Trivia

Was the very first of a thousand actors to audition for the title role of Supergirl (2015), just as Stephen Amell for Arrow (2012) and Grant Gustin for The Flash (2014), all produced by Greg Berlanti.

Was wearing an eye-patch reportedly after suffering an eye injury when she first put on her Supergirl (2015) costume. It was later revealed, by Melissa on Instagram that the injury was in fact caused by an incident of domestic abuse. A phone was thrown at her eye resulting in one pupil becoming permanently enlarged.

Has a son: Huxley Robert Wood (b. September 2020) with husband, Chris Wood.

Became engaged to Chris Wood on 11 February 2019.

Started reading the New 52 'Supergirl' comic book title after landing the part.

In 2015, it was announced that she married Glee (2009) co-star Blake Jenner. Public records later revealed that the couple actually married in 2013. The couple separated in late 2016 and divorced in December 2017.

She has unequal size of the eyes' pupils due to an eye injury.

Both she and Helen Slater, who also played Supergirl (1984), are brunettes turned blondes for the role of Supergirl.

She has three tattoos: a wolf on her left wrist, a feather and the word "free" on the back of her neck, and a bicycle on her left foot.

Was given Superman-styled costumes for each of her dogs from Ellen DeGeneres as a guest on her show The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003).

Released her children's fantasy book "Heaven's Secret", co-written with her sister Jessica Young and Mariko Tamaki. Tamaki wrote one episode of Supergirl (2015) and is the author of the well-received comic "Supergirl: Being Super".

Involved in a mental health awareness movement called 'I Don't Mind' with current partner Chris Wood who played on-screen love interest Mon-El in Supergirl.

Has been cast as "Supergirl" in the CBS TV series Supergirl (2015). (January 2015)

Supergirl (2015) Season 5 marks her directorial debut.

Was reported as uninterested in returning to the role of Supergirl (2015) after the final season. However, she later assured not being opposed to portraying the character in the future during an interview.

Her paternal great-grandfather was of French descent. The rest of her ancestry is German, English, and Scottish.

She has played the same character (Kara Danvers / Supergirl) in five different television series: Arrow (2012), The Flash (2014), Supergirl (2015), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016) and Batwoman (2019).

On Melissa Benoist/Olivia Wilde/Saoirse Ronan (2015), along with Olivia Wilde and Saoirse Ronan, Melissa Benoist stated that the original French pronunciation of her surname was "Benoit".

Lived her youth in Littleton, Colorado.

Cited Susan Sontag and Gloria Steinem as inspirations for her portrayal of Supergirl (2015).

Has two sisters: Jessica, a novelist and Kristina, an ecological scientist.

One of her dogs is named Otis, also the name of Lex Luthor's assistant in the Superman (1978) films.

First auditioned for the role of Jessica Kensky before being cast as Katherine Russell in Patriots Day (2016).