Melanie Lynskey
At 16 years of age, Melanie Lynskey captivated audiences with her astonishing debut in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures (1994). Her portrayal of Pauline - an outcast teenager whose relationship with her best friend (Kate Winslet) spirals dangerously out of control - was described as "perfect" by Richard Corliss of TIME magazine, and earned Lynskey a Best Actress prize at the New Zealand Film Awards.
Following a three-year hiatus spent studying at university and re-locating to Los Angeles, Lynskey made a welcome return to the silver screen when she was cast opposite Drew Barrymore in Ever After (1998). Parts in Detroit Rock City (1999), But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), Coyote Ugly (2000), Snakeskin (2001), Abandon (2002), Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Shattered Glass (2003), and Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers (2006) came next.
In recent years, Lynskey has emerged as one of the industry's most celebrated character actors, gaining plaudits for her performances in Sam Mendes's Away We Go (2009), Jason Reitman's Up in the Air (2009), Steven Soderbergh's The Informant! (2009), Win Win (2011), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), and Don't Look Up (2021).
Prolific supporting roles - opposite the likes of George Clooney, Edward Norton, Matt Damon, and Leonardo DiCaprio - aside, headline parts in Hello I Must Be Going (2012), Happy Christmas (2014), The Intervention (2016) - for which she received a Special Jury Award at Sundance - and I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017) have proved that she is also a dynamite leading lady.
On television, Lynskey has worked her scene-stealing magic in a vast mixture of projects, such as the hugely popular Two and a Half Men (2003), where she appeared for twelve years as Rose; the acclaimed HBO dramedy Togetherness (2015), for which she earned a Critics' Choice nomination for her portrayal of Michelle Pearson; the psychological horror series Castle Rock (2018), where she starred as Molly Strand; and the critically lauded miniseries Mrs. America (2020).
In 2022, Lynskey collected the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her mesmerising portrayal of Shauna - a suburban housewife harbouring some chilling secrets - on Showtime's Yellowjackets (2021), with Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone describing her work as the "dark, messy, charismatic part she's been waiting her whole career to play."
Movies
- Mar 23, 2023
- English
This equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama tells the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later.
Two astronomers go on a media tour to warn humankind of a planet-killing comet hurtling toward Earth. The response from a distracted world: Meh.
- Mar 30, 2016
- English
Twenty-six year old Scott is living on the streets and trying to find his way back into society while on probation for petty crimes. He attempts to navigate his relationship with his two bit criminal of a boss and an enigmatic detective, while at the same time winning back the heart of his ex-girlfriend, a working single mom. Never having a mother or father himself, Scott discovers the true meaning of fatherhood.
- Dec 16, 2014
- English
Otto Wall is just a little unlucky in life, and unbeknownst to him, in love. When his wife suddenly asks for a divorce, he bounces between a search for answers, desperate attempts to stay connected to his daughter, and his fateful reentry into the dating pool.
- Jan 30, 2013
- English
Divorced and demoralised, Amy Minsky’s prospects look bleak when she is condemned to move back in with her parents at the age of 35. Everyone wants to help but, as her patience level with advice is plummeting, a bold teenage boy enters her life, igniting her last bit of self-esteem.