Melanie Olmstead came to fame after she was paid a tribute in the final episode, Sins of the Father, of Season 2, Yellowstone.
Melanie was a location assistant and driver (transportation department) for a number of Hollywood movies and TV series (not Yellowstone). After her death in 2019 at the age of 50, the Yellowstone directors paid a tribute to her, “In Memory of MELANIE OLMSTEAD 1968-2019“.
Here are some things you need to know about Olmstead!
Did Melanie have a Character in Yellowstone?
When Yellowstone paid a tribute to Melanie Olmstead through their second season finale, a lot of their fans thought she was a character in the show. There were also claims that she was a part of the show’s location and transportation department.
Let us tell you, she wasn’t! She was neither a character nor a part of the show. She didn’t have to do anything with the show. Then why was she paid tribute to?
Source: Yellowstone Second Season Finale
Well, the directors of Yellowstone wanted to praise the filming crew. We see actors doing their thing but it’s only possible thanks to the crew who do not show their faces to the cameras. Hence, the filmmakers paid tribute to her in recognition of her work behind the cameras.
A fan of the show, Jeanne Supple wrote on the show’s official Facebook wall, “Melanie Olmstead is listed on IMDB as a transportation driver, but not for this show. She died in May of this year. Maybe the producers or showrunners knew her from other projects.”
Source: Facebook
How did She Die?
Melanie Olmstead died on May 25, 2019, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her family has preferred to keep the cause of her death out of media attention.
Following her demise, her friends and her partner hosted a celebration of Melanie’s life on Sunday, June 30, 2019, from 4 PM to 8 PM. The event was hosted at 1575 E Vine St, Salt Lake City.
Source: Facebook
One friend wrote,
I’m so sorry for all the people who were lucky enough to cross Mel’s path. Rarely have I met a woman who could equal her integrity.
One of her friends during the celebration of Melanie’s life.
Another one of her friends wrote,
Celebration of life for Melanie Olmstead was amazing! Horsewomen, Writers, Artists, Theater, Film, cast, and crew peeps! Some I have known for 30 years! What beautiful souls! My Salt Lake family! Ride on, our beautiful Melanie Olmstead!
One of her friends during the celebration of Melanie’s life.
Olmstead Married to Annalise Ford
Melanie Olmstead was a married woman. She walked down the aisle with her love, Annalise Ford on December 31, 2015, at Tracy Aviary.
Source: Facebook
In June 2016, Annalise took to her Facebook to share a photo of the duo on their wedding night to celebrate their six months of marriage.
On June 30, 2019, during the celebration of Melanie’s life, her partner, Annalise took to her socials to share a photo captioning, “Today is for Mel.”
Love for Animals Especially Horses
Melanie Olmstead loved animals especially horses since her childhood. She had a horse named, Mahogany since her college days.
Her horse turned 37 on June 12, 2018. Unfortunately, her horse also passed away a little over a month after her death.
My love affair with horses started about the time I learned to walk, but I didn’t get my first ‘just mine’ horse until I was an adult. This beautiful, amazing girl has been with me since college and recently celebrated her 37th birthday—for my non-horsey friends, that’s over 100 in human years—and she’s still doing great! Happy birthday, Mahogany, and thanks for being my oldest friend.
Melanie talks about her love for horses.
A Little about Melanie’s Early Life and Career
Melanie Olmstead was born on November 15, 1968, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was adopted during childhood by a former military veteran, Reid Howard, and his partner, Janet Corbridge. After her adoptive mother passed away in 1979, her father married Loa Rose Olmstead. Her dad died in 2016.
Talking about her career, she was a driver and location assistant in a few movies and TV series. She started as a location assistant for Primary Suspect in 2000 and was attached to the filming industry as a part of the Transportation department until her demise.
Not to Be Confused with Melanie Olmstead Pharis
Since there’s not much detail on Melanie Olmstead, the media often mistakes Pharis for Olmstead. She is an Executive Director at American Board for Certificate of Teacher Excellence. She got married to Andrew Pharis on October 26, 2019, at The Big House Red River Gorge, Slade, Kentucky. Melanie Pharis has a sister, Emily Olmstead, who was her maid of honor.
If we’ve missed anything, do let us know!
Follow Star Studds for more related news and articles.
Useful Links
