Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin was born to a family unconnected with the dramatic arts: her mother is a director of communications and her father is a teacher.

Her versatility and breadth as an actress have been showcased in roles such as the disabled Madeleine (in Asbestos, 2002), a Spanish militant (in Chartrand et Simonne, 2003), a drug dealer (in Grand Ourse, 2003) and as a disorganised rebel (in Emma, 2000–2004).

The role that brought her the most fame, especially among Canadian teens, is that in the successful À vos marques... party!

[3] In 2008, she participated in Dédé à travers les brumes against Sébastien Ricard.

In 2010, she played Jeanne Marwan in the Academy Award nominated film Incendies.