Bellamy Young

Bellamy Young (born Amy Maria Young; February 19, 1970) is an American actress, singer and producer, best known for her role as President Melody "Mellie" Grant in the ABC drama series Scandal (2012–present). In 2014, for her portrayal of Mellie, Young won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. 2Early life Young was born as Amy Maria Young in Asheville, North Carolina, and raised by adoptive parents. She changed her name to join the Screen Actors Guild since there was another Amy Young registered and chose the name Bellamy as a tribute to her late father's best friend, Bill, who had helped to raise her after her father died. She graduated from Asheville School in 1987. She attended Yale University, majoring initially in Physics but ultimately studying English and Theatre, and graduated in 1991. Young spent a summer during college at the British American Drama Academy in England. 2Career 31995–2011 Young began her acting career in theatre. In the 1990s, she performed in a number of Broadway shows including the original production of The Life. On Off-Broadway, Young appeared on Stephen Sondheim's musical Merrily We Roll Along (1994), and Randy Newman's Faust (1995–1996