Melanie Lynskey
Birth name	Melanie Jayne Lynskey
Born	May 16, 1977 (1977-05-16) (age 30) New Plymouth, North Island, New Zealand
Notable roles	Pauline Parker in Heavenly Creatures Rose in Two and a Half Men Wendy Patrakas in Drive

Melanie Jayne Lynskey (b. May 16, 1977, New Plymouth, New Zealand) is an actress best known for her starring turn in Peter Jackson's Oscar-nominated movie Heavenly Creatures (1994) and for her role on the American sitcom Two and a Half Men. If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... New Plymouth is the port and main city in the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. ... North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ... Pauline Yvonne Parker was born in 1938 in New Zealand. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Two and a Half Men is an Emmy-nominated television sitcom centered around a freewheeling bachelor, Charlie, whose carefree lifestyle is interrupted when his newly separated brother, Alan, moves in, along with Alans son Jake. ... This article lists the major and recurring characters created by Tim Minear and Ben Queen for the television programs, Drive. ... Drive is an American television series created by Tim Minear and Ben Queen and produced by Minear, Queen, and Greg Yaitanes. ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... New Plymouth is the port and main city in the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Peter Jackson CNZM (born October 31, 1961) is a New Zealand filmmaker best known as the director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which he, along with Fran Walsh, his long time partner, and Philippa Boyens, adapted from the novels by J. R. R. Tolkien. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... Two and a Half Men is an Emmy-nominated television sitcom centered around a freewheeling bachelor, Charlie, whose carefree lifestyle is interrupted when his newly separated brother, Alan, moves in, along with Alans son Jake. ...

Biography

Career

Lynskey developed a love of acting at a young age when her dream was to be a stage actor in Wellington, New Zealand. In 1992, when she was a 15-year-old drama captain at her school in New Plymouth, Lynskey was discovered by Fran Walsh and immediately cast alongside Kate Winslet in Heavenly Creatures, a true-life crime story set in Christchurch, New Zealand in the 1950s, in spite of never having acted professionally. Directed and co-written by the then unknown Peter Jackson, the 1994 film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay the following year. Alternative meanings at Wellington (disambiguation) A view of Wellington from the top of Mount Victoria. ... Fran Walsh and her husband Peter Jackson Frances Walsh MNZM is an Academy Award-winning screenwriter and film producer and also a musician. ... Kate Elizabeth Winslet (born October 5, 1975) is a five time Academy Award-nominated Emmy Award-nominated BAFTA, Grammy and Screen Actors Guild Award winning English actress. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Christchurch (disambiguation). ... Peter Jackson CNZM (born October 31, 1961) is a New Zealand filmmaker best known as the director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which he, along with Fran Walsh, his long time partner, and Philippa Boyens, adapted from the novels by J. R. R. Tolkien. ... // November 1 - George Lucas leaves the day-to-day operations of his filmmaking business and starts a sabbatical (while on sabbatical, he wrote the prequel Star Wars trilogy). ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... The Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. ...

Melanie Lynskey (right) with Kate Winslet in Heavenly Creatures, her first film role

Unlike her friend and co-lead, however, Lynskey went unnoticed in the wake of the film's success. Consequently, she did not receive any further offers of acting work, except for a non-speaking, walk-on part in The Frighteners. With no roles coming her way in New Zealand, Lynskey journeyed to Los Angeles, but only stayed for about three months. In spite of the praise she received for her debut role, film producers and casting directors proved to be less willing to find her acting work in Hollywood, and she failed to secure another role. She returned home, temporarily gave up acting, and spent two years studying for an English Literature degree at Victoria University in Wellington. In her absence, the agent who had agreed to represent her, Susan Smith, continued to keep working on her behalf to get Lynskey noticed by the Hollywood casting directors. Image File history File links Winslet_&_Lynskey_in_Heavenly_Creatures. ... Image File history File links Winslet_&_Lynskey_in_Heavenly_Creatures. ... Kate Elizabeth Winslet (born October 5, 1975) is a five time Academy Award-nominated Emmy Award-nominated BAFTA, Grammy and Screen Actors Guild Award winning English actress. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the Matt Helm spy novel by Donald Hamilton, see The Frighteners (novel). ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Victoria University may refer to: Victoria University of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh (see www. ...

In 1997, she headed to Los Angeles for a second time at the request of indie filmmaker Mark Tapio Kines, who had read about Lynskey on the internet and wanted to cast her in his debut feature, Foreign Correspondents. While she was making her American movie debut, she was cast in her first Hollywood movie, Ever After. Although her role was minor, it started to open one or two doors that had previously been closed to her. And parts in Detroit Rock City, But I'm a Cheerleader, The Cherry Orchard and Coyote Ugly suddenly came her way; followed by the New Zealand thriller Snakeskin, the only NZ film project, apart from Heavenly Creatures, that she had starred in. An independent film, or indie film, is usually a low-budget film that is produced by a small movie studio. ... Mark Tapio Kines Mark Tapio Kines (born 1970 in Danvers, Massachusetts, USA) is an American film director, writer, producer and owner of Los Angeles-based Cassava Films [1]. Kines is perhaps best known for directing the thriller, Claustrophobia, released as Serial Slayer on Lionsgate Home Entertainment on December 14, 2004. ... Ever After: A Cinderella Story is a 1998 film adaptation of the fairy tale Cinderella, directed by Andy Tennant and starring Drew Barrymore. ... Detroit Rock City is a 1999 film about four teenagers in a KISS cover band who try to see their idols in Detroit in 1978. ... But Im a Cheerleader is a 1999 satire film directed by Jamie Babbit about a high school cheerleader, Megan Bloomfield (Natasha Lyonne), who is sent to a reparative therapy camp. ... Bust of Anton Chekhov at Badenweiler, Germany The Cherry Orchard (Вишнëвый сад or Vishniovy sad in Russian) is Russian playwright Anton Chekhovs last play. ... Coyote ugly is a term made famous by the film of the same name (see below). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

A year later, Lynskey appeared in ABC's Rose Red, as well as Abandon and Sweet Home Alabama. She then supported Hayden Christensen in Shattered Glass and guest-starred on The Shield, before landing a major role on the CBS comedy Two and a Half Men, as Charlie Sheen's endearingly offbeat neighbor-turned-stalker, Rose. The American Broadcasting Company ( oftenly known as ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... Rose Red is a 2002 horror movie with mystery and thriller elements, based on a plot written by Stephen King. ... Abandon is a thriller film released by Paramount Pictures in the US and Touchstone Pictures internationally in 2002. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Shattered Glass is a 2003 film about the fast rise and steep fall of Stephen Glasss journalistic career at the The New Republic magazine during the mid-1990s when his serial journalistic fraud was exposed. ... The Shield is an American police-drama television series shown on FX Networks in the U.S. and other networks internationally. ... CBS is one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States. ... Two and a Half Men is an Emmy-nominated television sitcom centered around a freewheeling bachelor, Charlie, whose carefree lifestyle is interrupted when his newly separated brother, Alan, moves in, along with Alans son Jake. ... Charles Irwin Sheen (born Carlos Irwin Estévez on September 3, 1965) is a Golden Globe Award-winning and Emmy-nominated American actor. ...

Most recently, Lynskey has co-starred in Clint Eastwood's epic World War II drama, Flags of Our Fathers. She also appeared alongside William Baldwin in Park, and recently starred with Nathan Fillion on Tim Minear's acclaimed but short-lived Drive. Clint Eastwood (born Clinton Eastwood, Jr. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Marines raising the US flag on Iwo Jima in a publicity still from Flags of Our Fathers. ... William Billy Baldwin (born February 21, 1963 in Massapequa, New York) is an American actor best known for his early starring roles in such films as Backdraft (1991) and Flatliners (1990). ... Park is the name of a upcoming comedy-drama that will be in limited release in 2006. ... Nathan Fillion (born March 27, 1971) is a Canadian actor. ... Tim Minear (born October 29, 1963) is an American screenwriter and director. ... Drive is an American television series created by Tim Minear and Ben Queen and produced by Minear, Queen, and Greg Yaitanes. ...

Personal life

Lynskey married New York-born actor Jimmi Simpson on April 14, 2007, in Queenstown, New Zealand.[1] The pair met during the making of Rose Red. They live together in Los Angeles with their dog, Mouse (a chihuahua-dachshund mix). Jimmi Simpson (born 1975) is an American actor of television and film. ... April 14 is the 104th day of the year (105th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 261 days remaining. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Rose Red is a 2002 horror movie with mystery and thriller elements, based on a plot written by Stephen King. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

A vegetarian, Lynskey has four siblings; three younger brothers and a younger sister. For animals adapted to eat primarily plants, sometimes referred to as vegetarian animals, see Herbivore. ...

Quotes

• "You always see those movies that have amazing casts, and it's funny to be in one of them. It's a list of all these fantastic people--and, oh, me as well."

• "If I ever have time off and don't know what's coming up next, I get really nervous and think, Oh well, it's probably over."

• "I always try to do something really different from the last thing. After Abandon, where I was this creepy girl, I just wanted to play someone happy, and then Sweet Home Alabama came along, which was perfect."

• (on working with Charlie Sheen) "We get on terribly. I can't stand him. No, he's great. He's really quiet and shy and sweet."

• (on Sheen's reaction to her native accent) "He turned around and said, "What's this, uh, voice? What are you doing?" I said, "I'm just talking." Then he said, "Hmmm. Is that some kind of actor-y thing?" "

• "The first audition I ever did, the casting director said, 'I don't know why you're here. You're never going to work in America. You don't look right. You don't have the right kind of personality. I don't even know if you can do an American accent. Maybe you can try England.' "

• "(...) I was in Montreal and this girl came up to me and said, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Melanie Lynskey?" "

Awards and nominations

• 1995 - Won - Best Actress (Pauline Parker, Heavenly Creatures) - New Zealand Film and Television Awards
• 1999 - Nominated - Best Actress (Melody, Foreign Correspondents) - Chicago Alt.Film Fest
• 2001 - Nominated - Best Actress (Alice, Snakeskin) - New Zealand Film and Television Awards

Filmography

• Heavenly Creatures (1994) .... Pauline Yvonne Parker Rieper
• The Frighteners (1996) .... Deputy
• Ever After (1998) .... Jacqueline De Ghent
• Measureless to Man (1999) .... ????
• Foreign Correspondents (1999) .... Melody
• Detroit Rock City (1999) .... Beth Bumsteen
• But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) .... Hilary Vandermuller
• The Cherry Orchard (1999) .... Dunyasha
• Coyote Ugly (2000) .... Gloria
• Snakeskin (2001) .... Alice
• Shooters (2002) .... Marie
• Rose Red (2002) (TV miniseries) .... Rachel 'Sister' Wheaton
• Sweet Home Alabama (2002) .... Lurlynn
• Abandon (2002) .... Mousy Julie
• The Shield (2002-????) (TV series) .... Marcy (2003)
• Claustrophobia (2003) .... Lauren
• Shattered Glass (2003) .... Amy Brand
• Two and a Half Men (2003-????) (TV series) .... Rose (2003-2007)
• The Nearly Unadventurous Life of Zoe Cadwaulder (2004) .... Zoe Cadwaulder
• Say Uncle (2005) .... Susan
• Park (2006) .... Sheryl
• Flags of Our Fathers (2006) .... Pauline Harnois
• Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007) .... ????
• Drive (TV series) (2007) (TV series) .... Wendy Patrakas
• Big Stan (2007) (post-production) .... ????
• Comanche Moon (2007) (TV miniseries) (post-production) .... Pearl Coleman

This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the Matt Helm spy novel by Donald Hamilton, see The Frighteners (novel). ... Ever After: A Cinderella Story is a 1998 film adaptation of the fairy tale Cinderella, directed by Andy Tennant and starring Drew Barrymore. ... Detroit Rock City is a 1999 film about four teenagers in a KISS cover band who try to see their idols in Detroit in 1978. ... But Im a Cheerleader is a 1999 satire film directed by Jamie Babbit about a high school cheerleader, Megan Bloomfield (Natasha Lyonne), who is sent to a reparative therapy camp. ... Bust of Anton Chekhov at Badenweiler, Germany The Cherry Orchard (Вишнëвый сад or Vishniovy sad in Russian) is Russian playwright Anton Chekhovs last play. ... Coyote ugly is a term made famous by the film of the same name (see below). ... Rose Red is a 2002 horror movie with mystery and thriller elements, based on a plot written by Stephen King. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Abandon is a thriller film released by Paramount Pictures in the US and Touchstone Pictures internationally in 2002. ... The Shield is an American police-drama television series shown on FX Networks in the U.S. and other networks internationally. ... Claustrophobia (also known as Serial Slayer in Australia and New Zealand) is a 2003 horror film written and directed by Mark Tapio Kines. ... Shattered Glass is a 2003 film about the fast rise and steep fall of Stephen Glasss journalistic career at the The New Republic magazine during the mid-1990s when his serial journalistic fraud was exposed. ... Two and a Half Men is an Emmy-nominated television sitcom centered around a freewheeling bachelor, Charlie, whose carefree lifestyle is interrupted when his newly separated brother, Alan, moves in, along with Alans son Jake. ... Say Uncle is an independently produced film written and directed by Peter Paige. ... Park is the name of a upcoming comedy-drama that will be in limited release in 2006. ... Marines raising the US flag on Iwo Jima in a publicity still from Flags of Our Fathers. ... Itty Bitty Titty Committee is an upcoming comedy film scheduled for release in 2007. ... Drive is an American television series created by Tim Minear and Ben Queen and produced by Minear, Queen, and Greg Yaitanes. ... Big Stan is an upcoming film directed by & starring Rob Schneider slated for release sometime in 2007. ...

External links

• Melanie Lynskey at CBS - Two and a Half Men
• Melanie Lynskey at the Internet Movie Database
• Melanie Lynskey fan resource
• MelanieLynskey.net
• Melanie Lynskey Online