Melanie Jayne Lynskey is a New Zealand actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women and her command of American accents, she works predominantly in independent films and television. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Critics' Choice Awards and nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards.
Lynskey made her film debut at age 17 in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures (1994), earning critical acclaim for her portrayal of murderer Pauline Parker. She later had supporting roles in Ever After (1998), But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), and Coyote Ugly (2000). After moving to the United States, Lynskey became known as a character actress through parts in films such as 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 as a depressed divorcee in Hello I Must Be Going (2012) proved to be a turning point in Lynskey's career, with subsequent lead roles in Happy Christmas (2014), The Intervention (2016), and I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017) establishing her as a prominent figure in independent cinema.
On television, Lynskey played Rose on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men (2003–2015). She starred as Michelle Pierson on HBO's Togetherness (2015–2016) and Molly Strand on Hulu's Castle Rock (2018), and appeared in the miniseries Mrs. America (2020) and Candy (2022). Since 2021, she has played Shauna on Showtime's Yellowjackets, winning the 2022 Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series and being nominated twice for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress (2022, 2024). Lynskey is married to actor Jason Ritter, with whom she has a daughter.
