Melanie Lynskey
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Melanie Jayne Lynskey (born May 16, 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. Lynskey made her film debut at age 17 portraying Pauline Parker in Heavenly Creatures (1994). She went on to establish herself as a character actress through supporting parts in Ever After (1998); But I'm a Cheerleader (1999); Coyote Ugly (2000); Sweet Home Alabama (2002); Shattered Glass (2003); Flags of Our Fathers (2006); Away We Go; Up in the Air; The Informant! (all 2009); Win Win (2011); The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012); and Don't Look Up (2021). Her starring role in Hello I Must Be Going (2012) proved to be a turning point in Lynskey's career, with subsequent lead parts in Happy Christmas (2014), The Intervention (2016), and I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017) highlighting her as a prominent figure in independent cinema. On television, Lynskey played Rose in Two and a Half Men (2003-2015), Shauna in Yellowjackets (2021-2026) and Kathleen in The Last of Us (2023). Lynskey is the recipient of two Critics' Choice Awards, a HCA Award, a Gracie, a New Zealand Film Award, a Hollywood Film Award, and a Sundance Special Jury Award, as well as Gotham, Satellite, Saturn, Golden Nymph, Independent Spirit, Screen Actors Guild, and Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
Known for
Credits
Don't Look Up (2021)
as June Mindy
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
as Aunt Helen
Coyote Ugly (2000)
as Gloria
Up in the Air (2009)
as Julie Bingham
Don't Say Good Luck (2026)
as Elizabeth Birenbaum
But I'm a Cheerleader (2000)
as Hilary
Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
as Pauline Harnois
EverAfter (1998)
as Jacqueline de Ghent
Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
as Lurlynn
The Frighteners (1996)
as Deputy
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)
as Karen Amalfi
Shattered Glass (2003)
as Amy Brand
They Came Together (2014)
as Brenda
The Informant! (2009)
as Ginger Whitacre
Heavenly Creatures (1994)
as Pauline Parker
Happy Christmas (2014)
as Kelly
Park (2006)
as Sheryl
Chu and Blossom (2014)
as Miss Shoemaker
XX (2017)
as Mary (segment "The Birthday Party")
Detroit Rock City (1999)
as Beth Bumsteen
Pike River (2025)
as Anna Osborne
Leaves of Grass (2009)
as Colleen
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)
as Ruth Kimke
Abandon (2002)
as Mousy Julie
Lady of the Manor (2021)
as Hannah
Helena from the Wedding: Cast Interviews (2011)
as Self
Away We Go (2009)
as Munch
Digging for Fire (2015)
as Squiggy
Helena from the Wedding (2010)
as Alice
1 Mile To You (2017)
as Coach Rowan
The Changeover (2017)
as Kate Chant
Win Win (2011)
as Cindy Timmons
Goodbye to All That (2014)
as Annie Wall
Hello I Must Be Going (2012)
as Amy
Touchback (2011)
as Macy
Shooters (2002)
as Marie
We'll Never Have Paris (2014)
as Devon
Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007)
as Pat (uncredited)
And Then I Go (2017)
as Janice
The Intervention (2016)
as Annie
Snakeskin (2001)
as Alice
Rainbow Time (2016)
as Lindsay
Little Boxes (2017)
as Gina
Griffin in Summer (2025)
as Helen
Say Uncle (2006)
as Susan
A Quiet Little Marriage (2008)
as Monique
Eye of the Hurricane (2012)
as Amelia Kyte
The Cherry Orchard (1999)
as Dunyasha
Folk Hero & Funny Guy (2016)
as Becky
Behind Over the Garden Wall (2015)
as Self
Show of Hands (2008)
as Jess
Sadie (2018)
as Rae
The Great & The Small (2016)
as Margaret
The Big Ask (2014)
as Hannah
A Kiwi Legend (2013)
as Self
Foreign Correspondents (2001)
as Melody
The Nearly Unadventurous Life of Zoe Cadwaulder (2004)
as Zoe Cadwaulder
The Making of The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2024)
as Self
Claustrophobia (2003)
as Lauren
Putzel (2012)
as Sally