Soap operas–whether they’re produced in the U.S. or far to the south–are a proven gateway for actors of all ethnicities, and Cuban-American actress Melissa Fumero is no exception. She had a long and successful stint on One Life to Live–so successful she ended up marrying her co-star (and on-screen cousin!) David Fumero. In fact, they just celebrated their fifth anniversary.
Melissa left OLTL a while back; she’s had guest-starring role in Royal Pains and CSI:NY since. And now she’s been cast opposite Saturday Night Live’s Andy Samberg in the new Fox comedy pilot for the writers who’ve given us some of the best of Parks and Recreation, Conan, and The Daily Show. The untitled show “revolves around a diverse group of detectives in a precinct at the very edge of New York City,” and Fumero will play Amy, a former middle school teacher. That’s her “hidden super-power: compared to sixth-graders, real life criminals are a piece of cake. When it comes to dating, she doesn’t date cops, though not for lack of opportunities”
A pilot’s just a pilot, and the networks are making a ton this season. It’s also not clear if Melissa’s character is Latino or not…but it’s a great opportunity for her, and a long leap from One Life to Live. We’ll keep you informed.
