Offscreen, Lynskey is a “nice lady.” Onscreen, she specializes in a ferocious deconstruction of that same type.
Philip Cheung for The New York Times
Liane Hentscher/HBO
For the past decade, in shows like “Yellowjackets” and “The Last of Us,” Melanie Lynskey has embodied women who seem meek and bland on the surface, only to reveal limitless anger and desire.
Colin Bentley/Showtime, via Associated Press
“Yellowjackets” returned for its second season in March on Showtime. Lynskey’s character is as comfortable killing and skinning a rabbit as she is defrosting a roast.
Philip Cheung for The New York Times
“I have been cast a few times as somebody who is supposed to surprise you,” she said. “Maybe it’s just about unraveling the inner lives of women who are not usually examined,” Lynskey said.
Photofest, via Film Forum
Lynskey, 45, born in New Zealand, entered the industry early. That predilection for women with turbulent inner lives was there from the start. At 15, she was cast opposite Kate Winslet in the film “Heavenly Creatures” as a teenager who conspired to murder her own mother.
Philip Cheung for The New York Times
But Hollywood ignored this side of her for a long time. Read more about Lynskey’s career, including how she learned to “dip into” her anger and use “dream work” in performances.