Dani Melia '07, Mackenzie Roussos '08; photos by Jai Lennard
Congratulations to the Tisch alumni listed on Next Gen 2019: Hollywood's 35 Rising Executives 35 and Under.
Highlighting 35 of today's top agents, producers, studio execs, creators, and representatives who are leading the way in show business today, all under 35 years old. Below, see the talented Tisch alumni featured on this prestigious list.
Dani Melia '07 (BFA, Kanbar, Film & TV), Producer
"When Melia was studying film at NYU, she contacted New York-based financier-production company Big Beach on a whim. "I saw Little Miss Sunshine and was like, 'I want to do that,' " she recalls. She got an internship, and it's the only industry job she's ever had. Now, in her 12th year with the company, she hit her stride with Lulu Wang's breakout drama The Farewell. And while every indie producer was chasing Wang for her follow-up project, Children of the New World, the director stipulated in her contract that Melia be a producer. Up next for the New York native (her mom is actress turned soap opera writer Judy Tate), Melia is developing a film about advice gurus Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren that Natalie Portman will star in and direct. When she's not in the trenches on set, Melia can be found in her Venice home planning her nuptials (fiance Keith Levine runs David Goyer's Phantom Four Films). "Planning a wedding is like trying to produce a movie," she jokes."
Mackenzie Roussos '08 (BFA, Drama), TV Agent
"'I probably roll calls from my car more than any agent in Los Angeles,' jokes the mom of three, who lives on a farm in Bedford, New York, with her software engineer husband and their 13 chickens. Every Tuesday and Thursday, she piles a group of agents into her "mom SUV" and drives to the city to find the next generation of comedy stars. "I sign people out of basement comedy clubs, and my favorite thing to do is introduce them to the world," says Roussos, who moved from CAA to UTA in 2015. The Tampa, Florida, native signed Michael Che, Bowen Yang and Aidy Bryant before they landed on SNL. In fact, she met Bryant (and client Vanessa Bayer) when she briefly dropped out of Tisch and took a detour to perform at Second City in Chicago. Other powerhouse clients include Awkwafina, Phoebe Robinson, Greta Lee, Michelle Wolf, Los Espookys' Julio Torres and Ana Fabrega and High Maintenance creators Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld."
We apologize for any omissions. Please email additions or edits to: tsoa.alumni@nyu.edu