Most people would presumably agree that there are few things better than being a talented and attractive Hollywood actor. Readers of this newspaper, however, would likely argue that being a talented and attractive Hollywood actor who grew up in Belgium is probably one of them.
Melanie (or 'Mel') Jarnson was born in Bangkok to a Thai father and an Australian mother. In addition to Thailand, she spent large parts of her childhood in India and — you guessed it — Belgium. As a consequence of her upbringing, she speaks fluent French, in addition to Thai and English.
"I moved countries six times before turning 18, attended mostly French international schools growing up, and struggled with my Thai-Australian identity," Jarnson told RUSSH, an Australian fashion magazine, and reported by Sud Info. "I really felt out of place and thought all these things were flaws, to blame for not 'belonging' anywhere I went, reinventing myself from move to move and hiding the fact that my family wasn't wealthy like my peers. I really envied people who grew up in the same small town and had a community."
Jarnson, now 24, moved to Australia seven years ago, where she claims she is becoming increasingly settled.
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"I've gradually come to learn that travelling the world as a child, being trilingual, and coming from a family of hard-workers is in fact a huge privilege that I should be grateful for," she said. "I'm slowly coming to terms with no longer hiding my upbringing, and instead being humbled by it."
Since breaking onto the Hollywood scene playing a vampire in the 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot movie, the actor and model has starred alongside Hollywood giants such as Liam Neeson and Idris Elba. Moreover, despite ostensibly dying in the first film, Jarnson is set to return in a Mortal Kombat sequel scheduled for release within the next couple of years.
In media interviews, Jarnson, whose favourite film is The Lord Of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, rarely fails to discuss the important influence of her Belgian upbringing. However, she generally refrains from revealing too many details about her private life; taking a leaf out of Gandalf's book, she apparently prefers to keep it mostly secret (and, therefore, safe).
