Join us for a conversation with Mel England, an accomplished actor with a successful career in theater, film, and television. He has graced numerous Off-Broadway and regional productions, captivating audiences with his talent. England’s work also boasts several notable titles, including the award-winning movie Ron and Laura Take Back America and more recently, onstage, the award-winning play Electricity, coming Off Broadway this fall.

It’s important to add that Mel England is one of the first actors in Hollywood to openly come out as HIV positive. In his 2009 Off-Broadway solo show Swimming With the Polar Bears he told his story as a long-term survivor of AIDS and HIV, using it as a parable of how to survive the existential threat of climate change.

The production was a benefit for The Climate Project, and even had posters signed by Vice President Gore – and Mel was also invited to perform at the 2009 UN Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen, and the National Mall for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. The following year for the release of his film Best Day Ever, Mel was featured on the cover of The Advocate’s Plus Magazine for his advocacy as one of the first openly Poz actors in Hollywood. This courageous act of self-disclosure helped raise awareness about the condition and served as an inspiration to many.