She was born in New Plymouth, New Zealand, on 16 May 1977 and was just 16 when she took her ground-breaking debut in Heavenly Creatures. The role won her Best Actress at the 1995 New Zealand Film and Television Awards. Melanie starred alongside Reese Witherspoon in the romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama and took the lead together with Matt Damon in The Informant, the true story of FBI whistleblower Mark Whitacre.
Building up a strong reputation as a character actress, other notable credits include Detroit Rock City, Flags Of Our Fathers, Ever After, Up In The Air, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, But I'm A Cheerleader, The Cherry Orchard, Away We Go, Snakeskin, Leaves Of Grass, Shooters and Coyote Ugly. She has also continued to maintain a high profile in TV. Melanie was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for her performance from 2015 to 2016 in the HBO series Togetherness. She has not been afraid to bare her fulsome Kiwi norks if the part calls for it ... thankfully!
