Raised in a sleepy surf town in San Diego, California, actress Melody Zara grew up with an inescapable sense of wanderlust. She has traveled and lived across the globe, all the while honing her craft. Melody studied at Larry Moss Studio and Steppenwolf West, and graduated with a Bachelor's in Drama from UC Irvine. Her unique background encompasses many cultures and influences, allowing her to play a myriad of characters on both the stage and screen, including Latina, Indian, Middle Eastern and Italian roles. Audiences and critics have taken note of her recent breakthrough role as Zahra Baraheri in the Weinstein Company production of Wayne Kramer's "Crossing Over". Stephen Farber of the Hollywood Reporter applauded the "understated... scene when [Harrison Ford] meets the shrewd young sister of his Iranian partner, and sparks fly."