Melanie Lynskey

At 16 years of age, Melanie Lynskey captivated filmgoers with an astonishing debut in Peter Jackson's revered psychological crime picture, Heavenly Creatures (1994). Her bold embodiment of the real-life Pauline Parker - a teenage outcast whose fierce bond with her only friend (a pre-stardom Kate Winslet) spiralled dangerously out of control - was heralded by TIME's Richard Corliss as "perfect", whilst earning the young New Zealander a Best Actress trophy in her motherland. 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 as Drew Barrymore's lovable stepsister in Andy Tennant's feminist fairy tale reworking, Ever After: A Cinderella Story (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 Oscar-nominated war epic Flags of Our Fat... [Details Intro]