Melissa Archer after One Life to Live

Where is Melissa Archer now?

"Where are they now?" is a question daytime television viewers often ask about actors who are no longer on the air, like Soap vet Melissa Archer, who is best known for portraying Natalie Buchanan on One Life to Live from 2001 to 2013.

Natalie was the daughter of Clint Buchanan (Jerry Van Dorn) and Victoria Lord Buchanan (Erica Slezak), but was raised by Walter Balsam (who died off-screen) and Roxy Balsam (Ilene Kristen).

Natalie's love interest was John McBain (Michael Easton), and they were a popular couple. What happened to Archer after the soap was cancelled, and is she still acting?

Melissa's journey

Since OLTL was cancelled, the soap vet has appeared on television and in films, and the actress confessed that she accidentally joined a cult. Let's take a look at the timeline of her career.

Melissa Jean Archer was born on December 2 1979, to Johnny Archer and Kathy Lemley in Dallas, TX. She announced her engagement to Glenn Angelino in September 2006, and they were married on August 8, 2008, in Mexico. She filed for divorce in 2015, and it was finalized in 2016.

After One Life to Live, Archer continued to play Natalie on the spin-off series that was on a streaming platform from April until November 2013. She later portrayed Serena Mason on Days of Our Lives from 2014 to 2015 and again in 2017.

Serena was a love interest for Eric Brady (Greg Vaughan), whom she met in Africa. She walked away when he decided to become a priest, but showed up in Salem when she heard Eric had left the priesthood. Sadly, things did not work out, and Serena left town.

Archer next appeared in several web series and, along with her former One Life to Live co-star Jessica Morris (Jennifer Rappaport), she produced and starred in the comedy web series Viral.

In 2016, Archer co-starred with Sean Kanan (Deacon Sharpe, The Bold and the Beautiful) in the action film South32. She joined the cast of two web series, Youthful Daze and The Bay.

Additional roles and a brush with a cult

She has appeared in films including Excuse Me for Living, Coach of the Year, Wraith, and South32. Her last credited movie was The Actor in 2024. Her television roles include Wishbone, Twisted Little Lies, and The Killer Affair. Her last TV credit is Saved By Grace in 2022. She has also been involved with several web series.

In December 2022, Archer revealed that she had been involved in a cult a few years earlier. It was led by a man in Tanzania, whom the actress believed to be her spiritual father and God's mouthpiece. 

After traveling with four other women to the home church in Tanzania for leadership training, Archer said she sensed that something was wrong. Later, this was confirmed when a friend confessed to her that she had been molested by the cult leader. This is when Archer decided to leave.

She returned home, found a new church, and entered therapy for Post-traumatic stress disorder. She says she now has a good relationship with God and experiences miracles.

One of them happened when she was driving with her car top down. She said it began pouring rain, but she never got wet.

Several of Melissa Archer's OLTL cast members have appeared on General Hospital, including Cassie DePavia, Michael Easton, Erica Slezak, Roger Howarth, Trevor Howard, and Kristen Alderson. Perhaps one day Archer might return to daytime.

Best of luck to the actress in future endeavors, and congratulations on getting out of the cult and obtaining therapy.