Melody Thomas Scott (born Melody Ann Thomas, April 18, 1956)[1] is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress appearing in the psychological thriller film, Marnie. She later appeared in films The Beguiled (1971), Posse (1975), The Shootist (1976), The Car (1977), The Fury (1978) and Piranha (1978). In 1979 she began starring as Nikki Newman on the CBS daytime soap opera, The Young and the Restless.[2]
Scott was born Melody Ann Thomas in Los Angeles. Her first film credit was as a child actress[2] in the 1964 Alfred Hitchcock movie Marnie.[3][4] On television, she guest-starred on My Three Sons, Wagon Train and Ironside. She had supporting roles in the psychological thriller film The Beguiled (1971), and the Western films Posse (1975) and The Shootist (1976) in which she becomes the last actress to exchange lines with John Wayne. In the late 1970s, Scott made number-of guest appearances on nighttime series such as, The Rockford Files, Charlie's Angels, and a recurring role on The Waltons. She co-starred in the 1977 supernatural horror film The Car and the following year appeared in the horror films The Fury and Piranha.
In 1979, at the age of 23, Scott take over the role of Nikki Reed, a poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks, on the daytime serial The Young and the Restless, choosing the part over a sitcom pilot that in the end was not picked up.[2] She was a replacement for the previous Nikki, who had lasted six months.[2] Over time, her character reformed and became an important part of Genoa City society, as she married Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). Scott has said, "It's a miracle for an actor to have a job last 35 years. I am so blessed."[2] In 1999, she received Daytime Emmy Awards nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.[5]
Scott made guest-starring appearances in a number of prime time series, such as Hotel, Diagnosis Murder, The Nanny, The King of Queens, My Name Is Earl and Castle. She was a celebrity guest on The $25,000 Pyramid for a week in June 1985.
On February 19, 2019 The Young and the Restless featured a stand-alone episode to honor Scott's 40-year history with the serial.[6] In 2024, Scott received Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award.[7]
On the set of The Young and the Restless, she met her third husband, the show's executive producer Edward J. Scott. They married in 1985 and have three daughters, Jennifer (his daughter from a previous marriage[8]), Alexandra Danielle Yeaggy (father is the late Carlos Yeaggy, a makeup man Melody met on the set of Y&R.[9]) and Elizabeth. The family resides in Beverly Hills, California. Jennifer gave birth to twins on May 25, 2011, a boy named James and a girl named Charlotte. James and Charlotte are Melody and Edward's first and second grandchild, respectively.[10]
