Known for her performances inTwo and a Half MenandYellowjackets,Melanie Lynskeyis an actress that many recognize. The New Zealand-born actress built up her career with small but prominent roles throughout film and TV before landing her first leading role inHeavenly Creatures. Most of her characters are quirky, soft-spoken characters to suit her natural appearance and breathy voice.
Though it’s hard to believe shealmost turned down the role, Lynskey has recently received a great deal ofcritical acclaim for her performance inYellowjackets. That said, she had a great deal of experience under her belt, as an actress. While many of her roles are rather small appearances, she still leaves an impression on the audience. Many of her roles are deserving of more attention for her performance on screen. These are Melanie Lynskey’s best performances, ranked.
Related:Melanie Lynskey Says She Was Body-Shamed on Yellowjackets Set
8The Perks of Being a Wallflower
While this role is small, it’s still a wonderful performance on Melanie Lynskey’s part. Playing the role of Charlie’s deceased Aunt Helen who only appears in flashbacks, Lynskey manages to establish the complicated relationship between Helen and Charlie through nothing but a series of flashbacks. While initially believed to be a loving aunt, it is eventually revealed that Helen sexually abused Charlie as a child. Nothing is ever explicitly said or done and while Helen’s physical presence is absent from the film, she left a mark on Charlie because of what she did. Her haunting performance inThe Perks of Being a Wallfloweras a pedophile with many psychological problems is eerie and a departure from Lynskey’s usual quirky lovable character.
7Two and a Half Men
Melanie Lynskey is probably most known for her role onTwo and a Half Menalongside Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer. Playing Charlie’s creeper stalker Rose, who had a one-night stand with him and refuses to leave his life, Rose is a series regular. Lynskey manages to be a stalker who pops into Charlie’s life, mainly by climbing over his deck and waiting at the patio door for someone to notice her, without making her character horrifying. Rose is somewhat lovable as she gives Charlie advice about his life. It’s difficult to make a stalker comedic, but thanks to Lynskey’s performance, Rose comes across as a lovable addition to the cast.
6The Informant!
Following Mark Whitacre, who agrees to become a Federal informant for his employer, an agricultural corporation, to expose a price-fixing conspiracy all while Mark struggles with his bipolar disorder.The Informant!is a one of a kind film. Based on the nonfiction novelThe Informant, the film stars Matt Damon, Scott Bakula and Melanie Lynskey. Lynskey plays the part of Ginger Whitacre, Mark’s wife who urges him to become an informant in the first place. Her manipulative tactics are part of what sends Mark into his manic spiral, causing Mark a great deal of distress as he struggles to find some stability in what he is doing as an informant. The film made a mark and isconsidered one of Stephen Soderberghs’ best movies.
5Don’t Look Up
Considered one of the best disaster films of all times,Don’t Look Upis a Netflix original comedy disaster film as astronomers Dr. Randall Mindy and Kate Dibiasky go on a media campaign in the hopes of raising awareness of the comet approaching Earth, threatening to destroy the planet. With an ensemble cast featuring Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and so many more, Melanie Lynskey joins the cast as June, Randall’s wife who confronts him about his infidelity. While this role is just a small little snippet, Lynskey brings her usual soft-spoken charm to the screen.
Related:Best Movies Featuring an Ensemble Cast, Ranked
4Heavenly Creatures
Melanie Lynskey’s film debut in Peter Jackson’sHeavenly Creaturesin which she plays Pauline is a must on this list. Nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards,Heavenly Creaturesfollows New Zealand teens Juliet and Pauline who want to run away to America when their friendship is threatened by those around them, including their parents. When this proves to be impossible, the two concoct a plan for murder. The film examines the nature of relationships and how toxic codependency can be. Lynskey’s performance earned her a New Zealand Film and Television Award for Best Actress.
3Togetherness
Togethernessis another show in which Melanie Lynskey lets her acting shine. This HBO TV series follows parents Brett and Michelle Pierson whose relationship has crumbled when Brett’s best friend Alex and Michelle’s sister Tina move in with them. Their relationships are tested as the new roommates hope to achieve their individual goals while still maintaining stable relationships with their loved ones. Melanie Lynskey takes on the part of Michelle, Brett’s wife who wishes to discover a new passion for life. Lynskey was praised for her role as the wife in a broken marriage which earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy at the Critics Choice Television Awards.
2Yellowjackets
This critically acclaimed, award-winning show is a psychological thriller series that can’t be missed.Yellowjacketsfollows the journey of a group of female high school soccer players who survive a plane crash and struggle to survive in the Canadian wilderness. The series shows the girls’ struggles until they make it back to civilization and the truth about their survival story 25 years after the crash occurred. Melanie Lynskey plays the role of the grown Shauna, a stay-at-home mom with an out-of-control teenage daughter and an emotionally absent husband. Lynskey was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama series at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards.
1Hello I Must Be Going
Hello I Must Be Goingfollows Amy Minsky, unemployed divorcee who moves back into her parents home and begins an affair with Jeremy, a 19-year-old actor. Director Todd Louiso said that Lynskey was the only choice for the role and had she not accepted it, the film would not have been made. The film analyzes issues like self-confidence and depression as a result of drastic life changes. Lynskey’s performance landed her a nomination for Breakthrough Actor at the Gotham Awards.
