Melanie Lynskey

Melanie married actor Jimmi Simpson on April 14, 2007 in Queenstown, New Zealand. They met on the set of the mini-series Rose Red and worked together in the 2007 movie Itty Bitty Titty Committee.

She was in the film Coyote Ugly.

She was in the film Sweet Home Alabama with Reese Witherspoon, playing the character Lurlynn.

She turned down a role in the film Mansfield Park.

She was the first person to kiss Kate Winslet in a film, in 1994's Heavenly Creatures.

She was Film Force's Celeb of the Day on October 18, 2002.

In New Zealand, she is considered to be one their most internationally successful actors.

She attended an all-girls school as a teen.

Before moving to LA, she figured she'd end up acting in New Zealand theater productions for the rest of her life.

In 2006, she left the main cast of Two and a Half Men to join a drama pilot for Fox entitled Drive. She now only appears as Rose in a recurring capacity.

She was encouraged to return to Los Angeles in 1997 by director Mark Tapio Kines, who wanted to work with her. They made two movies together, but have since fallen out, due to an argument on the set of low-budget indie Claustrophobia brought on by a family crisis for Melanie in New Zealand that was holding back production.

She ran a production company called Velvet Morning Productions throughout 2001 to 2003. It has since disbanded.

She got her United States green card in 2003.

She won the Best Actress award at the 1995 New Zealand Film and TV Awards for her role in Heavenly Creatures.

She was personally chosen by the legendary Clint Eastwood for a role in his 2006 film Flags of Our Fathers. He offered the part over dinner at an LA restaurant.

Her favorite film is Badlands.

Her father is an orthopedic surgeon and her mother is a real estate agent.

She auditioned for the role of Sidney Prescott in the movie Scream. The role eventually went to Neve Campbell.

As a teenager, she wanted to be a film critic.

She struggled to get work for almost three years following her critically acclaimed performance in Heavenly Creatures.

She is good friends with Buffy and Angel creator Joss Whedon.

She was personally chosen by director Jamie Babbit for her role in But I'm a Cheerleader.

Melanie is engaged to actor Jimmi Simpson. They met on the set of the mini-series Rose Red and work together in the 2007 movie Itty Bitty Titty Committee.

Melanie has a dog called Mouse. She named it after her character in the movie Abandon.