Melanie Chandra is an actor, writer, and producer drawn to stories with honesty, edge, and heart - and to characters who live in the gray areas, where humor and hurt overlap. She gravitates toward projects that widen the lens for women and the South Asian community.
She’s best known for her series-regular role as Dr. Malaya Pineda on CBS’s Code Black and for starring in Hot Mess Holiday, Comedy Central’s first buddy comedy led by two South Asian women, which she executive-produced alongside Surina Jindal and Kal Penn.
Her recent film work includes Love New York (2025), winner of Best Feature at both the Bowery Film Festival and New York Comedy Film Festival, and Handle with Care (2026), recipient of the Jury Grand Prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. Her screen credits also include Grey’s Anatomy, New Amsterdam, Elsbeth, Law & Order: SVU, HBO’s The Brink, Netflix’s Brown Nation, and the Sundance-selected feature Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls.
Originally from Illinois, Melanie studied mechanical engineering at Stanford - and improvisation, which ultimately pulled her toward the career she’d imagined as a kid. After a brief stretch in corporate America, she pivoted to acting and has been building a multifaceted creative career ever since.
Melanie was one of the first Indian American women to lead a global beauty campaign as the face of Bare Escentuals’ “Be a Force of Beauty.” She also co-founded Hospital for Hope India, a nonprofit bringing healthcare to underserved villages in Jharkhand.
Outside of her screen work, Melanie is a second-degree black belt in Shotokan karate and a trained pianist, continuing to look for ways to bring discipline, joy, and advocacy to the stories she tells.