Melissa Rose Johnston was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She is the daughter of Roseann Chicilo, a Canadian business owner, and Jeffery Johnston, an American steel worker. Her only sibling is her twin sister and best friend, Amanda. When Melissa was two years old, her family moved to the United States, and she was raised in Detroit, Michigan. Her parents divorced when she was eight years old, which began a number of family relocations throughout the Detroit metro area. Melissa and her sister started looking to movies and music to hold a constant place in their lives. At the age of nine, Melissa asked her mother for a talent agent. Being a single parent and business owner, her mom was not always able to accompany her to auditions. Throughout her teenage years, Melissa settled for performing in local and school plays and traveling as a promotional model with her mom's company. It wasn't until 2007 that she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career. In the summer of 2007, she briefly attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before transferring to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy where she completed her training in 2009. That August, she ventured back to her modeling roots and became a face of Neutrogena's skiniD campaign, which opened the door for many modeling and commercial opportunities. Taking full advantage of her national publicity, the following year she appeared in ABC's teen drama Greek and booked her first role in a major motion picture-a dancer in Water for Elephants. Her ability to impress on set along with the worthy reviews she raked in for regional theater productions, landed her a lead role in The Asylum's 2011 teen comedy Barely Legal. In the raunchy, cult film, she played the innocent and naïve Sue. At first subjected to mixed reviews, her performance was commended after critics learned she received the script only four hours before filming. She was applauded by the director and producers for being so accommodating on a set that often rewrote scenes in between takes and completed the production in ten days. It is her ability to acclimate to her surroundings and maintain her professionalism that continues to land Melissa repeat work in the acting community. In August 2011, Melissa's life took a turn when her grandmother, who was a great inspiration to her career, passed away suddenly from cancer. After being away for several years, Melissa returned home to be with her family. After only two weeks, she began auditioning for regional productions. This fall, she will be starring in the premieres of three stage plays, Caught Up, in the role of a cheating wife and mother, The Corridor, a play that showcases the growing rate of addiction in the Detroit area, and Soul, a biographical play about the life of Billie Holiday. She is set to return to the screen, and Los Angeles, early next year.

She attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles where she completed her studies in 2009.Melissa Johnston was born in Windsor, Ontario and raised in Detroit, MI.She has duel citizenship in the USA and Canada.