Melanie Lynskey
May 1977
Melanie Jayne Lynskey (/ˈlɪnskɪ/ LIN-ski; born 16 May 1977) is a New Zealand actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women and her command of American dialects, she works predominantly in independent films and television, and is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a Critics' Choice Television Award and a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award.
1997
Following a three-year hiatus—during which she attended university, auditioned for a part in The Crucible (1996), and had a non-speaking cameo in Peter Jackson's The Frighteners (1996)—Lynskey secured a leading role in the independent drama Foreign Correspondents, which was filmed in Los Angeles in 1997 and garnered attention for its use of crowdfunding, a strategy that was considered a "breakthrough" at the time. That same year, she was cast as Drew Barrymore's "charming and funny" stepsister in Ever After, a post-feminist re-imagining of the Cinderella fairy tale. The film was a commercial and critical success upon its release in 1998.
1999
In 1999, Lynskey appeared in four features: teen comedy Detroit Rock City; period drama The Cherry Orchard; British gangster drama Shooters; and the cult hit But I'm a Cheerleader, which is often referred to as one of the best LGBT films ever made. Next, she adopted a New Jersey accent for a key role as Piper Perabo's best friend in the romantic comedy Coyote Ugly (2000), and returned to New Zealand to star as Alice—a free-spirited drifter who embarks on a dangerous road trip—in the award-winning Snakeskin (2001), which screened at the Cannes Film Festival. For the latter, she received strong reviews and a nomination for Best Actress at the New Zealand Film Awards.
2001
In 2001, Lynskey met American actor Jimmi Simpson during the filming of Rose Red, in which they both appeared. They became engaged in 2005 and were married on 14 April 2007, in a chapel on Lake Hayes, near Queenstown, New Zealand. Lynskey filed for divorce from Simpson on 25 September 2012, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was finalized on 23 May 2014. In February 2017, Lynskey announced that she was engaged to Jason Ritter, whom she had been dating for four years. In December the following year, they became parents to a daughter. They were married in 2020.
2002
In 2002, Lynskey re-teamed with director Andy Tennant—whom she previously worked with on Ever After—to play a childhood acquaintance of Reese Witherspoon in the romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama, which had a record-breaking opening weekend in North America. In recent years, the scene in which Lynskey's character (Lurlynn) nurses her baby in a crowded bar has been noted for its cultural relevance. Next, she appeared alongside Katie Holmes in psychological thriller Abandon, the directorial debut of Stephen Gaghan. The film received negative reviews from critics, but Lynskey's performance was considered to be one of its strong points, with Todd McCarthy of Variety pointing out that she "does some self-conscious scene stealing". That same year, she made her television debut in Rose Red, a miniseries written by Stephen King. The series was a ratings hit with an average of 18.5 million viewers over three consecutive nights.
2003
In 2003, Lynskey played the role of Amy Brand—a writer for The New Republic—in Shattered Glass, a film based on the career of former journalist Stephen Glass (played by Hayden Christensen). Jeff Otto of IGN called it "a tension-filled drama with great performances", while Andrew Sarris felt it was "as well executed as any movie I've seen this year", noting that "the performances of … Ms. Sevigny, Ms. Dawson and Ms. Lynskey do more than complement Mr. Christensen's central characterization; they provide a sane backdrop for [his] pathological deceptions to steadily unravel against". Later that year, she landed the part of Rose, the devious but lovable neighbor of Charlie Harper (played by Charlie Sheen) on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. After initially appearing in the pilot episode as a guest character, Lynskey was invited to become a series regular, and went on to appear frequently throughout the show's first two seasons. Despite leaving the main cast in 2005 to concentrate on film work —a decision that executive producer Chuck Lorre said he had "a lot of respect for" —she continued to make guest appearances on the show up until its final episode, which aired in February 2015.
2006
In 2006, Lynskey appeared as the wife of Rene Gagnon (played by Jesse Bradford) in the Clint Eastwood-directed war epic Flags of Our Fathers. Writing for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Burl Burlingame called it "the richest testament Hollywood has yet made about the paroxysm of World War II ... an astounding movie on every level", while Peter Travers of Rolling Stone believed it was "a film of awesome power and blistering provocation". The following year, she played one of the principal characters—a woman desperate to get away from her abusive husband—on the short-lived television series Drive, which was cancelled by FOX midway through its first season run. In her review for the Los Angeles Times of the series' first two episodes, Mary McNamara described Lynskey as "especially compelling".
2008
In 2008, Lynskey had a supporting role in the three-part Western miniseries Comanche Moon, which aired on CBS. The series received mixed reviews from critics, but People commented that Lynskey's performance was among the "best" in the cast. Later that year, she returned once again to New Zealand to star in the romantic drama Show of Hands, for which she earned a nomination for Best Actress at the Qantas Film and Television Awards.
2009
Also in 2009, Lynskey appeared as Edward Norton's pregnant fiancée in Tim Blake Nelson's black comedy Leaves of Grass, with Seongyong Cho of RogerEbert.com writing that her performance was one of the key contributors to the film's "quirky charm". Of her casting, Nelson said: "Melanie came in and read for me and, though she's from New Zealand, she was by far the most credible version of an Oklahoma girl I saw. And I probably auditioned 50 actresses for that role". Next, she appeared as Julie—the younger sister of George Clooney's character—in Up in the Air, which was directed by Jason Reitman and was nominated in six categories—including Best Picture—at the 82nd Academy Awards. In his previous work, Reitman had always rejected the idea of casting foreigners to play Americans, but Lynskey said she "tricked" him into giving her the part by avoiding conversation with him during her audition, thus concealing her real accent. Reitman said he was "thrilled" by this. In October 2009, Lynskey was presented with a Spotlight Award at the Hollywood Film Festival.
2009
Lynskey received strong reviews in 2009 for her appearance in Away We Go, a comedy-drama directed by Sam Mendes, where she played a woman who has suffered a series of miscarriages. Referring to the scene in which her character (Munch) performs a pole dance in front of her grieving husband, Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe stated: "Lynskey dramatizes sadness and dysfunction with quiet, moving physicality. [Her] character's whole life is there in her long face and drooping limbs. It's the best performance in the movie". Next, she co-starred as Matt Damon's wife, Ginger, in Steven Soderbergh's comedic biographical drama The Informant!. Based on real events, the film was described as "devilish fun" by Rolling Stone, while Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent noted that Lynskey provided "sterling support". During promotion of the film in September that year, Soderbergh told the Los Angeles Times:
2010
In 2010, Lynskey had a starring role in Helena from the Wedding, which Jon Frosch of The Hollywood Reporter called a "wise, luminous low-budget comedy", adding, "The actors form a seamless ensemble, but [the film] belongs to ... Lynskey". The following year, she starred opposite Kurt Russell in the sports drama Touchback, and received praise for her portrayal of Cindy—a recovering drug addict—in Win Win, where she co-starred with Paul Giamatti. In his review of the latter for The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney commended the film's director (Tom McCarthy) for his "unerring touch with minor-key character-based comedy and emotionally honest drama", while noting that Lynskey "brings welcome soft shadings to the story's disruptive element". Meanwhile, Mary Pols stated in her review for Time that "[Lynskey] has become one of the most reliably intriguing supporting actresses in film ... she had [parts in] Away We Go, The Informant! and Up in the Air ... she was wonderful in all three. In [this] she gives a very different kind of performance and is even better".
2012
Asked by a journalist in 2012 about how she felt being cast—up to that point in her career—as a supporting player rather than a lead, Lynskey said it was something she had thought about a lot, and that the "meaty" parts are mostly written for men, or actresses like Meryl Streep. "For a while, I was only being sent fat-girl parts", she said. "Seriously? Sometimes I feel like I'm making some kind of radical statement because I'm a size 6". She told a different journalist that same year, "It's been a big issue that I'm not [famous] … I'll audition for something and then the feedback has been, 'The director wants you, the creative people want you, but the studio is saying no' … but I understand. People are investing a lot of money and they want somewhat of a guarantee". Lynskey has subsequently taken on leading roles in numerous independent films and has been labelled an "indie queen".
2012
In 2012, Lynskey appeared alongside Steve Carell in Lorene Scafaria's comedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, and had a key role as the teenage main character's sexually abusive Aunt Helen in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a drama based on the novel of the same name. Due to the nature of her character in the latter, Lynskey said it had been a difficult decision to take the part. Also that year, she starred in the romantic comedy Putzel, with Mark Hinson of the Tallahassee Democrat writing that her performance—in the role of Sally, a professional dancer and the love interest of the main character—"steals the show ... [the film] sparks to life whenever the charming Lynskey arrives on the screen"; while in his review for Redefine, Allen Huang described her as "delightful" and "deftly believable".
2012
In 2012, Lynskey voiced an animated version of herself in an airline safety video for Air New Zealand.
2013
In 2013, Lynskey had a starring role in The Big Ask, an independent comedy-drama. The film received a mixed reception from critics, but Lynskey's portrayal of Hannah was praised. In April the following year, she was named an Emerging Master honoree at the RiverRun International Film Festival. Her next role was in Happy Christmas (2014), where she played Kelly, an aspiring novelist whose passion for writing is rekindled when her sister-in-law (played by Anna Kendrick) comes to visit. The film drew attention for being almost entirely improvised. Stephen Holden of The New York Times commented, "The performances in Happy Christmas are so natural that the actors melt into their characters", while other critics singled out Lynskey as a highlight. Later that year, she appeared as Amy Poehler's best friend in David Wain's satirical romantic comedy They Came Together, and played the female leads in We'll Never Have Paris and Goodbye to All That. In his review of the latter, Bilge Ebiri said that Lynskey's portrayal of a frustrated wife was "fantastic", while Variety described her as "heartbreaking ... This is what falling out of love looks like. It's not screaming matches and altercations; it's apathy and indifference". Next, she provided the voice of Beatrice, an ill-tempered bluebird, for the Cartoon Network miniseries Over the Garden Wall. Kevin Johnson of The A.V. Club noted, "Lynskey steals the show with her amazing putdowns and passive-aggressiveness, smartly avoiding overdone sass or sarcasm". The series went on to receive three Creative Arts Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Animated Program.
February 2013
In February 2013, she participated in a Live Read performance of the 1992 film Glengarry Glen Ross. The read-through was directed by Jason Reitman, who assembled a cast of women to read the all-male script; Lynskey portrayed the role of George Aaronow (originally played by Alan Arkin).
2015
In 2015, she starred in the music video for the song "Waiting on Love" by Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers, alongside Jason Ritter.
2015
USA Today praised the film for being "funny, well-written, involving and emotionally honest", while noting that "Lynskey brings dimension and intelligence" and a "sympathetic blend of humor, dignity and naturalness to the role". The performance earned her a nomination for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor. In 2015, Screen Rant placed Lynskey's portrayal of Amy at #6 on their list of the '20 Best Acting Performances of the Last 5 Years'.
2016
Lynskey has been open about her struggle with an eating disorder, which lasted for several years. Speaking in 2016, she said that she was "very unwell for a long time", and later recalled that "even when I was … 58 kilograms [128 pounds] I would still be shamed in wardrobe fittings for not being sample size".
2016
The performance earned Lynskey a nomination for the 2015 Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Despite missing out on a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2016, she was singled out as a worthy candidate in the run-up to that year's ceremony. In March 2016, it was announced that HBO had decided not to renew Togetherness for a third season. Lynskey later compared this to having her "heart broken by someone I'm still in love with".
2017
Speaking in 2017 about taking risks in her film work, Lynskey said, "I want to tell stories about women who are interesting and complicated and not like people you've seen before ... There aren't that many opportunities [to do that] except in the independent film world. I've made films that have cost $50,000 for the entire film. If you're willing to work like that, you get chances to do really creative, interesting stuff".
2018
Lynskey had a starring role in the independent drama Sadie in 2018, playing a woman struggling to raise her daughter while her husband is on a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Variety described the film as "quietly absorbing", adding that Lynskey's work was "strong" and "compelling"; while Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "It's no surprise that Lynskey, who has quietly [been] establishing herself as one of indie cinema's finest actors, is once again superb in her emotionally complex turn". Next, she appeared in the principal role of Molly Strand on the first season of Castle Rock, a psychological horror series based on characters and settings from the novels of Stephen King. The series premiered on Hulu in July 2018 and garnered positive reviews, particularly for the cast; Paste referred to Lynskey as "delicately complex", while Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone felt the show was "the latest example of how much humanity and grounding [Lynskey] can bring to the most surreal and macabre of stories ... a tradition that goes back to when she was a teenager in Heavenly Creatures". The series was later renewed for a second season; however, due to the anthological nature of the narrative, it featured a different set of actors.
June 2018
In June 2018, Lynskey was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
May 2020
Between April and May 2020, Lynskey co-starred with Cate Blanchett in the nine-part miniseries Mrs. America, a political drama centred on the career of conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly. The series ran on FX on Hulu and was widely acclaimed by critics, with James Poniewozik of The New York Times calling it "breathtaking ... a meticulously created and observed mural that finds the germ of contemporary America in the striving of righteously mad women". Lynskey's portrayal of the real-life Rosemary Thomson, a staunch supporter of Schlafly's, was described as "delightful" and a "standout" among the cast. She later called working with Blanchett "one of the great experiences of my life".
2021
In 2021, Lynskey played the principal role of Hannah—a layabout stoner who unwittingly lands a job as a tour guide in a historic mansion—in the buddy comedy Lady of the Manor, the directorial debut of actor Justin Long and his brother, Christian. Lynskey said that she agreed to take the part because "the thought of being in sweatpants and just acting like I was high for a whole movie was so freeing". Critics were dismissive of the film's reliance on scatological humour, but Lynskey's performance was well received, with Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter commenting that she "brings the same airtight commitment to hot mess Hannah that she does to all her varied roles" and finding her chemistry with co-star Judy Greer to be "warm and genuine"; while Screen Rant felt that she "shines as ... the rudderless, classless ... screw-up. [She] unabashedly embraces physical humor ... and really commits to the gags. There are a few laugh-out-loud moments in the film, and Lynskey is at the center of all of them". Adam McKay's satirical tackling of the climate change crisis, Don't Look Up, was Lynskey's second film role of 2021. Her portrayal of June—the wife of Leonardo DiCaprio's Randall—was picked out as a highlight among the ensemble cast, with David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter describing her as "terrific", and IndieWire's David Ehrlich writing: "[She's] low-key brilliant as [DiCaprio's] clear-headed wife, her grounded performance paving the way for a surprisingly poignant [climax]". In January 2022, it was reported that Don't Look Up had set a record for the most viewings of any film on Netflix (the film's distributor) in a single week, making it the third most-watched item in the company's history.
November 2021
On the Showtime series Yellowjackets, which premiered on 14 November 2021, Lynskey stars in the role of Shauna Sadecki (née Shipman), a suburban housewife and mother who, along with three old high school friends (played by Tawny Cypress, Christina Ricci and Juliette Lewis), has been harbouring secrets about a plane crash that occurred 25 years ago. The series was praised by Judy Berman of Time for its "psychological realism" and ability to mix different genres together successfully, while Lacy Baugher Milas of Paste felt it was "one of the fall television season's most compelling new offerings, a twisty mystery that … grounds its story in a specifically female experience in a way that other [shows] like this have never bothered to try". The cast were unanimously commended for their performances, but Rolling Stone believed "The standout ... is Lynskey. She's always great, but Shauna feels like the ... part she's been waiting her whole career to play". In a similar review, The Guardian agreed that "Lynskey does by far the most emotional heavy lifting of the series". Lynskey said it was the character's "internalized rage" that attracted her to the role, as well as "a real dark streak that I … loved and was also terrified of".
December 2021
It was announced on 7 December 2021 that Lynskey had been nominated for the 2022 Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Shauna. She was revealed as the winner during the ceremony on 13 March 2022. She has since received various other accolades for the performance, including a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
May 2022
In May 2022, Lynskey starred as Betty Gore—the victim of real-life murderess Candy Montgomery, played by Jessica Biel—in the true crime miniseries Candy, which aired over five consecutive nights on Hulu. Despite a mixed critical reaction, with some finding the show too similar to others of its type, Biel and Lynskey's work was unanimously praised: Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly felt that "Lynskey ... captures the sadness and seething resentment of a woman stifled by the confines of stay-at-home motherhood", while Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com said, "She does so much with just a sigh or defeated body language". Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, Richard Roeper called the series "a fascinating psychological character study", adding that "Although Candy devotes the majority of screen time to telling events from the title character's point of view, Lynskey gives Betty a memorable and constant presence ... [she] was clearly depressed and in need of help ... and through Lynskey's performance, we find that tragic and heartbreaking". It was announced in December 2022 that Lynskey had been nominated for Critics' Choice and Satellite Awards for her portrayal of Betty.
January 2023
On HBO's The Last of Us—an adaptation of the 2013 action-adventure game—Lynskey appeared in the guest role of Kathleen (an original character created especially for the series by showrunner Craig Mazin), the "ruthless leader of a revolutionary movement in Kansas City". The show premiered in January 2023 to strong reviews: Stephen Kelly of BBC Culture called it "The best video game adaptation ever", noting that Lynskey's "chillingly violent and vengeful" performance was "superb". Daniel Fienberg felt she was "excellent ... thoroughly effective" in his review for The Hollywood Reporter, while Ben Travers of IndieWire wrote that one piece of dialogue in particular—"kids die, they die all the time"—stood out for him as "an all-time cold-blooded bad guy quote, delivered with exhausted gravity by [Lynskey]".
