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World list.

Melissa is represented by Niki Winterson at Wintersons.

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Talent Agent: UK
Wintersons
nikiwinterson.com
+44 020 7836 7849
Niki Winterson- [email protected]