Bellamy Young

Bellamy Young (born Amy Maria Young; February 19, 1970) is an American actress, producer and singer best known as Melody "Mellie" Grant on Scandal (2012–2018), for which she won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2014. She also starred in Prodigal Son as Jessica Whitly (2019–2021) and as Hotch's girlfriend Beth Clemmons on Criminal Minds.

Early life and education Young was born as Amy Maria Young on February 19, 1970, in Asheville, North Carolina, and was adopted. 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.

Young graduated from Asheville High School in 1987. She attended Yale University, initially majoring in physics but studying English and theatre, and graduated in 1991. She spent a summer during college at the British American Drama Academy in England.

Career

1995–2011: Beginnings Young began her acting career in theatre. In 1997, she made her Broadway debut as Mary in the original cast of The Life. She has also appeared Off-Broadway in Stephen Sondheim's musical Merrily We Roll Along (1994), and Randy Newman's Faust (1995–1996). In 1995, she made her television debut in a recurring role on the NBC daytime soap opera Another World as Dr. Courtney Evans.

Young has appeared in supporting roles in a number of films, including We Were Soldiers (2002) and Mission: Impossible III (2006), along with independent movies like Larceny (2004), Eve of Understanding (2006), Trust Me (2007), This Is Not a Test (2008), In My Sleep (2010), The Freebie (2010), and Joint Body (2014).

2012–2018: Scandal In 2011 Shonda Rhimes cast Young in the recurring role of First Lady, then 2016 Republican presidential nominee, Melody "Mellie" Grant on the ABC political thriller television series Scandal opposite Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn. Before Scandal, Young appeared in Shonda Rhimes' Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. She appeared in every episode of the first season of Scandal and was upgraded to a series regular in season two. She later said that her part was originally conceived as a three episode arc. Young has received critical acclaim for her performance as Melody Grant throughout her time on the show. The Daily Beast named her the "Breakout Star" of the show in 2014. Many critics praised Young's performance in her character's centered episode "Everything's Coming Up Mellie" of the third season. Cicely K. Dyson's review for The Wall Street Journal states: "Bellamy Young has been an amazing scene stealer for two-and-a-half seasons, and this time she finally got her chance to shine." Robert Rorke, writing for The New York Post states, "In Mellie, the show has its most fleshed-out character and in Young, its most compelling performer."

On May 15, 2015, Young released her first album, Far Away So Close, on iTunes. In 2016, she starred in the crime drama film The Night Stalker directed by Megan Griffiths about the serial killer Richard Ramirez. The following year, she had a supporting role in the independent comedy film Bernard and Huey opposite Jim Rash and David Koechner. In 2018, she co-starred in Disney's live action adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, along with Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling. Also that year, she played a leading role in the ABC comedy-drama pilot False Profits.

2019–present In March 2019, Young announced that she would be co-starring in the Fox drama pilot Prodigal Son opposite Michael Sheen, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Tom Payne. In May, the show was green-lit for a series order and by October, had been picked up for a full 22-episode season order . Prodigal Son was the first full season order of fall 2019 and was the highest-rated new show on any network. Young guest-starred in the ABC crime drama Whiskey Cavalier and Netflix anthology Dolly Parton's Heartstrings in 2019. In 2021, she guest-starred in the first episode of Fox series, Fantasy Island and starred in the CW reboot of The Waltons' Homecoming playing the role of Olivia Walton.

In 2022, Young starred in the ABC family drama series Promised Land, playing villainous Margaret Honeycroft. The series was canceled after one season. In November 2022, she was cast in the Hulu mystery thriller series The Other Black Girl, a television adaptation of the 2021 novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris. She also reprised her role as Olivia Walton in The Waltons' Thanksgiving. She has been the spokesperson for Salix Pharmaceuticals' Xifaxan since May 9, 2024. Her father suffered from overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) during her adolescence.

Personal life Young has been vegan since 1988 and in 2016 participated in a campaign for PETA titled, "Being Vegan Keeps Me Young". A long time supporter of shelter adoption, Young starred in two televised adverts for The Humane Society of the United States: 'The Shelter Pet Project' in 2015 and 'Honestly' in 2016.

Young began dating Portuguese percussionist Pedro Segundo in September 2017. During COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Young and Segundo married.

Young performing at the National Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington, D.C. in December 2015 Young is a registered Democrat. Along with several of her Scandal cast mates, Young headlined at a fundraiser event for Hillary Clinton in April 2016. From August through November 2016, Young hit the campaign trail for Clinton and visited several states. As part of the Obama administration legacy, in 2016, Young appeared in 'Women Film' by The United States of Women along with several other public figures. After performing at the 2015 National Christmas Tree Lighting, it was announced that in 2016 Young would be co-ambassador, along with Chelsea Clinton, of the Trust for the National Mall.

A scholarship student herself, Young now endows a scholarship each year to a student at her alma mater, Yale University. In 2019, she became an ambassador for the organization CARE and has continued to partner with the organisation. For International Women's Day 2020, Young directed a PSA, for CARE; she appears as well as Kerry Washington, Shonda Rhimes, and Katie Lowes.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1999 Black and White Bellamy Uncredited Picture This Monique 2001 Mission Sandy 2002 Swatters Mary Dolan We Were Soldiers Catherine Metsker 2004 Larceny Kiki 2005 Darcy's Off-White Wedding Donatella Short film 2006 Eve of Understanding Cassie Mission: Impossible III Rachael 2007 Simple Things Terry Hudson Also executive producer Trust Me Carrie 2008 One, Two, Many Jennifer This Is Not a Test Teresa 2009 Tender as Hellfire Cheryl Short film 2010 Jessica In My Sleep Olivia Pound of Flesh Daniella Melville 2011 Joint Body Jane Chapman 2012 Last Day on Earth Pamala The Cottage Annie Also executive producer 2015 Day Out of Days Rebecca 2016 Offer & Compromise Karen The Night Stalker Kit Fellows 2017 Bernard and Huey Aggie 2018 A Wrinkle in Time Camazotz Woman 2020 Superman: Man of Tomorrow Martha Kent (voice)

Television Year Title Role Notes 1995 Another World Dr. Courtney Evans Recurring role 1997 Law & Order Ellen O'Brien Episode: "Blood" 1998 Stephanie Harker Episode: "True North" 2000 Bridget Episode: "The Gang Stops Drinking" Nash Bridges Diana Carr Episode: "The Messenger" Attorney Janet Wilson Episode: "Redrum" 2001 Bethany Fortoro Episode: "To Serve and Protect" ER Grace Episode: "If I Should Fall from Grace" 2002 Frasier Lisa Episode: "Three Blind Dates" For the People Deputy Dist. Atty. Agnes Hunt Recurring role 2003 Peacemakers Twyla Gentry Main cast American Dreams Diane Shaw 3 episodes 2004 MaryLou Meriwether Episode: "The Stormy Present" NCIS A.T.F. Special Agent Melinda Stone Episode: "Split Decision" 2004, 2009 Scrubs Dr. Miller Recurring role (season 3), 1 episode (season 8) 2004 Strong Medicine Erin Berman Episode: "Code" 2005 North Shore Mrs. Lasser Episode: "Shark" Medium Kate Emery Episode: "Judge, Jury and Executioner" Vision of a Murder Tina Moore TV movie 2005–2006 CSI: Miami Assistant State Attorney Monica West Recurring role 2007 Close to Home Sarah Paulson Episode: "Road Rage" Grey's Anatomy Kathy 2 episodes: "The Other Side of This Life: Parts 1 & 2" Boston Legal Cynthia Nichols Episode: "Beauty and the Beast" Cold Case Audrey Metz (1938) Episode: "World's End" 2007–2008 Dirty Sexy Money Ellen Darling Recurring role 2008 Two and a Half Men Diane Episode: "The Mooch at the Boo" Mask of the Ninja Gina TV movie 2008–2009 Knight Rider Amy Clark TV movie 2009 Trust Me Carrie Taylor Episode: "But Wait, There's More" Ghost Whisperer Lucy Stanton Episode: "Cursed" Supernatural Sarah / Lucifer Episode: "Sympathy for the Devil" 2010 Edgar Floats Jennifer Wade TV pilot Drop Dead Diva Emily Parcellas Episode: "The Long Road to Napa" Melanie Ayers Episode: "Cackle-Bladder-Blood" Law & Order: LA Monica Jarrow Episode: "Playa Vista" 2011 Working Class Brooke Episode: "The Dance" United States of Tara Bridgette 2 episodes Castle Candace Ford Episode: "Pretty Dead" Skylar Brenn Episode: "Wings" 2011–2013 Criminal Minds Beth Clemmons Recurring role 2012 Franklin & Bash Margaret Pollack Episode: "L'affaire Du Coeur" 2012–2018 Scandal Melody "Mellie" Grant Recurring role (season 1), main cast (seasons 2-7)Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2014) 2014 Hell's Kitchen Herself Episode: "5 Chefs Compete" 2015 Jeopardy! Herself Celebrity contestant 2017 Lip Sync Battle Herself Episode: "Matt McGorry vs. Bellamy Young" 2019 Whiskey Cavalier Karen Pappas Episode: "The Czech List" Dolly Parton's Heartstrings Myrna Jorgensen Episode: "Down from Dover" 2019–2021 Prodigal Son Jessica Whitly Main cast 2021 The Waltons: Homecoming Olivia Walton TV movie Fantasy Island Christine Collins Episode: "Hungry Christine/Mel Loves Ruby" 2022 Promised Land Margaret Honeycroft Main cast A Waltons Thanksgiving Olivia Walton TV movie 2023 Vera Parini Main cast 2025–2026 Brilliant Minds Dr. Amelia Frederick Recurring role

Theater Year Production Role Notes 1997 The Life Mary Ethel Barrymore Theatre