Melanie Lynskey

Melanie Jayne Lynskey (/ˈlɪnski/ LIN-skee; born 16 May 1977) 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 three Critics' Choice Awards and nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards.

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 the recurring role of Rose on Two and a Half Men (2003–2015). Her other credits include Togetherness (2015–2016) and Castle Rock (2018), as well as the miniseries Mrs. America (2020) and Candy (2022). Since 2021, she has starred as Shauna on Yellowjackets, winning the 2022 Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress and being nominated twice for the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress (2022; 2023). She played Kathleen on The Last of Us in 2023, earning another Emmy Award nomination. Lynskey is married to actor Jason Ritter, with whom she has a daughter.