Melanie Lynskey Biography:

A native of New Plymouth, New Zealand, actress Melanie Lynskey was born on May 16, 1977 and grew up the oldest five children. Ever since she was a young girl, Lynskey has been passionate about the art of acting, and once dreamed of becoming a successful stage actress. She landed her first acting job at the age of 15, and it was for the drama, Heavenly Creatures. The Oscar-nominated film had Lynskey sharing the big screen with British actress Kate Winslet, but it failed to propel Lynskey into stardom. She decided to try her luck in Los Angeles, but after three months, returned to New Zealand and devoted the next two years of her life studying English Literature at Victoria University. Lynskey went back to Los Angeles in 1997, and this time, gained more success, as she was cast in the indie film Foreign Correspondents, and eventually landed a role in the retelling Ever After: A Cinderella Story. From there, Lynskey continued to work on additional big screen projects, including Detroit Rock City, The Cherry Orchard and Coyote Ugly. Lynskey has also become a familiar face on American television, having appeared in series like Rose Red, Two and a Half Men and The Shield. She is presently appearing in the Fox television series, Drive.

Wendy Patrakas, on the show Drive, is portrayed by Melanie Lynskey. Wendy, a graduate of Kenyon College, was a spirited and somewhat naïve kindergarten teacher before she got married to her abusive husband Richard Patrakas. She had once dreamed of becoming a mother to a house full of children, but has now found herself joining the race for the sake of her infant son.




(Photos courtesy of FOX)