Story by Mike James
Photography by DeWayne Rogers
Makeup by: Dee Dee Kelly
Styled by: Olori Swank
They say in Hollywood you’re only as good as your last film. Thespian Melissa De Sousa has waited 15 years to get her second wind. And now the wait is over with the box-office success of The Best Man Holiday, the sequel to the 1998 film, The Best Man.
De Sousa just wants the best in life like ”Shelby” the character she plays with a comedic combination of sex appeal and serious attitude. The pretty Panamanian actress is once again enjoying the “ride” but it’s a road that has not always been so smooth and sometimes has mentally affected her strong Queens, N.Y.-bred state of mind.
De Sousa hasn’t let anything deter her success in the industry. She’s thrown gang signs on TV but has been told she’s too pretty to be a stripper. She refers to the movie’s dedicated fan base as a “movement” and they launched a Twitter tirade against a movie reviewer who downplayed the movie as just another “race-themed” film. De Sousa is so dedicated to her craft that she will even start a fight with her BFF and co-star, Regina Hall, in front of the Christmas tree (in the movie) and call up her other BFF, actress Angell Conwell, so they all can laugh about it over lunch.
Hollywood may continue to try thwart her plans, but she affirms she just “rolls with the punches in life …”
