Melanie Lynskey starred in her first film at age 17, filmmaker Peter Jackson’s tale of friendship and obsession, Heavenly Creatures. Lynskey has worked steadily ever since, showing her versatility on screens of all sizes. She was a series regular on the long-running sitcom Two and A Half Men, and has appeared in feature film comedies including Ever After, Sweet Home Alabama, and Up in The Air. She’s also earned high marks for her work in indie dramas like Hello, I Must Be Going and I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore.
Lynskey has received two Primetime Emmy nominations for her latest acting challenge — an immersive portrayal of traumatized wife and mother Shauna Sadecki in the Showtime series Yellowjackets. The show tells the story of a high school women’s soccer team that survives a plane crash and its brutal aftermath… but whose members are still dealing with the fallout of the experience 25 years later. Lynskey tells The Treatment that she appreciates the show’s nuanced portrayal of grief. Plus, she talks about the joy of getting to work with other women in their forties on Yellowjackets and the anxiety of not knowing which characters will survive.