Melanie Mayron is an American actress and director, born in Philadelphia in 1952. She is internationally known for her role as photographer Melissa Steadman in the television series *Thirtysomething*, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1989. Her acting career began in the 1970s with roles in films such as *Harry and Tonto* (1974) and, most notably, with her starring role in Claudia Weill's *Girlfriends* (1978), which earned her a BAFTA nomination. Beginning in the 1990s, Mayron established herself as a prolific director, primarily in television. She has directed dozens of episodes for successful series such as *Jane the Virgin*, *Pretty Little Liars*, *GLOW*, and *The Fosters*. Her film directing credits include *The Baby-Sitters Club* (1995) and the television film *Mean Girls 2* (2011).