Melissa Francis
Melissa Francis | |
|---|---|
 Melissa Francis at the Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps premiere in 2010 | |
| Born | Melissa Ann Francis[1] December 12, 1972 |
| Other names | Missy Francis |
| Education | Harvard University (B.A.) |
| Occupation | News anchor Actress |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Spouse(s) | Wray Thorn (1997–present) |
| Children | 3 |
Melissa Ann Francis (born December 12, 1972) is an American actress and commentator for the Fox Business Network (FBN) and Fox News (FNC).
Prior to FBN, she worked at CNBC. She is currently the co-host of After The Bell weekday afternoons with Connell MacShane. She is also an anchor of FNC's Happening Now newscast. She is a regular panelist on FNC's afternoon talk show Outnumbered.
Contents
Education[edit]
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Francis graduated from Harvard University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics.[citation needed][2]
Career[edit]
Acting[edit]
Francis started her acting career on television by appearing in a Johnson & Johnson shampoo commercial at 6 months old. She was known for her role as Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie, for two seasons.[3][4] Other television appearances include two series regular roles: Morningstar/Eveningstar and Joe’s World, and three films including Man, Woman and Child, where she played Paula Beckwith. She has also had appearances in the television series St. Elsewhere in 1986 and the 1988 film Bad Dreams, where she played young Cynthia. Melissa appeared in nearly 100 commercials during her acting career. She is reportedly the inspiration for the fictional character Avery Jessup (conceived of and played by Elizabeth Banks) in the show 30 Rock,[5] although Banks herself has denied this.[6]
Punditry[edit]
Francis has worked as a reporter for CNBC and CNET.[7]
In January 2012, Francis became an anchor for Fox Business Network.[8]
In 2014, Francis became a recurring co-host of Fox News Channel's talk and news commentary program, Outnumbered.[9] She also anchors FNC's Happening Now newscast.
Writer[edit]
Francis authored a book in November 2012, Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter: A Memoir, concerning the trials, tribulations and joys of having an overbearing mother;[10] and in April 2017, published Lessons from the Prairie, relating childhood experiences from the show as applied to her adult life.[11]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Scavenger Hunt | Jennifer Motley | |
| 1983 | Man, Woman and Child | Paula Beckwith | |
| 1988 | Bad Dreams | Young Cynthia | |
| 2009 | Race to Witch Mountain | TV reporter | Uncredited |
| 2012 | The Dictator | Local News Reporter |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Ghost of Flight 401 | Kid | TV film |
| 1979 | Champions: A Love Story | Sally | TV film |
| 1979 | Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love | Thea | TV film |
| 1979–80 | Joe's World | Linda Wabash | Main role (11 episodes) |
| 1980 | Mork & Mindy | Little Mindy | Episode: "A Mommy for Mindy" |
| 1980 | Galactica 1980 | Little Girl | Episode: "Galactica Discovers Earth Part II And III" |
| 1980 | When the Whistle Blows | Deenie | Episode: "Love Is a Four-Letter Word" |
| 1981 | Midnight Lace | Cathy, age 11 | TV film |
| 1981 | A Gun in the House | Diana Cates | TV film |
| 1981–82 | Little House on the Prairie | Cassandra Cooper Ingalls | Main role (21 episodes) |
| 1984 | Something About Amelia | Beth Bennett | TV film |
| 1985 | Hotel | Jodi Abbott | Episode: "Rallying Cry" |
| 1985 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Tina | Episode: "The War Between the Classes" |
| 1986 | St. Elsewhere | Cynthia | Episode: "Family Affair" |
| 1986 | Morningstar/Eveningstar | Sarah Bishop | Main role (7 episodes) |
| 1988 | A Year in the Life | Eunice | Episode: "Common Ground" |
| 1989 | ALF | Miss Williams | Episode: "Baby, Come Back" |
| 1990 | Hardball | Episode: "A Death in the Family" |
References[edit]
- ^ "Vini M Francis, Born 12/12/1972 in California - CaliforniaBirthIndex.org". californiabirthindex.org. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ Hageman, William (March 24, 2013). "When a parent is stage-struck: Shining a spotlight on parents who push their kids too far". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Jon Friedman (September 19, 2007). "CNBC's Melissa Francis isn't over the hill". MarketWatch. Retrieved September 19, 2007.
- ^ "Missy Francis Biography". TV.com. 2009.
- ^ "Which CNBC Anchor Was The Basis For 30 Rock's Avery Jessup?". February 16, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
- ^ "Elizabeth Banks Slams Page Six For "30 Rock" Story". The Huffington Post. April 21, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ^ Francis, Melissa. "Melissa Francis Profile - CNBC". www.cnbc.com. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
- ^ "Who'sNews: Why isn't Melissa Francis on CNBC anymore?". Arizona Daily Star. February 10, 2012.
- ^ "Outnumbered". Fox News. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ^ "Amazon.com: stagemother's daughter". amazon.com. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ Francis, Melissa (April 25, 2017). Lessons from the Prairie. Weinstein Publishing. ISBN 9781602863064.
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Melissa Francis. |
