Melanie Chandra is an actress, producer, and storyteller drawn to bold, emotionally resonant work that challenges convention. She uses her platform—both in front of and behind the camera—to amplify underrepresented voices, especially those of women and the South Asian diaspora.
She’s best known for playing Dr. Malaya Pineda on CBS’s Code Black and for her starring role in Hot Mess Holiday, Comedy Central’s first buddy comedy led by two South Asian women, which she also executive produced alongside Surina Jindal and Kal Penn.
Melanie’s film and television credits span drama and comedy, network and streaming. She’s appeared on Grey’s Anatomy, New Amsterdam, Elsbeth, Law & Order: SVU, Parenthood, Rules of Engagement, Nashville, HBO’s The Brink, Netflix’s Brown Nation, and the Sundance-selected feature Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls.
Originally from Illinois, Melanie earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, where she also studied improvisational comedy. After a brief stint in corporate America, she left to pursue her childhood dream of acting - and hasn’t looked back since.
She was one of the first Indian American women to front a global cosmetics campaign as the face of Bare Escentuals’ “Be a Force of Beauty.” She’s also the co-founder of Hospital for Hope India, a non-profit that brings healthcare to underserved villages in rural Jharkhand.
Off-screen, Melanie holds a second-degree black belt in karate, is a trained pianist, and continues to find new ways to blend discipline, artistry, and advocacy in everything she does.
Photo Credit: Corey Hayes