Biography of Melanie Lynskey
Melanie Lynskey (Melanie Jayne Lynskey) is famous for acting in more petite movies and TV shows. Although Melanie belongs to New Zealand, she is an expert in speaking like an American.
Lynskey has won many awards, including two Critics’ Choice Awards. And three times nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards, such as Nicole Kidman and Toni Collette.
Early Life – Education and Birth Place
Lynskey was unhappy with her body because she had been sick for a long time. But gradually, she overcame her illness and started to live a healthy life. Mel does not like extreme sounds too much because of misophonia disease. When Melanie studied how animals are grown on farms, she stopped eating meat at the age of 10.
She spent one year in England with her family at the age of six. After, her family came back to New Zealand. She traveled to many places at a young age because her father had to complete his doctorate training.
Becoming a famous actress was her dream from a young age, and Melanie attended New Plymouth Girls’ High School. She was shy at school, just like Cate Blanchett. After school, she studied English literature at Victoria University of Wellington for one and a half years. During her university life, she cannot entirely focus on her dream, so Lynskey leaves the university to pursue her dream.
Struggle and Career
In 2013, she voiced an animated character of herself in an Air New Zealand safety video. From 2014 to 2016, she played an essential role in a live show in Los Angeles named “The Thrilling Adventure Hour”, similar to the radio show.
By joining the famous music band Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers, she worked on a song named “Waiting on Love”. In June 2018, she received an invitation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and joining this was a dream of many showbiz celebrities.
Many popular magazines, such as “The Hollywood Reporter”, “InStyle”, “Variety”, “TheWrap”, and “Backstage”, often discuss Melanie. A writer for InStyle magazine said she is the most excellent person in Hollywood and one of the best actresses. In the same InStyle article, another actress, Danielle Brooks, said she always provides quality content.
In a “New York Times” article, a writer appreciated Melanie’s behavior and said her way of talking was exceptionally polite. During an interview, she told “The Hollywood Reporter” magazine that at the beginning of her career, she faced criticism from the public because she was not very slim.
At the age of seventeen, she worked in the first horror movie of her career, “Heavenly Creatures”, based on actual events and her role as a schoolgirl directed by Peter Jackson. After that, she got minimal roles in many romance movies like “Ever After”, “But I’m a Cheerleader”, and “Coyote Ugly”.
In “Shattered Glass”, her character was a writer named Amy Brand, released in 2003. The movie got good reviews, and people said all the actors/actresses performed well. Her fans liked her acting in many TV shows like “Drive”, “Comanche Moon”, and “The L Word”.
A complete list of Jayne’s movies and TV shows is provided below:
Movies Work
| Movie Name / Year | Genre |
| Heavenly Creatures (1994) | Crime/Horror |
| Ever After (1998) | Romance/Comedy |
| Detroit Rock City (1999) | Comedy/Musical |
| Shooters (1999) | Action/Thriller |
| But I’m a Cheerleader/1999 | Comedy/Romance |
| Coyote Ugly (2000) | Romance/Musical |
| Snakeskin (2001) | Thriller/Comedy |
| Sweet Home Alabama (2002) | Comedy/Romance |
| Abandon (2002) | Thriller/Mystery |
| Shattered Glass (2003) | Thriller/Drama |
| Flags of Our Fathers (2006) | War/Action |
| The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) | Romance/Thriller |
| Putzel (2012) | Romance/Comedy |
| Hello I Must Be Going (2012) | Comedy/Romance |
| The Big Ask (2013) | Comedy/Drama |
| Happy Christmas (2014) | Comedy/Drama |
| They Came Together (2014) | Comedy/Romance |
| The Intervention (2016) | Comedy/Drama |
| Rainbow Time (2016) | Comedy/Drama |
| Little Boxes (2016) | Comedy/Drama |
| The Great & The Small (2016) | Drama |
| And Then I Go (2017) | Horror/Drama |
| The Changeover (2017) | Thriller/Fantasy |
| XX (2017) | Horror/Anthology |
| Sadie (2018) | Drama |
| Lady of the Manor (2021) | Comedy/Horror |
| Don’t Look Up (2021) | Comedy/Sci-fi |
Television Work
| Television Show / Year | Genre |
| Rose Red (2002) | Horror, Mystery, Thriller |
| Two and a Half Men (2003–2015) | Comedy |
| Togetherness (2015–2016) | Comedy, Drama |
| Sunshine (2017) | Drama, Miniseries |
| Castle Rock (2018) | Psychological Horror Series |
| Mrs. America (2020) | Political Drama, Miniseries |
| Yellowjackets (2021–present) | Drama, Mystery, Thriller |
| Candy (2022) | Crime, Drama |
| The Last of Us (2023) | Action, Adventure |
Relationship – Love Life, Marriage or Boyfriend
While living in Los Angeles, Melanie found her best friend Clea DuVall of her life while working on “But I’m a Cheerleader”. In 2001, while working at “Rose Red” she met Jimmi Simpson, and after dating for a long time, they married in 2007. But with time, they realized they were unhappy with their relationships and divorced. Even after separation, they are always good friends. Later, in 2017, Lynskey indulged in a relationship with an American actor named Jason Ritter. After a year, their first baby was born. But they married in 2020.
Figure – Physical Measurements
The table below gives physical measurements of Lynskey’s:
| Breast | 37 inches (94 centimeters) |
| Weight | 128 pounds (58 kilograms) |
| Waist | 28 inches (71 centimeters) |
| Hips size | 36 inches (91 centimeters) |
| Bra size | 34C |
| Dress size | 8 (US) |
| Shoe size | 8.5 (US) |
Melanie Lynskey Family Background
Mel’s mother, Tim Lynskey, sells houses, and her father, Kay Lynskey, fixes bone issues as a doctor. She is the first daughter of her parents. Jayne has three brothers and one sister whose names are not publicly available. In childhood, she usually takes care of her brother and sister. Her parents often go to church because they believe in the Baptist religion.
Age of Melanie Lynskey
Mel was born in New Plymouth (City on the North Island) and had New Zealand nationality. During childhood and her career, she traveled to different places, just like Lorde and Isabel Lucas. In 2024, Jayne’s age is 46 years old.
Net Worth
Melanie plays the character indeed with her feelings. Usually, she doesn’t follow the director’s instructions and plays the character with her feelings. In 2012, a reporter asked Mel why she got a role in only mini-movies; she said the director gave central roles to prominent actresses like Meryl Streep. Many articles on the internet claim that her net worth is 5 to 7 million dollars as of 2024.
Wiki Info
Below are some quick Wiki info about Melanie Lynskey
| Real Name | Melanie Jayne Lynskey |
| Nickname | Mel |
| Date of Birth | 16 May 1977 |
| Place of Birth | New Plymouth, New Zealand |
| Current Residence | Unknown |
| Age | 46 years |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | New Plymouth Girls’ High School Victoria University of Wellington |
| Parents | Father – Tim Lynskey Mother – Kay Lynskey |
| Siblings | Sister – Unknown Brother – Unknown |
| Height | 5 feet 7 inches (170 centimeters) |
| Eyes Color | Dark Brown |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Husband Name | Jimmi Simpson, Jason Ritter |
| Children | Daughter – Unknown Son – Unknown |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
| Profession | Actress, Voice actress |
| Hobby | Unknown |
Social Media Accounts
Below are social media accounts of Lynskey:
Is Melanie Lynskey nice?
According to the Instyle article and many other actresses, she has a lovely and humble personality.
What is Melanie Lynskey famous for?
Lynskey's famous movies and TV shows include "Don't Look Up", "But I'm a Cheerleader", and "Togetherness".
Who did Melanie Lynskey date?
She was in relationships with Clea DuVall and Jimmi Simpson. These days, Mel is living a happy life with Jason Ritter and her baby.
Does Melanie Lynskey have children?
The news about Mel's baby with her husband, Jason Ritter, was publically revealed in January 2019.
Does Melanie Lynskey do commercials?
Yes, she appeared a few times in commercials.
