Melora Walters
Born (1959-10-21) October 21, 1959[1]
Dhahran, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
OccupationActress
Years active1988–present
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1996; div. 2003)​
  • Alex Vendler
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2008; div. 2010)​
Children2

Melora Walters (born October 21, 1959) is an American actress. She is best known for her starring roles as Wanda Henrickson on HBO's Big Love (2006–2010) and Kathy Kone on Hulu's PEN15 (2019–2021). Walters has appeared in several Paul Thomas Anderson films, earning two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for her work in Boogie Nights (1997) and Magnolia (1999). Her other film credits include Dead Poets Society (1989), Eraser (1996), Matchstick Men (2003), Cold Mountain (2003), The Butterfly Effect (2004), Shit Year (2010), Short Term 12 (2013), Cam (2018), Venom (2018), and Offseason (2021). Walters made her feature directorial debut with Waterlily Jaguar (2018), which she also wrote and co-produced. She followed this with Drowning (2019).

Career

Walters made her screen debut with a small part in the 1988 film Underground, which she followed with the more substantial role of Gloria in Peter Weir's critically acclaimed Dead Poets Society (1989).[2] She made small appearances in various films throughout the early-mid 1990s, such as Beethoven (1992), Tim Burton's Ed Wood (1994), and Eraser (1996). In 1996, Walters began a professional partnership with Paul Thomas Anderson when she appeared in his directorial debut, Hard Eight. Her other collaborations with Anderson include Boogie Nights (1997) and Magnolia (1999). In his review of the latter for Variety, critic Emanuel Levy described Walters' portrayal of drug-addicted Claudia as "superlative".[3] For her performance in Doubting Thomas (2018), Walters was named Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Door Film Festival.[4]

On television, Walters has appeared in guest roles on series such as Roseanne, Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, CSI, Desperate Housewives, Californication, The Mentalist, NCIS, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and American Gigolo. She also starred as Felicity on L.A. Doctors (1998–1999), Wanda Henrickson on Big Love (2006–2010), and Kathy Kone on PEN15 (2019–2021).

Personal life

Walters has two children from her marriage to Dylan Walsh. She married cinematographer Alex Vendler on June 21, 2008. She filed for divorce in 2010.[5]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1988 Underground Prostitute
1989 Dead Poets Society Gloria
1989 Rude Awakening Punky
1992 Beethoven Pet Shop Owner
1993 America's Deadliest Home Video Gloria
1993 Twenty Bucks The Stripper/Funeral Director
1994 Cabin Boy Trina
1994 All Tied Up Bliss
1994 Ed Wood Secretary #2
1996 Hard Eight Jimmy's Girl
1996 Eraser Darleen
1996 American Strays Cindy
1997 Los Locos Allison
1997 Boogie Nights Jessie St. Vincent Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast
1999 Magnolia Claudia Wilson Gator Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast
2001 Speaking of Sex Melinda
2001 Rain Ellen
2002 WiseGirls Kate
2002 Desert Saints Bennie Harper
2003 Melvin Goes to Dinner Trenice, Melvin's Girlfriend Copper Wing Award for Best Ensemble
2003 The Big Empty Candy
2003 Matchstick Men Heather, Roy's Ex-Wife Uncredited
2003 Cold Mountain Lila
2004 The Butterfly Effect Andrea Treborn
2007 Brothers Three: An American Gothic Loren
2008 Harrison Montgomery Margo Fleming
2008 bgFATLdy Katelan Beacon
2008 Dark Yellow Woman
2009 Hurt Helen Coltrane
2010 Case 219 Victoria Lash
2010 Shit Year Shelly
2010 Love Ranch Janelle
2011 The River Murders Agent Glover
2012 The Master Band (voice)
2012 Missing Pieces Delia Greenly
2013 Short Term 12 Dr. Hendler
2013 Underdogs Nancy Smith-Burkett
2013 Lonely Boy Betsy
2014 The Young Kieslowski Barbara Kieslowski
2014 Sacrifice Enid
2015 Sex, Death and Bowling Evie
2016 Indiscretion Harper
2016 Sugar Mountain Tracy Huxley
2017 The Lovers Lucy
2018 Not a Stranger Jill Madden
2018 In a Relationship Mia Ziniti
2018 Doubting Thomas Kate Golden Door Festival Award for Best Supporting Actress
2018 Cam Lynne Ackerman
2018 Venom Maria
2019 Beneath the Leaves Rose
2019 Robert the Bruce Ylfa
2019 Drowning Rose Also writer, director, producer
2019 Where Are You Edith the Gatekeeper
2020 The Pale Door Maria
2020 Pink Skies Ahead Hayley
2020 Hard Luck Love Song Gypsy Sally
2021 Offseason Ava Aldrich
2022 The Hater Sally Jensen

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1989–1990 Roseanne Debbie 5 episodes
1990 How to Murder a Millionaire Television film
1991 The Wonder Years Waitress Episode: "Road Trip"
1991 ABC Afterschool Specials Episode: "It's Only Rock & Roll"
1992 Murphy Brown Lisa Episode: "He-Ho, He-Ho, It's Off to Lamaze We Go"
1992 Dear John Maria Episode: "Adult Education"
1993 Telling Secrets Karen Blake Television film
1993 Walker, Texas Ranger Star Buckley Episode: "Bounty"
1993 Bakersfield P.D. Marnie Archer Episode: "Lucky 13"
1994 Dead Man's Revenge Bunny Television film
1994 Seinfeld Jane Episode: "The Hamptons"
1994 Midnight Run for Your Life Lorna Bellstratten Television film
1995 The Marshal Sheryl Episode: "The Ballad of Lucas Burke"
1995 Picket Fences Sherri Watkins Episode: "Reap the Whirlwind"
1995 Dream On Dina Episode: "Little Orphan Eddie"
1995 NYPD Blue Holly Snyder Episodes: "The Bank Dick" and "Dirty Laundry"
1996 Simon Emily Episode: "Simon Night Fever"
1996 Nash Bridges Flo Episode: "Skirt Chasers"
1997 High Incident Episode: "Camino High"
1997 Brooklyn South Carly Episode: "A Reverend Runs Through It"
1998–1999 L.A. Doctors Felicity 20 episodes
1998 Twice Upon a Time Alannah Merribone Television film
2002 Push, Nevada Grace 7 episodes
2003–2004 Threat Matrix Lia "Lark" Larkin 13 episodes
2005 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Sage Episode: "Gum Drops"
2006–2010 Big Love Wanda Henrickson 35 episodes
2007 Desperate Housewives Sylvia Greene Episodes: "Distant Past", "Something's Coming"
2012 Californication Lisa Episode: "Raw"
2012 Franklin & Bash Joan Ackermann Episode: "Strange Brew"
2014 Rake Jan Falcon Episode: "Man's Best Friend"
2015 The Mentalist Amber Episode: "Byzantium"
2015 Criminal Minds Paige Episodes: "Protection" and "The Hunt"
2016 NCIS Susan Elizabeth Lowe Episode: "Reasonable Doubts"
2017 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Laurel Episode: "Something Happened"
2018 Corporate Nadine Episode: "Corporate Retreat"
2019 The OA Melody Episode: "Angel of Death"
2019–2021 PEN15 Kathy Kone Main cast
2022 American Gigolo Maryanne Henderson 3 episodes

Music videos

Year Song Artist Notes
1997 "Try" Michael Penn
1999 "Save Me" Aimee Mann Directed by PTA

References

  1. ↑ "Who is Melora Walters? Pictures with Facts You Might Not Know". June 24, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Dead Poets Society". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  3. ↑ Emanuel, Levy (December 9, 1999). "Magnolia". Variety. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  4. ↑ Sullivan, Al (October 11, 2018). "The stars came out". The Hudson Reporter. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Big Love' Actress Melora Walters Files For Divorce". RadarOnline.com. September 16, 2010. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
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