| Intro | Former child actress, television business news anchor and journalist |
| A.K.A. | Missy Francis, Melissa Ann Francis |
| Is |
Actor Journalist Television actor |
| From | United States of America |
| Type |
Film, TV, Stage & Radio Journalism |
| Gender | female |
| Birth | 12 December 1972, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, U.S.A. |
| Age: | 47 years |
| Star sign | Sagittarius |
Melissa Ann Francis (born December 12, 1972) is an American actress and current television journalist for the Fox Business Network (FBN) and Fox News Channel (FNC).
After beginning her national journalism career at CNBC, she moved to FBN in 2012 and is currently the co-host of After The Bell weekday afternoons with David Asman. She is also a periodic anchor of FNC’s America’s News HQ newscasts, and a semi-regular panelist on FNC’s afternoon talk show Outnumbered.
Education
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Francis graduated from Harvard University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and served as executive editor of The Harvard College Economist magazine. She was also the captain of the Harvard Polo Team.
Career
Acting
Francis started her acting career on television before her first birthday, first appearing in a Johnson & Johnson shampoo commercial at 6 months of age. She was known for her role as Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie, for two seasons. Other television appearances include two series regular roles: Morningstar/Eveningstar and Joe’s World, and three films including Man, Woman and Child, where she played Paula Beckwith. She has also had appearances in the television series St. Elsewhere in 1986 and the 1988 film Bad Dreams, where she played young Cynthia. Melissa appeared in nearly 100 commercials during her acting career. She is reportedly the inspiration for the fictional character Avery Jessup (conceived of and played by Elizabeth Banks) in the show 30 Rock, although Banks herself has denied this.
Television journalist
In January 2012, Francis became a financial news reporter and anchor for Fox Business Network.
Previously, she was a financial news reporter and anchor for CNBC. She originally provided live hourly reports from the New York Mercantile Exchange on trading in crude oil futures contracts.
Prior to CNBC, Francis was a correspondent for CNET’s broadcast unit, where she covered finance, technology and consumer products.
In 2014, Francis became a recurring co-host of Fox News Channel’s talk and news commentary program, Outnumbered. In addition, she also periodically anchors FNC’s America’s News Headquarters newscasts
Writer
Francis authored a book in November 2012, Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter: A Memoir, concerning the trials, tribulations and joys of having an overbearing mother; and in April 2017, published Lessons from the Prairie, relating childhood experiences from the show as applied to her adult life.
She has also written two vampire novels aimed at teens, Bite me! and its sequel, Love Sucks!
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Scavenger Hunt | Jennifer Motley | |
| 1983 | Man, Woman and Child | Paula Beckwith | |
| 1988 | Bad Dreams | Young Cynthia | |
| 2009 | Race to Witch Mountain | TV reporter | Uncredited |
| 2012 | Dictator, TheThe Dictator | Local News Reporter |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Ghost of Flight 401, TheThe Ghost of Flight 401 | Kid | TV film |
| 1979 | Champions: A Love Story | Sally | TV film |
| 1979 | Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love | Thea | TV film |
| 1979–80 | Joe’s World | Linda Wabash | Main role (11 episodes) |
| 1980 | Mork & Mindy | Little Mindy | Episode: “A Mommy for Mindy” |
| 1980 | Galactica 1980 | Little Girl | Episode: “Galactica Discovers Earth Part II And III” |
| 1980 | When the Whistle Blows | Deenie | Episode: “Love Is a Four-Letter Word” |
| 1981 | Midnight Lace | Cathy, age 11 | TV film |
| 1981 | Gun in the House, AA Gun in the House | Diana Cates | TV film |
| 1981–82 | Little House on the Prairie | Cassandra Cooper Ingalls | Main role (21 episodes) |
| 1984 | Something About Amelia | Beth Bennett | TV film |
| 1985 | Hotel | Jodi Abbott | Episode: “Rallying Cry” |
| 1985 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Tina | Episode: “The War Between the Classes” |
| 1986 | St. Elsewhere | Cynthia | Episode: “Family Affair” |
| 1986 | Morningstar/Eveningstar | Sarah Bishop | Main role (7 episodes) |
| 1988 | Year in the Life, AA Year in the Life | Eunice | Episode: “Common Ground” |
| 1989 | ALF | Miss Williams | Episode: “Baby, Come Back” |
| 1990 | Hardball | Episode: “A Death in the Family” |