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 also appeared in the Fox television series, Drive.
"You always see those movies that have amazing casts, and it's funny to be in one of them. It's a list of all these fantastic people--and, oh, me as well."
"The first audition I ever did, the casting director said, "I don't know why you're here. You're never going to work in America. You don't look right. You don't have the right kind of personality. I don't even know if you can do an American accent. Maybe you can try England." Other people were nice, but that's the first thing I ever heard when I came here. It made me more determined."