Melora Walters

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Melora Walters
Born (1959-10-21) October 21, 1959 (age 64)[1]
Dhahran, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
NationalityAmerican
Occupations
  • Actress
  • filmmaker
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 and filmmaker, 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). She 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), respectively. Her other film credits include Dead Poets Society (1989), Eraser (1996), Matchstick Men, Cold Mountain (both 2003), The Butterfly Effect (2004), Short Term 12 (2013), Cam, Venom (both 2018), and Offseason (2021). Walters' directorial credits include the features Waterlily Jaguar (2018) and Drowning (2019), both of which she wrote and co-produced.

Career[edit]

Walters made her film 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[edit]

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[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1988 Underground Prostitute
Staring at the Dark Eden Short
1989 Dead Poets Society Gloria
Rude Awakening Punky Uncredited
1992 Beethoven Pet Shop Owner
1993 America's Deadliest Home Video Gloria
Twenty Bucks The Stripper/Funeral Director
1994 Cabin Boy Trina
All Tied Up Bliss
Ed Wood Secretary #2
1996 Hard Eight Jimmy's Girl
Eraser Darleen
American Strays Cindy
1997 Los Locos Allison
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
Rain Ellen
2002 WiseGirls Kate
Desert Saints Bennie Harper
2003 Melvin Goes to Dinner Trenice, Melvin's Girlfriend Copper Wing Award for Best Ensemble
The Big Empty Candy
Matchstick Men Heather, Roy's Ex-Wife Uncredited
Cold Mountain Lila
2004 The Butterfly Effect Andrea Treborn
2007 Brothers Three: An American Gothic Loren
2008 Harrison Montgomery Margo Fleming
Black Crescent Moon Katelan Beacon
Dark Yellow Woman Short
2009 Hurt Helen Coltrane
2010 Case 219 Victoria Lash
Shit Year Shelly
Love Ranch Janelle
2011 The River Murders Agent Glover
2012 The Master Band (voice)
Mary Mary Short
Missing Pieces Delia Greenly
2013 Short Term 12 Dr. Hendler
Underdogs Nancy Smith-Burkett
Lonely Boy Betsy
They Shoot Unknown Short
2014 The Young Kieslowski Barbara Kieslowski
Sacrifice Enid
2015 Sex, Death and Bowling Evie
2016 Indiscretion Harper
The Muse None Short; writer and director
Sugar Mountain Tracy Huxley
2017 Good After Bad Victoria
The Lovers Lucy
An American Dog Story Efthemia (voice)
Odious Beatrice
2018 Not a Stranger Jill Madden
In a Relationship Mia Ziniti
Doubting Thomas Kate Golden Door Festival Award for Best Supporting Actress
Waterlily Jaguar None Writer and director
Cam Lynne Ackerman
Venom Homeless Woman Maria
The Amaranth Lily Kendrick
2019 Beneath the Leaves Rose
Robert the Bruce Ylfa
Kleen Judith Short
Stuck Nancy Short
Drowning Rose Also writer, director, producer
Adeline, the Great Ms. Nichols Short
Where Are You Edith the Gatekeeper
2020 The Pale Door Maria
Pink Skies Ahead Hayley
Hard Luck Love Song Gypsy Sally
2021 Far More Evie Flores
Offseason Ava Aldrich
Severed Silence Naida
Attention Attention Ruby
West of Eden Evelyn Short
2022 The Hater Sally Jensen

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1989–1990 Roseanne Debbie Recurring (season 2); 5 episodes
1990 How to Murder a Millionaire Ginger Television film
1991 The Wonder Years Waitress Episode: "Road Trip"
ABC Afterschool Specials Unknown Episode: "It's Only Rock & Roll"
1992 Murphy Brown Lisa Episode: "He-Ho, He-Ho, It's Off to Lamaze We Go"
Dear John Maria Episode: "Adult Education"
1993 Telling Secrets Karen Blake Television film
Walker, Texas Ranger Star Buckley Episode: "Bounty"
Bakersfield P.D. Marnie Archer Episode: "Lucky 13"
1994 Dead Man's Revenge Bunny Television film
Seinfeld Jane Episode: "The Hamptons"
Midnight Run for Your Life Lorna Bellstratten Television film
1995 The Marshal Sheryl Episode: "The Ballad of Lucas Burke"
Picket Fences Sherri Watkins Episode: "Reap the Whirlwind
Dream On Dina Episode: "Little Orphan Eddie"
NYPD Blue Holly Snyder Episodes: "The Bank Dick" and "Dirty Laundry"
1996 Simon Emily Episode: "Simon Night Fever"
Nash Bridges Flo Episode: "Skirt Chasers"
1997 High Incident Unknown Episode: "Camino High"
Brooklyn South Carly Episode: "A Reverend Runs Through It"
1998–1999 L.A. Doctors Felicity Series regular (sesson 1); 20 episodes
1998 Twice Upon a Time Alannah Merribone Television film
2002 Push, Nevada Grace Main cast; 7 episodes
2003–2004 Threat Matrix Lia "Lark" Larkin Main cast; 13 episodes
2005 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Sage Episode: "Gum Drops"
2006–2010 Big Love Wanda Henrickson Main cast (seasons 1–4); 35 episodes
2007 Desperate Housewives Sylvia Greene Episodes: "Distant Past", "Something's Coming"
2012 Californication Lisa Episode: "Raw"
Franklin & Bash Joan Ackermann Episode: "Strange Brew"
2014 Rake Jan Falcon Episode: "Man's Best Friend"
2015 The Mentalist Amber Episode: "Byzantium"
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 Cherries Patsy Television film
Corporate Nadine Episode: "Corporate Retreat"
The Lover in the Attic: A True Story None Television film; director
2019 The OA Melody Episode: "Angel of Death"
2019–2021 PEN15 Kathy Kone Main cast; 22 episodes
2022 American Gigolo Maryanne Henderson 3 episodes

Music videos[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1997 "Try" Michael Penn Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
1999 "Save Me" Aimee Mann Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Who is Melora Walters? Pictures with Facts You Might Not Know". Glamour Path. June 24, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  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.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Melora_Walters&oldid=1219833970"