Melanie Lynskey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melanie Lynskey
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Lynskey in 2016
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Melanie Jayne Lynskey
16 May 1977 New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand
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| Alma mater | Victoria University of Wellington |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1994–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Full list |
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Melanie Jayne Lynskey (born May 16, 1977) is a talented actress from New Zealand. She is well-known for playing interesting and complex female characters. She is also great at using different American accents. Melanie mostly works in independent films and television shows. She has won many awards, including three Critics' Choice Awards. She has also been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards.
Melanie Lynskey started her acting career at age 17. Her first movie was Heavenly Creatures (1994). In this film, she played a character named Pauline Parker. After that, she became known for her supporting roles in many movies. These include Ever After (1998), But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), Coyote Ugly (2000), and Sweet Home Alabama (2002). She also appeared in Up in the Air (2009) and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012).
A big moment in her career was her main role in Hello I Must Be Going (2012). After this, she took on more lead roles in independent films. Some of these include Happy Christmas (2014) and I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017).
On television, Melanie played the character Rose on the show Two and a Half Men from 2003 to 2015. She also starred in Togetherness (2015–2016) and Castle Rock (2018). She appeared in the miniseries Mrs. America (2020) and Candy (2022). Since 2021, she has played Shauna in the popular series Yellowjackets. For this role, she won a Critics' Choice Award in 2022. She was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2023, she received another Emmy nomination for her role as Kathleen in The Last of Us.
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Early Life and Education
Melanie Lynskey was born in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Her mother, Kay Barbara, was a real estate agent. Her father, Tim Lynskey, was a surgeon. Melanie has Irish, English, and Scottish family roots. Her last name, Lynskey, comes from Ireland.
Melanie is the oldest of five children. She has three brothers and one sister. She helped a lot with raising her younger siblings. She grew up in the Baptist faith.
When Melanie was six, her family moved to England for a year. Then they moved back to New Zealand. She remembers moving "a lot" because of her father's job. She often felt like the "new kid" at school.
She went to New Plymouth Girls' High School. There, she was very active in the drama club and school plays. Melanie has said she was shy at school. Acting helped her feel more comfortable. She felt "freeing" when she could pretend to be someone else.
After high school, Melanie studied English literature at Victoria University of Wellington. But she left after a year and a half to focus on her acting career.
Her Acting Journey
Early Movies and First Roles
Melanie Lynskey started her professional acting career at age 15. She got a main role in the movie Heavenly Creatures. This movie was a drama based on a real-life mystery from the 1950s. Melanie played Pauline Parker, a schoolgirl involved in a difficult situation.
She auditioned for the role when a casting director visited her high school. Before her, 500 other girls had tried out. The co-writer of the movie, Fran Walsh, liked Melanie's "quiet intensity." She knew Melanie was right for the part. Melanie turned 16 while making the movie. It was released in 1994 when she was 17.
Critics really liked Melanie's performance and her co-star Kate Winslet's acting. Roger Ebert praised the director for choosing "the right two actresses." He noted how Melanie could show deep feelings with just a look. Time magazine called her "perfect" and "fearless."
Heavenly Creatures is a very important movie in New Zealand. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Melanie won Best Actress at the 1995 New Zealand Film Awards. She learned a lot from working with director Peter Jackson and Kate Winslet. She and Kate became very close friends during filming.
Even with the movie's success, people told Melanie not to become a full-time actress. They thought it wasn't a realistic job. She later said that New Zealanders are very practical. They wanted her to go to university and get a "normal job."
For the next three years, Melanie continued her studies. She also auditioned for different movie roles. She had a small part as a policewoman in Peter Jackson's movie The Frighteners (1996).
Her next big movie role was in the independent drama Foreign Correspondents. She played Melody, a shy receptionist. She then starred in the fairytale movie Ever After (1998). In this movie, she played Drew Barrymore's "charming and funny" stepsister. Melanie said that Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston helped her gain confidence.
In 1999, Melanie was in four movies. These included the teen comedy Detroit Rock City and the movie But I'm a Cheerleader. In But I'm a Cheerleader, she played a character going through a special therapy. Next, she played Gloria in the musical comedy Coyote Ugly (2000). A critic called her "full of google-eyed charm."
She returned to New Zealand for the thriller Snakeskin (2001). For this role, she was nominated for Best Actress at the New Zealand Film Awards. A critic from Variety called her work "excellent."
In 2002, Melanie worked again with director Andy Tennant on the romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama. She played a key role as Lurlynn. She also had a supporting role in the thriller Abandon. That same year, she made her TV debut in the miniseries Rose Red. She played a protective older sister in the show.
TV Success and More Films
In the 2003 drama Shattered Glass, Melanie played Amy Brand, a writer. Later that year, she started playing Rose on the TV show Two and a Half Men. Rose was a quirky and devoted character. She first appeared in just one episode. But the producers liked her so much that they asked her to be a regular character.
Melanie decided to leave the main cast in 2005. She wanted to focus more on movies. The show's creator, Chuck Lorre, respected her decision. She still came back to Two and a Half Men as a guest star until the show ended in 2015. She said that doing a few episodes a year helped her pay her bills and make independent films.
In 2006, Melanie played Pauline Harnois in Clint Eastwood's war film Flags of Our Fathers. She then joined the TV series Drive (2007). A critic called her work "especially compelling." Her next project was the Western miniseries Comanche Moon (2008). Critics praised her portrayal of Pearl Coleman, a settler who goes through a difficult experience.
Later in 2008, she starred in the New Zealand romantic drama Show of Hands. She played Jess, a single parent in a tough competition. She earned a Best Actress nomination for this role.
In the 2009 dramedy Away We Go, Melanie played Munch, an adoptive mother dealing with sadness. Her performance was highly praised. A critic from The Boston Globe said she showed sadness with "quiet, moving physicality."
That same year, she co-starred as Ginger in Steven Soderbergh's movie The Informant!. Ginger was the devoted wife of a whistleblower. A critic said Melanie gave "sterling support" to Matt Damon. Steven Soderbergh said Melanie is "so watchable" and that her acting rhythms are "really unusual." Melanie said working on The Informant! was one of her favorite experiences.
Also in 2009, Melanie appeared in Leaves of Grass. The director, Tim Blake Nelson, said Melanie's accent was perfect, even though she is from New Zealand. Next, she received good reviews for her role as Julie Bingham in the Oscar-nominated movie Up in the Air. The director, Jason Reitman, was impressed by her ability to hide her New Zealand accent. In October 2009, she received a Spotlight Award at the Hollywood Film Festival.
Melanie played a wife in Helena from the Wedding (2010). A critic said the movie "belongs to [Lynskey]." She then appeared in the sports drama Touchback (2011). She was praised for her role as a childhood sweetheart. The same year, she played Cindy Timmons in Tom McCarthy's dramedy Win Win. Critics said she brought "welcome soft shadings" to the story. Time magazine called her "one of the most reliably intriguing supporting actresses."
Becoming a Lead Actress
In 2012, Melanie Lynskey had a small role in the comedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. She also played Aunt Helen in the drama The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This role was a difficult decision for her because of the character's challenging nature. Her next role was Sally in the independent romantic comedy Putzel. Critics said she "steals the show" and was "delightful."
Melanie's role as Amy Minsky in Hello I Must Be Going (2012) received great praise. She played an unemployed woman who moves back in with her parents. This was the first time she was in every scene of a movie. She felt a lot of pressure. Director Todd Louiso said he knew casting her would make the film special.
Kenneth Turan from the Los Angeles Times wrote that Melanie "inhabits the role so completely." He said she brings "exquisite naturalness" to her performance. USA Today noted that Melanie brought "dimension and intelligence" to the role. This performance earned her a nomination for the Gotham Independent Film Award.
In 2013, Melanie took a lead role in The Big Ask, an independent comedy. Her work as Hannah was praised. A critic said she often makes "lackluster screenwriting" better.
In April 2014, Melanie was honored at the RiverRun International Film Festival. Her first movie that year was Happy Christmas. She played Kelly, a novelist who finds her passion for writing again. The movie was mostly improvised, meaning the actors made up their lines as they went. Critics said the performances were very natural.
She also had a supporting role in They Came Together. She played the main female roles in We'll Never Have Paris and Goodbye to All That. In Goodbye to All That, critics called her portrayal of Annie "fantastic" and "heartbreaking." Later in 2014, she voiced Beatrice, a bluebird, in Over the Garden Wall. Critics said Melanie "steals the show" with her amazing lines.
From 2015 to 2016, Melanie played Michelle Pierson on HBO's Togetherness. This show was about two couples living together. Melanie called it a "dream" job. Critics praised the acting, especially Melanie's. Robert Lloyd from the Los Angeles Times said Melanie's Michelle became the show's "gravitational center." She was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award.
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For her main role in The Intervention (2016), Melanie won a special award at the Sundance Film Festival. Critics noted her "tremendously good comic timing." The director, Clea DuVall, wrote the character of Annie specifically for Melanie. Melanie also starred in the comedy Our Ex-Wife and other independent films like Rainbow Time and Little Boxes.
Melanie's performance in the Netflix crime thriller I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017) was highly praised. She played Ruth, a nursing assistant who takes action after her house is robbed. The role was physically challenging. Critics said she delivered her "best work yet." The film won a top prize at the 2017 Sundance Festival. Melanie was nominated for a Gotham Award.
That same year, she starred in the drama And Then I Go. She played a concerned parent. She also received a nomination for her role as Zara Skelton in the Australian miniseries Sunshine. She played a mother in the fantasy thriller The Changeover. And she appeared in the horror film XX.
In Sadie (2018), Melanie starred as Rae, a woman raising her daughter while her husband is away. Critics called her work "compelling" and "superb." Next, she played Molly Strand in the first season of Castle Rock. This show was based on stories by Stephen King. Critics praised her "delicately complex" performance. In 2018, the Seattle International Film Festival celebrated Melanie's career.
From April to May 2020, Melanie appeared as Rosemary Thomson in the miniseries Mrs. America. This show was about political history. Her portrayal of Rosemary was called "delightful" and a "standout." Melanie said her own religious upbringing helped her understand the character. She called working with Cate Blanchett "one of the great experiences of my life."
Recent Roles and Awards
In 2021, Melanie Lynskey starred as a relaxed character in Lady of the Manor. She said acting like she was high for a whole movie was "freeing." Critics said she "unabashedly embraces physical humor." Her second film that year was Don't Look Up. She played June Mindy, the wife of Leonardo DiCaprio's character. Critics called her performance "terrific" and "low-key brilliant."
On Showtime's Yellowjackets, Melanie plays Shauna Sadecki. Shauna is a suburban housewife with dark secrets from a plane crash 25 years ago. The series started in November 2021. Rolling Stone called Melanie the "standout" of the cast. The Guardian agreed that she does "the most emotional heavy lifting." Melanie said she liked Shauna's "internalized rage." For her work on Yellowjackets, Melanie won Best Actress in a Drama Series at the 27th Critics' Choice Awards. She also received two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award.
In the true crime miniseries Candy (2022), Melanie co-starred as Betty Gore. Betty was a schoolteacher who was murdered. Critics praised Melanie's acting. Entertainment Weekly said she "captures the sadness and seething resentment." Melanie spoke about the intense emotions of recreating her character's death. She and co-star Jessica Biel worked hard to make the scene perfect. She received Critics' Choice and Satellite Award nominations for this role.
On HBO's The Last of Us (2023), Melanie appeared as Kathleen Coghlan. This character was created just for the series. Critics called her performance "superb" and "chillingly violent." She earned an Emmy Award nomination for this role.
In the historical drama series The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2024), Melanie played Heather Morris. Heather is a writer who becomes friends with an elderly Holocaust survivor. Critics said her work was "understated [and] endlessly empathetic." Melanie described filming as "heavy" but important for telling historical stories.
Her Acting Approach
Melanie Lynskey used to call herself a "character actress." But she doesn't use that term anymore. She has said that she doesn't have formal acting training. She relies on her own instincts. If a director gives her a note that doesn't feel right, she finds it hard to do. She will argue for what she feels is true to the character.
In 2017, Melanie talked about taking risks in her film work. She wants to tell stories about women who are "interesting and complicated." She said there aren't many chances to do this except in independent films. She has made films that cost very little money. She believes if you are willing to work like that, you get to do "really creative, interesting stuff."
Melanie is often praised for her ability to do an American accent. She learned by watching many movies when she first moved to Los Angeles. Tim Blake Nelson was surprised when he heard her New Zealand accent after she auditioned with a perfect Oklahoma accent.
Melanie is also known for her improvisation skills. She learned these from classes when she was younger. She uses dreams and music to help her get into character for her roles.
Other Cool Projects
In 2012, Melanie Lynskey voiced an animated version of herself. This was for a safety video for Air New Zealand.
In February 2013, she took part in a special performance. She read from the script of the 1992 film Glengarry Glen Ross. The director, Jason Reitman, had women read all the male parts. Melanie played the role of George Aaronow.
From 2014 to 2016, Melanie was part of The Thrilling Adventure Hour. This was a live podcast show like old radio dramas. In 2015, she was in a music video for the song "Waiting on Love."
Melanie was a judge for the U.S. Narrative Competition at the 2017 Tribeca Festival. In June 2018, she was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This group gives out the Oscars.
In October 2023, Melanie read a children's book called Memoirs of a Hamster for Storyline Online. This program helps children learn to read. In 2024, Melanie was chosen as a judge for the Heath Ledger Scholarship. This scholarship helps new Australian actors.
Her Life Outside Acting
In 2001, Melanie Lynskey met actor Jimmi Simpson while filming Rose Red. They got engaged in 2005 and married on April 14, 2007, in New Zealand. They divorced in 2014 but remained good friends.
In February 2017, Melanie announced she was engaged to Jason Ritter. They had been dating for four years. In December 2018, they welcomed their daughter. Melanie and Jason were married in 2020.
Melanie has lived in Los Angeles since 2000. She is a close friend of actress Clea DuVall. They met while working on But I'm a Cheerleader. Melanie became a vegetarian at age 10. Now, she eats fish but no other meat. She also has misophonia, which means certain sounds bother her a lot. She describes herself as a feminist.
Melanie has openly talked about her past struggles with an eating disorder. She said she was "very unwell" for a long time. She eventually realized she needed to be comfortable with herself.
Movies, TV Shows, and Awards
Melanie Lynskey has been in many acclaimed films. Some of her most praised movies include Heavenly Creatures (1994), Ever After (1998), Up in the Air (2009), Win Win (2011), Hello I Must Be Going (2012), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), Happy Christmas (2014), The Intervention (2016), and I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017).
Her television work includes Two and a Half Men (2003–2015), Togetherness (2015–2016), Castle Rock (2018), Mrs. America (2020), Candy (2022), and Yellowjackets (2021–present). Her films have earned over $733 million worldwide.
Melanie has received many awards and nominations. She has won a Sundance Special Jury Award and three Critics Choice Awards. She has also been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, three Gotham Awards, and other prestigious awards.
Images for kids
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Melanie Lynskey's signature
See also
In Spanish: Melanie Lynskey para niños
