Melanie Lynskey

Lynskey was born in New Plymouth, New Zealand, to Kay Barbara (Mahoney), a real estate agent, and Tim Lynskey, an orthopedic surgeon.{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2006/04/19/melanie-lynskey-knows-how-to-accentuate-positive/|work=Chicago Tribune|title=Melanie Lynskey knows how to accentuate positive|date=19 April 2006|access-date=12 August 2022|archive-date=22 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722184804/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-04-19/features/0604190140_1_new-zealand-melanie-lynskey-kiwi-accent|url-status=live}} She has Irish, English, and Scottish ancestry; her surname originates in Ireland.Stated on Finding Your Roots, February 25, 2025 Lynskey played an active role in the raising of her siblings;{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/yellowjackets-melanie-lynskey-interview-1284100/|last=Dickson|first=EJ|title=Melanie Lynskey Is Mad as Hell and Not Going to Take It Anymore. Maybe.|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=15 January 2022|access-date=25 October 2023}} she is the eldest of five children, and has three brothers and one sister.{{cite web|last1=Maron|first1=Marc|title=Episode 564 – Melanie Lynskey|url=http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_564_-_melanie_lynskey|website=WTF with Marc Maron|date=1 January 2015|access-date=8 January 2015|archive-date= 27 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227210408/http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/e/7/9/e79240f52a8378f5/WTF_-_EPISODE_564_MELANIE_LYNSKEY.mp3?c_id=8127185&expiration=1425078321&hwt=832bd311899795ed2b0319f63fe12c7a|url-status=live}} She was raised in the Baptist faith.{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/from-coyote-ugly-to-togetherness-to-mrs-america-melan-1843330155|last=Scheetz|first=Cameron|title=From Coyote Ugly to Togetherness to Mrs. America, Melanie Lynskey looks back|website=The A.V. Club|date=20 May 2020|access-date=8 November 2023}}

When she was six, Lynskey's family moved to England for one year before returning to New Zealand.{{cite web|url=https://www.thelist.com/1279781/complete-evolution-melanie-lynskey/|last=Walters|first=Meg|title=The Complete Evolution Of Melanie Lynskey|website=The List|date=8 May 2023|access-date=25 October 2023}} She recalls moving "a lot" due to her father's profession: "My dad was a medical student when I was born, so he was studying and going to different universities. And then he was doing his residency, so I was always the new kid in school".{{cite web|url=https://www.glamour.com/story/melanie-lynskey-mislabeled-interview|last=Dickson|first=EJ|title=Melanie Lynskey Is Anything but Meek|website=Glamour|date=23 March 2023|access-date=25 October 2023}} She later attended New Plymouth Girls' High School, where she was involved in the drama department and school plays. She has spoken about being shy at school and finding comfort in acting: "It was so freeing, having someone give me the words to say and not being myself for a minute. It just felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders". After graduating high school, Lynskey studied for a year and a half at Victoria University of Wellington, majoring in English literature,{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/melanie-lynskey-last-of-us-yellowjackets-actress-tv-8lst8c8jk|last=O'Connell|first=Alex|title=Melanie Lynskey: 'The world has really opened up for actors in their forties, fifties and sixties'|website=The Times|date=22 March 2023|access-date=26 October 2023}} but dropped out to focus on her film career.{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/melanie-lynskey-interview-daniel-day-lewis-audition/|last=Nemiroff|first=Perri|title=How Daniel Day-Lewis Gave Melanie Lynskey the Confidence Boost She Needed Early in Her Career|website=Collider|date=11 February 2022|access-date=25 October 2023}}

Lynskey's professional debut came at age 15 with a starring role in Heavenly Creatures, a psychological drama based on a 1950s murder case.{{cite web |title= Interview: Melanie Lynskey talks Hello I Must Be Going |work= SuperMarcey.com |url=https://supermarcey.com/2013/03/12/interview-melanie-lynskey-talks-hello-i-must-be-going/ |date= 12 March 2013 |access-date= 9 January 2021 |archive-date= 12 January 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210112044501/https://supermarcey.com/2013/03/12/interview-melanie-lynskey-talks-hello-i-must-be-going/ |url-status= live }} Lynskey portrayed Pauline Parker, a schoolgirl who conspires to kill her mother. She auditioned for the role when a casting director visited her high school;{{cite news |url=https://www.backstage.com/interview/away-she-goes/ | work=Backstage | first=Jenelle | last=Riley | title=Away She Goes | date=10 September 2009 | access-date=29 June 2017 | archive-date=10 January 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110114649/https://www.backstage.com/interview/away-she-goes/ | url-status=live }} prior to this, five hundred girls had been considered for the part, but "none were right".{{cite web |title=Kiwi actress Melanie Lynskey on winning big at the Sundance Film Festival |work=Stuff |first=Jeremy |last=Olds |url=https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/77154274/Kiwi-actress-Melanie-L |date=27 February 2016 |access-date=17 January 2018 |archive-date=18 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118064621/https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/77154274/Kiwi-actress-Melanie-L |url-status=live }} Fran Walsh, who co-wrote the screenplay, admired Lynskey's "quiet intensity" and said, "We knew immediately that she was right for the role". Lynskey turned 16 during the making of Heavenly Creatures and was 17 by the time of its release in 1994. Critics were effusive about the performances, especially those of Lynskey and her co-star, Kate Winslet.{{cite web |title=Heavenly Creatures |work=Variety |first=David |last=Rooney |url=https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/heavenly-creatures-2-1200438653/ |date=24 September 1994 |access-date=9 January 2018 |archive-date=10 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110055003/https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/heavenly-creatures-2-1200438653/ |url-status=live }}{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/article/1994/11/25/heavenly-creatures-3/ | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | first=Owen | last=Gleiberman | title=Heavenly Creatures | date=25 November 1994 | access-date=17 April 2020 | archive-date=29 April 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429135115/https://ew.com/article/1994/11/25/heavenly-creatures-3/ | url-status=live }}{{cite news |title='Heavenly Creatures' |newspaper=The Washington Post |first=Desson |last=Howe |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/heavenlycreaturesrhowe_a02149.htm |date=25 November 1994 |access-date=17 January 2018 |archive-date=19 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319074913/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/heavenlycreaturesrhowe_a02149.htm |url-status=live }} Roger Ebert complimented the film's director, Peter Jackson, on picking "the right two actresses", noting that "There is a way Lynskey has of looking up from beneath glowering eyebrows that lets you know her insides are churning"{{cite web |title=Heavenly Creatures |work=RogerEbert.com |first=Roger |last=Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/heavenly-creatures-1994 |date=23 November 1994 |access-date=9 January 2018 |archive-date=10 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110055025/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/amp/heavenly-creatures-1994 |url-status=live }} while Richard Corliss wrote in his review for Time:

{{blockquote|The film's serendipitous stroke was to find Winslet and, especially, Lynskey, a first-time actress. They are perfect, fearless in embodying teenage hysteria. They declaim their lines with an intensity that approaches ecstasy, as if reading aloud from Wuthering Heights. The giggles that punctuate the girls' early friendship are not beneath Winslet and Lynskey. The screams that end the film are not beyond them.{{cite magazine|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,163261,00.html|title=A Heavenly Trip Toward Hell|last=Corliss|first=Richard|magazine=Time|date=24 June 2001|access-date=19 June 2018|archive-date=1 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001050537/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,163261,00.html|url-status=live}}}}

Heavenly Creatures is recognised as a milestone in New Zealand cinema.{{cite news | url=http://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/9466833/The-best-New-Zealand-movies-ever-made | work=Stuff | first=Charlie | last=Gates | title=The best New Zealand movies ever made | date=3 December 2013 | access-date=17 July 2018 | archive-date=17 July 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717070858/http://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/9466833/The-best-New-Zealand-movies-ever-made | url-status=live }}{{cite news | url=http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/the-10-best-new-zealand-movies-of-all-time/ | work=Taste of Cinema | first=Jonathan | last=Knox | title=The 10 Best New Zealand Movies of All Time | date=16 October 2016 | access-date=20 July 2018 | archive-date=22 July 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722041233/http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/the-10-best-new-zealand-movies-of-all-time/ | url-status=live }}{{cite news | url=https://www.msn.com/en-nz/entertainment/gallery/the-best-films-shot-in-new-zealand/ss-BBybkAS | work=MSN.com | title=The best films shot in New Zealand | date=16 March 2018 | access-date=20 July 2018 | archive-date=20 July 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720165713/https://www.msn.com/en-nz/entertainment/gallery/the-best-films-shot-in-new-zealand/ss-BBybkAS | url-status=live }} It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay,{{cite web |title=The 67th Academy Awards |work=Oscars.org |date=5 October 2014 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1995 |access-date=9 January 2018 |archive-date=9 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109220937/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1995 |url-status=live }} while Lynskey was named Best Actress at the 1995 New Zealand Film Awards. She regards working with Jackson and Winslet as an important learning experience.{{cite news|last=Bisley|first=Alexander|date=10 March 2015|title=Melanie Lynskey on Togetherness, realism and 'radical' nudity|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/mar/10/melanie-lynskey-on-realism-radical-nudity-and-new-zealands-tall-poppy-syndrome|work=The Guardian|access-date=15 December 2016|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227031057/http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/mar/10/melanie-lynskey-on-realism-radical-nudity-and-new-zealands-tall-poppy-syndrome|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last=Travers|first=Ben|date=12 March 2017|title=There's Only One Melanie Lynskey, But These 5 Stories Will Make You Wish There Were More|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/03/melanie-lynskey-stories-steven-soderbergh-two-and-a-half-men-sxsw-interview-1201792667/|work=IndieWire|access-date=20 July 2018|archive-date=20 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720165556/https://www.indiewire.com/2017/03/melanie-lynskey-stories-steven-soderbergh-two-and-a-half-men-sxsw-interview-1201792667/|url-status=live}} She grew particularly close to Winslet during filming, who later told The Irish Times, "Mel is like the left side of my body. [We] had the exact relationship in terms of communication and love that Pauline and Juliet had. From the minute we saw each other".{{cite news|last=Dening|first=Penelope|title=Winslet ways|work=Irish Times|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/winslet-ways-1.33997|date=9 March 1996|access-date=25 April 2019|archive-date=1 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171101132225/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/winslet-ways-1.33997|url-status=live}} Despite the film's success, its creators tried to discourage Lynskey from pursuing a full-time acting career, as it was not thought to be realistic.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/hello-i-must-be-going-star-melanie-lynskey-on-her-bout-with-depression-after-heavenly-creatures-and-proving-naysayers-wrong-45280/|last=Smith|first=Nigel M.|title='Hello I Must Be Going' Star Melanie Lynskey On Her Bout With Depression After 'Heavenly Creatures' and Proving Naysayers Wrong|website=IndieWire|date=5 September 2012|access-date=25 October 2023}} She later revealed, "[People were] looking out for me ... 'Thanks for doing this movie for us, and now be sure that you go to university and get a normal job.' No one wanted to be responsible for me being like, 'I'm gonna run off to Hollywood!' ... New Zealanders are very practical. Everybody was kind of like, 'That was fun [but] it's not what your life is gonna be'".

Over the next three years, Lynskey continued her education while auditioning for various film parts.{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2012/09/22/melanie-lynskey-sexy-splash/ |title=Melanie Lynskey makes sexy splash in 'Hello I Must Be Going' |last=Breznican |first=Anthony |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=22 September 2012 |access-date=6 June 2020 |archive-date=17 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217185957/https://ew.com/article/2012/09/22/melanie-lynskey-sexy-splash/ |url-status=live }} She also had a minor role as a policewoman in Peter Jackson's first project after Heavenly Creatures, The Frighteners (1996),{{cite AV media|date=31 December 2021|title=The Frighteners - Melanie Lynskey Cameo|url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=R3PQBqMeg6w|access-date=14 March 2024|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} and starred in a production of Jean Genet's The Maids for the New Zealand Fringe Festival.{{cite web|url=http://www.adamabrams.com/hc/faq2/library/7.9.3.html|title=In Two Minds About Parker|work=The Evening Post|first=Mike|last=Houlahan|date=10 March 1997|accessdate=14 May 2024}} Her return to substantial film roles came with the independent drama Foreign Correspondents, where she played Melody, a timid receptionist who strikes up an unusual bond with an overseas pen pal.{{cite web|url=https://chicagoreader.com/film/foreign-correspondent/|title=Foreign Correspondent|work=Chicago Reader|first=Ted|last=Shen|date=26 October 1985|accessdate=10 May 2024}} The director, Mark Tapio Kines, contacted Lynskey to offer her the part after reading online that she was eager to work in America. Filming took place in Los Angeles in 1997,{{cite news|url=http://forcor.com/story.html|work=ForCor.com|last=Tapio Kines|first=Mark|title=The Story Behind the Story|access-date=14 May 2024}} with the project drawing attention for its "breakthrough" use of crowdfunding.{{cite news|url=http://graphics.boston.com/globe/living/cyberlinks/hollywood.shtml|work=The Boston Globe|title=Filmmaker goes Hollywood on Internet|date=14 May 1999|access-date=26 July 2020|archive-date=4 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204172542/http://graphics.boston.com/globe/living/cyberlinks/hollywood.shtml|url-status=live}} Her next film was the period fairytale romance Ever After (1998), a feminist reimagining of Cinderella that was shot in the south of France;{{cite web|url=https://dailyillini.com/buzz-stories/buzz-columns/2022/04/21/ever-after-cinderella-movie/|first=Marilyn|last=MacLaren|title='Ever After' shines as a feminist fairytale|work=The Daily Illini|date=21 April 2022|access-date=6 December 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://hollywoodlife.com/2023/03/28/drew-barrymore-ever-after-reunion-melanie-lynskey-megan-dodds-video/|website=Hollywood Life|title=Drew Barrymore Reunites With 'Ever After' Sisters Melanie Lynskey & Megan Dodds For 25th Anniversary|first=Avery|last=Thompson|access-date=18 July 2023|date=28 March 2023}} Lynskey played Drew Barrymore's "charming and funny" stepsister, Jacqueline De Ghent.{{cite news|url=https://www.bustle.com/articles/141104-12-reasons-why-i-watch-ever-after-over-over-again|work=Bustle|title=12 Reasons Why I Watch 'Ever After' Over & Over Again|date=10 February 2016|access-date=28 June 2017|archive-date=23 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923002854/https://www.bustle.com/articles/141104-12-reasons-why-i-watch-ever-after-over-over-again|url-status=live}} She attributes her growth in self-confidence around this time, as well as the advancement of her career, to the support and advice she received from Barrymore and their co-star, Anjelica Huston, during the making of the film.{{cite web|url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/melanie-lynskey-hello-i-must-be-going|title=Melanie Lynskey Arrives in 'Hello, I Must Be Going'|work=Interview|first=Emma|last=Brown|date=23 January 2012|accessdate=10 May 2024}}

Lynskey appeared in four features in 1999: teen comedy Detroit Rock City, period drama The Cherry Orchard, British gangster drama Shooters, and the cult hit satire But I'm a Cheerleader—considered to be one of the foremost examples of LGBTQ cinema—where she played a lesbian undergoing conversion therapy.{{cite news|url=https://www.autostraddle.com/top-ten-best-lesbian-movies-yes-thats-right-10-queer-girl-movies-that-dont-suck/|title=Top Ten Best Lesbian Movies: 10 Queer Movies That Don't Suck.|work=Autostraddle|date=19 August 2009|access-date=14 June 2017|archive-date=5 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705213510/https://www.autostraddle.com/top-ten-best-lesbian-movies-yes-thats-right-10-queer-girl-movies-that-dont-suck/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/05/best-lesbian-movies-all-time-lgbt-film-1201813139/|title=The 15 Best Lesbian Movies of All Time, Ranked|last=Dry|first=Jude|work=IndieWire|date=8 May 2017|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=7 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190907225514/https://www.indiewire.com/2017/05/best-lesbian-movies-all-time-lgbt-film-1201813139/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://sea.mashable.com/entertainment/16117/21-years-later-but-im-a-cheerleader-is-still-the-perfect-fairytale|title=21 years later, 'But I'm a Cheerleader' is still the perfect fairytale|last=Foreman|first=Alison|work=Mashable|date=11 June 2021|access-date=12 June 2021|archive-date=12 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612003029/https://sea.mashable.com/entertainment/16117/21-years-later-but-im-a-cheerleader-is-still-the-perfect-fairytale|url-status=live}} Next, she wore "big hair and fake nails" to portray Gloria,{{cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=201257|title=Melanie Lynskey comes out from the shadows|last=Hewitson|first=Michele|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=21 July 2001|access-date=8 August 2020|archive-date=15 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315200515/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/melanie-lynskey-comes-out-from-the-shadows/Y2ZLNLYTL36M2CGOUCNMWZVGCA/?c_id=6&objectid=201257|url-status=live}} a girl from New Jersey, in the musical romantic comedy Coyote Ugly (2000), with Salon{{'}}s Stephanie Zacharek calling her "a bridge-and-tunnel Betty Boop, full of google-eyed charm".{{cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/2000/08/04/coyote_ugly/|title="Coyote Ugly"|work=Salon|first=Stephanie|last=Zacharek|date=4 August 2000|accessdate=13 May 2024}} She then returned to New Zealand to star in the independent thriller Snakeskin (2001), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and earned Lynskey a Best Actress nomination at that year's New Zealand Film Awards.{{cite news|url=http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/9729|work=Ain't It Cool News|title=1st Review of the Melanie Lynskey starring New Zealand film Snakeskin!!!|date=30 July 2001|access-date=4 August 2020|archive-date=10 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410133356/http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/9729|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=227694|work=The New Zealand Herald|title='Snakeskin' cruises into top film spot|date=11 November 2001|access-date=4 November 2013|archive-date=18 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018134031/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=227694|url-status=live}} Variety{{'}}s David Stratton felt that her work in Snakeskin, where she played Alice, a free-spirited drifter who embarks on a dangerous road trip, was "excellent".{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/snakeskin-1200468238/|work=Variety|title=Review: 'Snakeskin'|date=18 May 2001|last=Stratton|first=David|access-date=7 December 2017|archive-date=16 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216091545/https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/snakeskin-1200468238/|url-status=live}}

In 2002, Lynskey re-teamed with director Andy Tennant—whom she previously worked with on Ever After—to play a key role in the romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama, with The Austin Chronicle mentioning her as a highlight among the ensemble cast.{{Cite web|last=Jones|first=Kimberley|date=27 September 2002|title=Sweet Home Alabama|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/2002-09-27/142358/|access-date=30 October 2023|website=The Austin Chronicle}} The scene in which her character, Lurlynn, nurses her baby in a crowded bar has since been recognised for its cultural relevance.{{cite news|url=https://www.romper.com/p/if-you-see-a-mom-with-a-baby-in-a-bar-celebrate-her-12802008|title=There Should Be More Babies In Bars IMO — Here's Why|last=Green|first=Kelly|work=Romper|date=4 April 2019|access-date=30 August 2022|archive-date=30 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830105555/https://www.romper.com/p/if-you-see-a-mom-with-a-baby-in-a-bar-celebrate-her-12802008|url-status=live}} Next, she had a supporting role in Abandon, the directorial debut of Stephen Gaghan. In his review of the psychological thriller, Variety{{'}}s Todd McCarthy pointed out that Lynskey did "some self-conscious scene stealing" with her portrayal of a mousy librarian.{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/abandon-1200545393/|title=Abandon|last=McCarthy|first=Todd|work=Variety|date=18 October 2002|access-date=11 August 2020|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201105830/https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/abandon-1200545393/|url-status=live}} She made her television debut that same year in the Stephen King miniseries Rose Red, playing the protective older sister of a girl with supernatural powers.{{cite news|url=https://decider.com/2023/10/05/rose-red-stephen-king-hulu-review/|work=Decider|title=Stream It Or Skip It: 'Rose Red' on Hulu, the 2002 Stephen King Miniseries That's the Sleeper Hit of 2023's Spooky Season|date=5 October 2003|access-date=1 May 2024}}

In Shattered Glass (2003), a drama depicting the downfall of disgraced ex-journalist Stephen Glass, Lynskey appeared as Amy Brand, a writer for The New Republic. Critic Andrew Sarris noted that "the performances [of] Ms. Sevigny, Ms. Dawson and Ms. Lynskey do more than [just] complement Mr. Christensen's central characterization; they provide a sane backdrop for [his] pathological deceptions to steadily unravel against".{{cite news|url=https://observer.com/2003/11/ambitious-cubs-rise-and-fall-shattered-glass-cuts-fact-from-fakery/|title=Ambitious Cub's Rise and Fall: Shattered Glass Cuts Fact From Fakery|last=Sarris|first=Andrew|work=Observer.com|date=10 November 2003|access-date=8 July 2021|archive-date=9 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185331/https://observer.com/2003/11/ambitious-cubs-rise-and-fall-shattered-glass-cuts-fact-from-fakery/|url-status=live}} Later that year, she began playing the part of Rose, an endearingly devious stalker, on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. Having initially made a one-off appearance in the pilot episode, she was invited by the producers to become a series regular and went on to feature in various storylines throughout the first two seasons.{{cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/melanie-lynskey-1798219293|website=The A.V. Club|title=Interview: Melanie Lynskey|date=9 March 2010|access-date=17 January 2018|archive-date=18 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118122553/https://film.avclub.com/melanie-lynskey-1798219293|url-status=live}} Worried about being typecast as a result of her involvement with the series,{{cite news|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3068425/melanie-lynskey-could-have-been-just-the-wacky-sitcom-neighbor-she-chose-otherw|work=Fast Company|title=Melanie Lynskey Could Have Been Just The Wacky Sitcom Neighbor. She Chose Otherwise.|date=24 February 2017|access-date=3 May 2018|archive-date=4 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504010418/https://www.fastcompany.com/3068425/melanie-lynskey-could-have-been-just-the-wacky-sitcom-neighbor-she-chose-otherw|url-status=live}} Lynskey decided to leave the main ensemble in 2005 to concentrate on film work, a move that showrunner Chuck Lorre said he had "a lot of respect for", despite "not [being] happy at first". She returned infrequently to Two and a Half Men as a guest star up until its final episode, which aired in February 2015.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/02/19/two-and-half-men-series-finale-react | magazine=Entertainment Weekly | title='Two and a Half Men series finale react: A winning end' | date=19 February 2015 | access-date=17 April 2020 | archive-date=28 May 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528203925/https://ew.com/article/2015/02/19/two-and-half-men-series-finale-react/ | url-status=live }} "Doing three or four episodes a year enabled me to pay my mortgage and do independent films", she later said. "People in [the indie world] didn't know I was on this huge sitcom. Then, [others] would recognise me from [the show] and think that I never had another job. But I couldn't have done one without the other".{{cite news|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2016/11/melanie-lynskey-interview-rainbow-time-heavenly-creatures-1201743434/|work=IndieWire|first=Jude|last=Dry|title=Life After 'Heavenly Creatures': How Melanie Lynskey Keeps Finding Original Roles|date=4 November 2016|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=13 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313161241/https://www.indiewire.com/2016/11/melanie-lynskey-interview-rainbow-time-heavenly-creatures-1201743434/|url-status=live}}

Lynskey played Pauline Harnois, the fame-hungry fiancée of soldier Rene Gagnon, in Clint Eastwood's epic war film Flags of Our Fathers (2006).{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/flags-of-our-fathers-255890/|title=Flags of Our Fathers|last=Travers|first=Peter|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=16 October 2006|access-date=29 July 2021|archive-date=29 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729152049/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/flags-of-our-fathers-255890/|url-status=live}} She then joined the main ensemble of the short-lived Fox series Drive (2007),{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2007/voices/markets-festivals/drive-runs-out-of-gas-1117963779/|title='Drive' runs out of gas|last=Schneider|first=Michael|work=Variety|date=25 April 2007|access-date=10 August 2020|archive-date=8 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208080531/https://variety.com/2007/voices/markets-festivals/drive-runs-out-of-gas-1117963779/|url-status=live}} with Los Angeles Times critic Mary McNamara describing her work as Wendy Patrakas, a new mother desperate to get away from her abusive husband, as "especially compelling".{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-apr-14-et-drive14-story.html|title=Relax and enjoy the ride|last=McNamara|first=Mary|work=Los Angeles Times|date=14 April 2007|access-date=11 August 2020|archive-date=2 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402170311/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-apr-14-et-drive14-story.html|url-status=live}} Her next project was the Western miniseries Comanche Moon, which aired on CBS in January 2008. In their critique of the show, People felt that Lynskey's portrayal of Pearl Coleman, a settler whose marriage falls apart after she is raped, was among the best in the cast.{{cite news|url=https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-comanche-moon-vol-69-no-2/|title=Picks and Pans Review: Comanche Moon|work=People.com|date=21 January 2008|access-date=10 August 2020|archive-date=2 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402170553/https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-comanche-moon-vol-69-no-2/|url-status=live}} Later that year, she returned once again to New Zealand to headline the romantic drama Show of Hands,{{cite web|url=https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/56066/New-movie-lures-Melanie-Lynskey-home|title=New movie lures Melanie Lynskey home|website=Stuff |access-date=6 December 2023}} earning strong notices and a Best Actress nomination at the Qantas Film Awards for playing Jess, a single parent who enters a gruelling endurance competition to win a car.{{cite web|url=https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/film/reviews-show-hands-and-ghost-town|title=Reviews: 'Show of Hands' and 'Ghost Town'|work=Otago Daily Times|first=Mark|last=Orton|date=15 November 2008|accessdate=10 May 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/718765/Film-review-i-Show-of-Hands-i|title=Film review: Show of Hands|work=Stuff|date=15 May 2009|accessdate=10 May 2024}}{{cite news | url=http://stoppress.co.nz/news/qantas-film-and-tv-winners | title=Qantas Film and TV Award Winners | date=5 September 2009 | access-date=13 November 2018 | work=StopPress.co.nz | archive-date=14 November 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114010745/http://stoppress.co.nz/news/qantas-film-and-tv-winners | url-status=live }}

In the Sam Mendes–directed dramedy Away We Go (2009), Lynskey appeared as Munch, an adoptive mother dealing with the effects of repeated pregnancy loss. The performance was roundly praised,{{cite news|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/review-away-we-go/|title=Review: Away We Go|last=Hunter|first=Rob|work=Film School Rejects|date=12 June 2009|access-date=24 July 2021|archive-date=24 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724161106/https://filmschoolrejects.com/review-away-we-go/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://behindthelensonline.net/site/reviews/away-we-go/|title=Away We Go|last=Elias|first=Debbie Lynn|work=Behind The Lens|access-date=24 July 2021|archive-date=24 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724162620/https://behindthelensonline.net/site/reviews/away-we-go/|url-status=live}} with critics finding the moment her character performs a grief-stricken pole dance in front of her husband to be particularly poignant;{{cite news|url=https://slate.com/human-interest/2009/06/the-pole-dance-of-grief-in-away-we-go.html|title=The Pole Dance of Grief in Away We Go|last=Lithwick|first=Dahlia|work=Slate|date=29 June 2009|access-date=30 July 2021|archive-date=29 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729234936/https://slate.com/human-interest/2009/06/the-pole-dance-of-grief-in-away-we-go.html|url-status=live}} writing for The Boston Globe, Wesley Morris stated, "Lynskey dramatizes sadness and dysfunction with quiet, moving physicality. [Her] whole life is there in her long face and drooping limbs. It's the best performance in the movie."{{cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/06/12/away_we_go_journeys_from_serious_to_smug/|title=Away We Go review|last=Morris|first=Wesley|work=The Boston Globe|date=12 June 2009 |access-date=13 June 2009|archive-date=15 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615052236/http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/06/12/away_we_go_journeys_from_serious_to_smug/|url-status=live}} She co-starred that same year as Ginger, the foolishly devoted wife of thieving whistleblower Matt Damon's Mark Whitacre, in Steven Soderbergh's darkly comedic biopic The Informant!.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-informant-20090917 |title=The Informant! |last=Travers |first=Peter |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=17 September 2009 |access-date=4 September 2017 |archive-date=5 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205075019/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-informant-20090917 |url-status=live }} Writing for The Independent, Geoffrey Macnab felt that Lynskey provided "sterling support" to Damon.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-informant-venice-film-festival-1783366.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-informant-venice-film-festival-1783366.html |archive-date=12 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=The Informant!, Venice Film Festival|work=The Independent|date=7 September 2009}} During promotion of the film in September that year, Soderbergh told the Los Angeles Times:

{{blockquote|She is so watchable. You never quite know what you're going to get, you just know it's going to be good. Her rhythms are really unusual, like her cadence and her reaction times to things, and the way [she] lays out a sentence. It's just really, really interesting.{{cite news |last=Olsen |first=Mark |title=Melanie Lynskey, Toronto's Triple Threat |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-sep-15-et-lynskey15-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=15 September 2009 |access-date=19 September 2009 |archive-date=2 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100202042528/http://articles.latimes.com/2009/sep/15/entertainment/et-lynskey15 |url-status=live }}}}

While making the film, Soderbergh discouraged Lynskey from contacting the real Ginger Whitacre, as he wanted Lynskey to reach her own conclusion about whether she had been complicit in her husband's crimes. "I decided she had no idea what was going on", she later said. "She was trusting, she [thought her job was] to stay in the house and take care of the kids ... She wasn't asking too many questions".{{cite news|last=Clark|first=Gareth|title=Melanie Lynskey interview|url=https://www.timeoutabudhabi.com/films/features/11243-melanie-lynskey-interview|work=Time Out Abu Dhabi|date=27 October 2009|access-date=12 August 2020|archive-date=15 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315200602/https://www.timeoutabudhabi.com/movies/movies-features/11243-melanie-lynskey-interview|url-status=live}} Lynskey counts her time working on The Informant! as one of her favourite professional experiences.{{cite news|title=The Actress Who Can Do Everything|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/kateaurthur/the-actress-who-can-do-everything|last=Arthur|first=Kate|work=BuzzFeed|date=24 July 2014 | archive-date=22 September 2014 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140922002130/http://www.buzzfeed.com/kateaurthur/the-actress-who-can-do-everything#1oesklu | url-status=live}}

File:Melanie Lynskey.jpg (2009) at the Toronto International Film Festival]]

Also in 2009, Lynskey appeared as the pregnant girlfriend of a cannabis farmer in Tim Blake Nelson's Leaves of Grass, with RogerEbert.com believing her performance to be one of the key contributors to the black comedy's "quirky charm".{{cite news|title=Varieties of Leaves of Grass|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-correspondents/varieties-of-leaves-of-grass|work=RogerEbert.com|date=24 April 2011|access-date=8 July 2021|archive-date=9 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185127/https://www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-correspondents/varieties-of-leaves-of-grass|url-status=live}} Nelson said of her casting, "Melanie came in and read for me and, though she's from New Zealand, she was by far the most credible version of an Oklahoma girl I saw. And I probably auditioned 50 actresses for that role".{{cite news|url=https://i.stuff.co.nz/the-press/christchurch-life/3232124/Kiwi-star-on-the-rise|work=Stuff|title=Kiwi star on the rise|date=18 January 2010|access-date=15 April 2023}} Next, she received positive notices for her work as Julie Bingham,{{cite news|url=https://recordonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2009/12/18/movie-review-up-in-air/51764694007/|work=Times Herald-Record|title=Movie review: 'Up in the Air'|date=18 December 2009|access-date=31 October 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.deseret.com/2009/12/18/20359351/film-review-grounded-moments-are-best-part-of-up-in-the-air|work=Deseret News|title=Film review: Grounded moments are best part of 'Up in the Air'|date=18 December 2009|access-date=6 November 2023}} a soon-to-be bride, in the Oscar-nominated dramedy Up in the Air.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a206942/in-full-oscars-2010-the-winners.html|title=In Full: October Oscars 2010 – The Winners|work=Digital Spy|first=Simon|last=Reynolds|date=7 March 2010|access-date=21 March 2017|archive-date=20 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620151948/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a206942/in-full-oscars-2010-the-winners.html|url-status=live}} With his previous films, director Jason Reitman had always rejected the idea of casting non-American actors in American roles, but Lynskey said that she "tricked" him into giving her the part by avoiding conversation with him during her audition, thus concealing her real accent; Reitman admitted to being "thrilled" by this.{{cite news|title=Big Screen: Jason Reitman and the cast of "Up in the Air"|url=http://www.columbusalive.com/content/stories/2009/12/22/ca_f_up-in-the-air-cast.html|work=Columbus Alive|date=22 December 2009|access-date=21 May 2018|archive-date=22 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522041314/http://www.columbusalive.com/content/stories/2009/12/22/ca_f_up-in-the-air-cast.html|url-status=live}} In October 2009, she was presented with a Spotlight Award at the Hollywood Film Festival.{{cite news| url=http://hollywoodfest.com/2009/10/hollywood-fest-honors-julianne-moore/ | publisher=Hollywood Film Festival | title=Hollywood Fest Honors Julianne Moore | date=10 October 2009 | archive-date= 24 March 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130324193207/http://hollywoodfest.com/2009/10/hollywood-fest-honors-julianne-moore/}}{{cite AV media|date=26 October 2009|title=Hollywood Spotlight Awards|url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=w11SLVGS0jc|access-date=5 November 2023|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}

Lynskey played an insecure wife in Helena from the Wedding (2010), with The Hollywood Reporter stating in their review, "The actors form a seamless ensemble, but [the film] belongs to [Lynskey]".{{cite news |last=Frosch |first=Jon |title=Helena From the Wedding – Film Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/helena-wedding-film-review-30091 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=14 October 2010 |access-date=21 May 2018 |archive-date=22 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522041551/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/helena-wedding-film-review-30091 |url-status=live }} She then appeared in the sports drama Touchback (2011), receiving praise for her role as the childhood sweetheart of an ex-football prodigy,{{cite news|url=https://dispatch.com/story/entertainment/movies/2012/04/13/movie-review-touchback-football-drama/24110143007/|last=Starker|first=Melissa|website=The Columbus Dispatch|title=Touchback: Football drama fumbles any chance at originality|date=13 April 2012|access-date=30 October 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.deseret.com/2012/4/12/20501117/it-s-a-not-so-wonderful-touchback|last=O'Neill|first=Shawn|website=Deseret News|title=It's a not so wonderful 'Touchback'|date=13 April 2012|access-date=8 November 2023}} and garnered positive notices the same year for her portrayal of drug addict Cindy Timmons in Tom McCarthy's dramedy Win Win.{{cite news |last=Perez |first=Rodrigo |title=Sundance '11 Review: Tom McCarthy's 'Win Win' Balances Heartfelt & Hilarious Small Victories |url=https://theplaylist.net/sundance-11-review-tom-mccarthys-win-win-balances-heartfelt-hilarious-small-victories-20110123/ |work=The Playlist |date=23 January 2011 |access-date=17 May 2018 |archive-date=17 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517154256/https://theplaylist.net/sundance-11-review-tom-mccarthys-win-win-balances-heartfelt-hilarious-small-victories-20110123/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Concannon |first=Philip |title=Win Win |url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/win-win |work=The Skinny |date=16 May 2011 |access-date=11 August 2020 |archive-date=7 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207234136/https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/win-win |url-status=live }} Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney noted that Lynskey brought "welcome soft shadings to the story's disruptive element",{{cite news|last=Rooney|first=David|title=Sundance Review: Win Win|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/sundance-review-win-win-74650 |work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=22 January 2011|access-date=17 May 2018 |archive-date=17 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517154502/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/sundance-review-win-win-74650|url-status=live}} while Mary Pols stated in her review for Time, "[Lynskey] has become one of the most reliably intriguing supporting actresses in film ... she had [parts in] Away We Go, The Informant! and Up in the Air [and was] wonderful in all three. In Win Win she gives a very different kind of performance and is even better."{{cite magazine |last=Pols |first=Mary |title=Win Win: Paul Giamatti Can't Lose |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2011/03/17/win-win-review-paul-giamatti-cant-lose/ |magazine=Time |date=17 March 2011 |access-date=4 November 2013 |archive-date=24 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824001523/http://entertainment.time.com/2011/03/17/win-win-review-paul-giamatti-cant-lose/ |url-status=live }}

In 2012, Lynskey appeared briefly as the flirtatious Karen in doomsday romantic comedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and had a key role as Aunt Helen, the sexually abusive relative of the teenage protagonist, in coming-of-age drama The Perks of Being a Wallflower.{{cite web|url=http://www.ifc.com/2012/06/melanie-lynskey-the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-emma-watson|title=LAFF: Melanie Lynskey Talks Playing Aunt Helen in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"|work=IFC.com|date=21 June 2012|access-date=30 June 2017|archive-date=9 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809084024/http://www.ifc.com/2012/06/melanie-lynskey-the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower-emma-watson|url-status=live}} Due to the nature of her character in Perks, she said that agreeing to take on the part had been a difficult decision.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2012/01/sundance-melanie-lynskey-talks-making-hello-i-must-be-going-teases-perks-seeking-a-friend-113610/|title=Sundance: Melanie Lynskey Talks Making 'Hello I Must Be Going,' Teases 'Perks' & 'Seeking A Friend'|work=IndieWire|date=25 January 2012|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801102013/https://www.indiewire.com/2012/01/sundance-melanie-lynskey-talks-making-hello-i-must-be-going-teases-perks-seeking-a-friend-113610/|url-status=live}} Her next role was that of love interest Sally in the same year's Putzel, an independent romcom.{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Melanie-Lynskey-Shares-5-Kooky-Things-About-Her-Outrageous-Comedy-Putzel-42449.html|title=Melanie Lynskey Shares 5 Kooky Things About Her Outrageous Comedy Putzel|work=CinemaBlend|first=Kristy|last=Puchko|date=8 April 2014|accessdate=14 May 2024}} In their critique of the film, the Tallahassee Democrat stated that Lynskey "steals the show ... [Putzel] sparks to life whenever [she] arrives on the screen",{{cite web|url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/entertainment/movies/2014/05/14/lovely-melanie-lynskey-saves-cliched-putzel/9091613/|title=Lovely Melanie Lynskey saves cliched 'Putzel'|work=Tallahassee Democrat|date=15 May 2014|access-date=23 May 2018|archive-date=23 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523172717/https://amp.tallahassee.com/amp/9091613|url-status=live}} while Redefine described her as "delightful" and "deftly believable".{{cite web|url=https://redefinemag.net/2013/seattle-international-film-festival-siff-2013-mid-point-reviews/|title=Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) 2013: Best & Worst Films Round-Up Reviews|work=Redefine|date=15 June 2013|access-date=5 July 2021|archive-date=9 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185033/https://redefinemag.net/2013/seattle-international-film-festival-siff-2013-mid-point-reviews/|url-status=live}}

Lynskey's portrayal of Amy Minsky in Hello I Must Be Going (2012), an unemployed divorcee who finds herself living back at home with her parents, was met with critical acclaim.{{cite web |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-review-lynskey-shines-in-hello-i-must-be-going-2012sep06-story.html |last=Lemire |first=Christy |title=Review: Lynskey shines in 'Hello I Must Be Going' |agency=Associated Press |date=6 September 2012 |access-date=29 June 2017 |archive-date=17 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217185954/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-review-lynskey-shines-in-hello-i-must-be-going-2012sep06-story.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-movie-review-hello-is-perfect-for-actress-melanie-2012sep27-story.html |last=Macdonald |first=Moira |title='Hello I Must Be Going' is perfect for actress Melanie Lynskey |work=The Seattle Times |date=27 September 2012 |access-date=7 July 2017 |archive-date=17 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217185942/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-movie-review-hello-is-perfect-for-actress-melanie-2012sep27-story.html |url-status=live }} For the first time in her career, Lynskey appeared in every scene throughout the film; she described the experience as "a lot of pressure" and said that, because of her lack of bankability at the time, she had assumed the part would be given to somebody like Michelle Williams or Maggie Gyllenhaal.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/movies/melanie-lynskeys-star-shines-at-sundance.html | work=The New York Times | first=Brooks | last=Barnes | title=Another Independent Dream Comes True | date=20 January 2012 | access-date=27 February 2017 | archive-date=17 December 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217185934/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/movies/melanie-lynskeys-star-shines-at-sundance.html | url-status=live }} Speaking of his decision to cast Lynskey, director Todd Louiso said, "I knew if I cast her, the film had the potential to resonate on a thousand different levels". In his review for the Los Angeles Times, Kenneth Turan wrote:

{{blockquote|If you know the name Melanie Lynskey, you're already planning to see her in Hello I Must Be Going. If you don't, this film will have you making up for lost time. That's how good an actress she is ... Though there is something of the sad sack about [Amy], Lynskey inhabits the role so completely, brings such exquisite naturalness to her performance, that she becomes someone we root for unreservedly.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2012-sep-06-la-et-mn-hello-i-must-be-going-20120907-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|last=Turan|first=Kenneth|title=Melanie Lynskey is highlight of 'Hello I Must Be Going'|date=6 September 2012|access-date=31 July 2021|archive-date=31 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731192518/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2012-sep-06-la-et-mn-hello-i-must-be-going-20120907-story.html|url-status=live}}}}

In a similar appraisal, USA Today noted that "Lynskey brings dimension and intelligence" and a "sympathetic blend of humor [and] dignity to the role".{{cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/story/2012/09/13/review-hello-i-must-be-going/57778756/1?csp=34life|title='Hello I Must Be Going' is a funny, well-written tale|work=USA Today|date=13 September 2012}} The performance earned her a nomination for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor,{{cite press release|url=http://www.ifp.org/press/nominees-announced-for-ifps-22nd-annual-gotham-independent-film-awards/|work=IFP|last=Schoenbrun|first=Dan|title=Nominees Announced for IFP's 22nd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards|date=18 October 2012|archive-date=28 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028120152/http://www.ifp.org/press/nominees-announced-for-ifps-22nd-annual-gotham-independent-film-awards/#.VPDacLPF_zF|url-status=live}} while Screen Rant placed it at #6 in their rundown of the best film acting of the early 2010s.{{cite news|url=https://screenrant.com/best-acting-performances-2010-2015/|work=Screen Rant|title=20 Best Acting Performances of the Last 5 Years|first=Scout|last=Tafoya|date=26 October 2015|access-date=11 June 2018|archive-date=17 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217185935/https://screenrant.com/best-acting-performances-2010-2015/|url-status=live}} The following year, Lynskey took on a lead role in The Big Ask, an independent black comedy. Her work as Hannah was praised,{{cite news|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/the-big-ask-review-how-far-in-would-you-let-a-friend-in-need-go-b1c2995ad364/|work=Film School Rejects|title='The Big Ask' Review: How Far (In) Would You Let a Friend In Need Go?|first=Rob|last=Hunter|date=28 May 2014|access-date=21 May 2018|archive-date=21 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521191717/https://filmschoolrejects.com/the-big-ask-review-how-far-in-would-you-let-a-friend-in-need-go-b1c2995ad364/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://thedissolve.com/reviews/824-the-big-ask/|work=The Dissolve|title=The Big Ask|first=Vadim| last=Rizov|date=28 May 2014|access-date=21 May 2018|archive-date=15 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415224013/https://thedissolve.com/reviews/824-the-big-ask/|url-status=dead}} with Brian Tallerico stating in his review for RogerEbert.com, "[she] so often finds ways to elevate lackluster screenwriting, and does so again here. She's the best thing about the movie."{{cite news|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-big-ask-2014|work=RogerEbert.com|title=The Big Ask|first=Brian|last=Tallerico|date=30 May 2014|access-date=21 May 2018|archive-date=22 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522041318/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-big-ask-2014|url-status=live}}

File:Melanie Lynskey-Gillian Jacobs SIFF Interview - Teddy Bears - The MacGuffin.webm (right) and Lynskey discussing The Big Ask (2013)—known then as Teddy Bears—at the Seattle International Film Festival]]

In April 2014, Lynskey was named an Emerging Master honouree at the RiverRun International Film Festival.{{cite web |url=https://www.nzedge.com/news/lynskey-honoured-early-mastery-craft/ |title=Lynskey Honoured for Early Mastery of Her Craft |website=NZEdge.com |date=23 April 2014 |access-date=23 June 2021 |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624211153/https://www.nzedge.com/news/lynskey-honoured-early-mastery-craft/ |url-status=live }} Her first film project that year was Happy Christmas, where she played Kelly, a creatively bored novelist whose passion for writing is rekindled when her disruptive sister-in-law comes to visit. The film drew attention for being almost entirely improvised,{{cite news | url=https://www.moviemaker.com/archives/interviews/three-women-talk-basement-happy-christmas-star-melanie-lynskey-improvisation-lena-dunham-feminism/ | work=MovieMaker | title=Three Women Talk In A Basement: Happy Christmas' Melanie Lynskey On Improv, Lena Dunham, and Feminism | first=Sean | last=Hood | date=25 June 2014 | access-date=30 June 2017 | archive-date=10 February 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210183057/https://www.moviemaker.com/archives/interviews/three-women-talk-basement-happy-christmas-star-melanie-lynskey-improvisation-lena-dunham-feminism/ | url-status=live }} with Stephen Holden of The New York Times stating, "The performances [are] so natural that the actors melt into their characters";{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/01/movies/happy-christmas-stars-anna-kendrick.html | work=New York Times | title=Holiday Visitor Who's a Tough Sort of Gift | first=Stephen | last=Holden | date=31 July 2014 | access-date=30 June 2017 | archive-date=10 February 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210003232/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/01/movies/happy-christmas-stars-anna-kendrick.html | url-status=live }} while other critics singled out Lynskey as a highlight.{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2014/07/24/happy-christmas-review/11408099/ | work=USA Today | title='Happy Christmas' isn't exactly merry but Yule like it | first=Claudia | last=Puig | date=24 July 2014 | access-date=4 September 2017 | archive-date=27 November 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171127221222/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2014/07/24/happy-christmas-review/11408099/ | url-status=live }}{{cite news | url=http://flavorwire.com/434502/sundance-2014-kendrick-lynskey-dunham-shine-in-swanbergs-happy-christmas | work=Flavorwire | title=Sundance 2014: Kendrick, Lynskey, Dunham Shine in Swanberg's 'Happy Christmas' | first=Jason | last=Bailey | date=20 January 2014 | access-date=30 June 2017 | archive-date=30 November 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130052646/http://flavorwire.com/434502/sundance-2014-kendrick-lynskey-dunham-shine-in-swanbergs-happy-christmas | url-status=live }} She then had a supporting role in David Wain's satirical romcom They Came Together, and played the female leads in We'll Never Have Paris—the directorial debut of Simon Helberg—and Angus MacLachlan's Goodbye to All That. In his review of Goodbye to All That, Bilge Ebiri said that Lynskey's portrayal of frustrated wife Annie was "fantastic",{{cite news | url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/12/movie-review-goodbye-to-all-that.html | work=Vulture | title=Indie Romantic Comedies Are a Dime a Dozen, But Goodbye to All That Is Charming, Beautiful, and Sad | first=Bilge | last=Ebiri | date=19 December 2014 | access-date=17 April 2020 | archive-date=20 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920143322/https://www.vulture.com/2014/12/movie-review-goodbye-to-all-that.html | url-status=live }} while Variety described her as "heartbreaking ... This is what falling out of love looks like. It's not screaming matches and altercations; it's apathy and indifference."{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/festivals/tribeca-film-review-goodbye-to-all-that-1201169419/|title=Film Review: 'Goodbye to All That'|work=Variety|date=3 May 2014|access-date=17 December 2022|archive-date=17 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217080854/https://variety.com/2014/film/festivals/tribeca-film-review-goodbye-to-all-that-1201169419/|url-status=live}} Towards the end of 2014, she provided the voice of Beatrice, an ill-tempered bluebird, for Cartoon Network's Over the Garden Wall.{{cite news|url= https://theguardian.com/culture/2014/nov/03/over-the-garden-wall-slapstick-kids-existential-dread-adults|website=The Guardian|last=Moylan|first=Brian|title= Over the Garden Wall: slapstick for the kids, existential dread for the adults|date=3 November 2014|access-date=30 October 2023}}{{cite news | url=http://www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/cartoon-networks-over-the-garden-wall-wins-four-emmys-119334.html | work=Cartoon Brew | title=Cartoon Network's Over the Garden Wall Wins Three Emmys | date=16 September 2015 | access-date=12 June 2016 | archive-date=27 December 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227135901/http://www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/cartoon-networks-over-the-garden-wall-wins-four-emmys-119334.html | url-status=live }} In their appraisal of the animated miniseries, which has since been recognised as a cult classic,{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/10/19/21516968/over-the-garden-wall-cartoon-october-halloween-animated-miniseries-wirt-greg-review-ending-explained|website=Vox|last=St. James|first=Emily|title=One Good Thing: This animated miniseries perfectly captures the loneliness of autumn|date=19 October 2020|access-date=30 October 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/over-the-garden-wall-streaming-horror-halloween-folklore|website=Paste|last=Lyons|first=Annie|title=TV Rewind: Over the Garden Wall Endures as a Captivating Halloween Folktale|date=22 October 2021|access-date=31 October 2023}} The A.V. Club commented, "Lynskey steals the show with her amazing putdowns and passive-aggressiveness, smartly avoiding overdone sass or sarcasm."{{cite news | url=https://www.avclub.com/over-the-garden-wall-1798181854 | work=A.V. Club | title=Over The Garden Wall | date=7 November 2014 | access-date=3 May 2018 | archive-date=4 May 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504090256/https://tv.avclub.com/over-the-garden-wall-1798181854 | url-status=live }}

File:Melanie Lynskey SXSW Interview - We'll Never Have Paris - The MacGuffin.webm (2014) at South by Southwest]]

Between 2015 and 2016, Lynskey played Michelle Pierson on HBO's Togetherness, which focused on the lives of two couples living under the same roof. Created by the Duplass brothers, the heavily improvised dramedy series was a "dream" job for Lynskey,{{cite news|url=https://moveablefest.com/melanie-lynskey-happy-christmas/|website=The Moveable Fest|title=Interview: Melanie Lynskey Celebrates "Happy Christmas"|date=25 July 2014|access-date=11 November 2023}} who referred to its co-writer and director, Jay Duplass, as her "creative soulmate". The show's performances were commended, with critics paying particular attention to Lynskey.{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2015/01/14/a-motley-crew-of-cohabitants-do-not-a-gimmick-make-on-togetherness|work=Chicago Reader|first=Brianna|last=Wellen|title=A motley crew of cohabitants do not a gimmick make on Togetherness|date=14 January 2015|archive-date=15 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115020758/http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2015/01/14/a-motley-crew-of-cohabitants-do-not-a-gimmick-make-on-togetherness|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://theplaylist.net/review-the-quietly-radical-togetherness-season-2-20160218/|work=The Playlist|title=Review: The Quietly Radical 'Togetherness' Season 2|date=18 February 2016|access-date=17 January 2018|archive-date=18 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118182825/https://theplaylist.net/review-the-quietly-radical-togetherness-season-2-20160218/|url-status=live}} Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Robert Lloyd said, "[Lynskey] is all deep waters and live wires; soft and steely, trying on new personas for size, her Michelle becomes the series' gravitational center. You can feel her feeling".{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-togetherness-review-column.html|title='Togetherness' shows real life's just funny that way|last=Lloyd|first=Robert|work=Los Angeles Times|date=10 January 2015|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=24 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624094936/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-togetherness-review-column.html|url-status=live}} The performance earned her a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress,{{cite news | url=http://www.bustle.com/articles/81491-2015-critics-choice-tv-award-nominations-are-outstanding-more-than-make-up-for-some-big|work=Bustle|title=2015 Critics' Choice TV Award Nominations Are Outstanding & More Than Make Up For Some Big Emmy Snubs|date=6 May 2015|access-date=12 June 2016|archive-date=18 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818022635/http://www.bustle.com/articles/81491-2015-critics-choice-tv-award-nominations-are-outstanding-more-than-make-up-for-some-big|url-status=live}} and was singled out by numerous publications as being worthy of an Emmy nomination.{{cite news |url=https://huffpost.com/us/entry/us_575ea4c6e4b00f97fba8c295/|work=Huffington Post|title=Here's What This Year's Emmy Nominations Should Look Like|date=23 June 2016|access-date=8 May 2018|archive-date=15 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315200554/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/emmys-for-your-consideration-2016_n_575ea4c6e4b00f97fba8c295|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/demanders/if-i-had-an-emmy-ballot-2016|work=RogerEbert.com|title=If I Had an Emmy Ballot 2016|date=23 June 2016|access-date=8 May 2018|archive-date=9 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509013631/https://www.rogerebert.com/demanders/if-i-had-an-emmy-ballot-2016|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.etonline.com/news/193249_2016_emmys_most_shocking_snubs_surprises|work=Entertainment Tonight|title=2016 Emmys: Lady Gaga, 'The Good Wife' and More of the Most Shocking Snubs & Surprises|date=14 July 2016|access-date=8 May 2018|archive-date=9 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509013152/https://www.etonline.com/news/193249_2016_emmys_most_shocking_snubs_surprises|url-status=live}} It was announced in March 2016 that HBO would not be renewing Togetherness for a third season;{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/togetherness-cancelled-hbo-season-3-1201739415/|work=Variety|title='Togetherness' Cancelled After Two Seasons on HBO|date=25 March 2016|access-date=8 May 2018|archive-date=8 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508185801/https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/togetherness-cancelled-hbo-season-3-1201739415/|url-status=live}} Lynskey compared this to having her "heart broken by someone I'm still in love with".{{cite news|url=https://www.goldderby.com/article/2016/melanie-lynskey-interview-togetherness-the-intervention-mark-duplassl-video-802641357/|work=GoldDerby.com|title=[Watch] Melanie Lynskey ('Togetherness') on heartbreaking end of HBO show & Sundance prize for 'The Intervention'|date=19 May 2016|access-date=8 May 2018|archive-date=9 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509012539/https://www.goldderby.com/article/2016/melanie-lynskey-interview-togetherness-the-intervention-mark-duplassl-video-802641357/|url-status=live }}

File:Melanie Lynskey, The Intervention (24766766930).jpg (2016) at the Sundance Film Festival]]

For her starring role in The Intervention (2016), Lynskey received the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Individual Performance at the Sundance Film Festival.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/01/the-birth-of-a-nation-takes-home-sundances-top-awards | magazine=Vanity Fair | title=The Birth of a Nation Takes Home Sundance's Top Awards | date=31 January 2016 | access-date=17 April 2020 | archive-date=30 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930023405/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/01/the-birth-of-a-nation-takes-home-sundances-top-awards | url-status=live }} In his review for IndieWire, Russ Fischer pointed out Lynskey's "tremendously good comic timing",{{cite news | url=https://www.indiewire.com/2016/01/sundance-review-clea-duvalls-the-intervention-starring-melanie-lynskey-cobie-smulders-natasha-lyonne-more-86087/ | publisher=IndieWire | title=Sundance Review: Clea DuVall's 'The Intervention' Starring Melanie Lynskey, Cobie Smulders, Natasha Lyonne, More | date=29 January 2016 | access-date=24 July 2018 | archive-date=16 July 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716025131/https://www.indiewire.com/2016/01/sundance-review-clea-duvalls-the-intervention-starring-melanie-lynskey-cobie-smulders-natasha-lyonne-more-86087/ | url-status=live }} while Ethan Anderton of /Film noted, "Lynskey is the standout, delivering a performance that is genuine, funny and touching all at the same time."{{cite news | url=https://www.slashfilm.com/the-intervention-trailer/ | work=/Film | title='The Intervention' Trailer: Melanie Lynskey Gets By with a Little Help from Her Friends | date=5 July 2016 | access-date=17 April 2020 | archive-date=25 February 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225112450/https://www.slashfilm.com/the-intervention-trailer/ | url-status=live }} The film was the directorial debut of Clea DuVall, who wrote the character of Annie, an uptight alcoholic, specifically for Lynskey.{{cite web|url=https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/intervention-interview-clea-duvall-melanie-lynskey-tell/|title=The 'Intervention' Interview: Clea DuVall and Melanie Lynskey Tell-All|work=Film Independent|date=22 August 2016|first=Chris|last=Lombardi|access-date=13 May 2017|archive-date=2 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161102091633/http://www.filmindependent.org/blog/intervention-interview-clea-duvall-melanie-lynskey-tell/|url-status=live}} She sought the help of a therapist before the film went into production to prepare herself for working with DuVall, a close friend of several years: "I didn't want anything to happen to our friendship and a big challenge was being able to stick up for myself and my perspective in regard to the script and this character." Also that year, she starred in the one-off BBC Two comedy Our Ex-Wife,{{cite web|title='Hate-filled' Robert Webb marital comedy part of new BBC2 sitcom season|url=http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/news/robert-webb-marital-comedy-bbc2-sitcom-season-394940/|publisher=What's on TV|date=11 August 2016|access-date=4 March 2017|archive-date=1 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401212927/http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/news/robert-webb-marital-comedy-bbc2-sitcom-season-394940/|url-status=live}} which was followed by prominent roles in the independent features Rainbow Time, Little Boxes, and The Great & the Small. Variety{{'s}} Joe Leydon described her work in The Great & the Small—where she played Margaret, a schoolteacher grieving the loss of her only son—as "quietly devastating".{{cite news | url=https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/the-great-and-the-small-review-1201990835/ | work=Variety | first=Joe | last=Leydon | title=Film Review: 'The Great & the Small' | date=17 February 2017 | access-date=7 December 2017 | archive-date=30 November 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130182022/http://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/the-great-and-the-small-review-1201990835/ | url-status=live }}

File:Melanie Lynskey SXSW Interview - Rainbow Time - The MacGuffin.webm (2016) at South by Southwest]]

Lynskey's performance in the Netflix crime thriller I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017) was roundly praised by critics.{{cite news|url=https://theplaylist.net/melanie-lynskey-kicks-serious-ass-in-i-dont-feel-at-home-in-this-world-anymore-sundance-review-20170120/|work=The Playlist|first=Gregory|last=Ellwood|title=Melanie Lynskey Kicks Serious Ass In 'I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore' [Sundance Review]|date=20 January 2017|access-date=29 May 2018|archive-date=30 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530040228/https://theplaylist.net/melanie-lynskey-kicks-serious-ass-in-i-dont-feel-at-home-in-this-world-anymore-sundance-review-20170120/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-i-dont-feel-at-home-review-20170223-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|title=Melanie Lynskey raises hell in the bloody dark comedy 'I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore'|date=23 February 2017|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=30 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230173746/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-i-dont-feel-at-home-review-20170223-story.html|url-status=live}} The film's director, Macon Blair, wrote the character of Ruth, an aggrieved nursing assistant who takes the law into her own hands after her house is burgled, with Lynskey in mind.{{cite news | url=https://screencrush.com/melanie-lynskey-interview-i-dont-feel-at-home-in-this-world-anymore/ | work=ScreenCrush | first=Erin Oliver | last=Whitney | title=Melanie Lynskey on Playing an Action Star and Wearing a Vomit Machine in Her Netflix Movie | date=23 February 2017 | access-date=17 April 2020 | archive-date=15 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315200555/https://screencrush.com/melanie-lynskey-interview-i-dont-feel-at-home-in-this-world-anymore/ | url-status=live }} The role proved to be physically challenging, as it involved stunt work and the use of prosthetics.{{cite news | url=https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/89752948/Melanie-Lynskey-gets-physical-for-new-Netflix-role | work=Stuff | first=James | last=Croot | title=Melanie Lynskey gets physical for new Netflix role | date=24 February 2017 | access-date=29 May 2018 | archive-date=12 June 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612135819/https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/89752948/Melanie-Lynskey-gets-physical-for-new-Netflix-role | url-status=live }} Peter Debruge of Variety commended Blair for giving Lynskey "something unforgettable to do" and felt that she delivered her "best work yet",{{cite news | url=https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/i-dont-feel-at-home-in-this-world-anymore-review-1201964507/ | work=Variety | first=Peter | last=Debruge | title=Sundance Film Review: 'I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore' | date=19 January 2017 | access-date=7 December 2017 | archive-date=4 December 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204154757/http://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/i-dont-feel-at-home-in-this-world-anymore-review-1201964507/ | url-status=live }} while Time Out described her as "seething and magnetic".{{cite news | url=https://www.timeout.com/us/film/i-dont-feel-at-home-in-this-world-anymore | work=Time Out | first=Joshua | last=Rothkopf | title=I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore | date=14 February 2017 | access-date=1 July 2017 | archive-date=21 February 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221093829/https://www.timeout.com/us/film/i-dont-feel-at-home-in-this-world-anymore | url-status=dead }} In his review for RogerEbert.com, Matt Zoller Seitz said:

{{blockquote|[Lynskey is] one of those actresses I'm never not glad to see, and it's a treat to see her front-and-center here, carrying an entire movie mainly with her eyes, face and shoulders. A performance like this one can be quite tricky—you're essentially reactive a lot of the time, more of a sponge for the film than the motor driving it along—but Lynskey makes everything active by letting you feel Ruth's emotions and sense her train of thought as she puts various pieces together in her head, drawing correct or wrongheaded conclusions. She's also just a terrific audience surrogate. When she snarls or snaps, I wanted to cheer.{{cite news|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/i-dont-feel-at-home-in-this-world-anymore-2017|work=RogerEbert.com|first=Matt|last=Zoller Seitz|title=I Don't Feel at Home in this World Anymore|date=24 February 2017|access-date=28 May 2018|archive-date=29 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529130425/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/i-dont-feel-at-home-in-this-world-anymore-2017|url-status=live}}}}

I Don't Feel at Home won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Sundance Festival while Lynskey received a nomination for that year's Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Actress.{{cite web|url=https://www.sundance.org/pdf/festival-info/2017AwardWinners-withSundayMondaySchedules.pdf|title=2017 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners|work=Sundance.org|access-date=31 January 2017|archive-date=19 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619043621/http://www.sundance.org/pdf/festival-info/2017AwardWinners-withSundayMondaySchedules.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite news | url=https://variety.com/2017/film/awards/gotham-awards-nominations-2017-1202594047/ | work=Variety | first=Gordon | last=Cox | title='Get Out' Leads 2017 Gotham Awards Nominations | date=19 October 2017 | access-date=17 January 2018 | archive-date=19 October 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019224425/http://variety.com/2017/film/awards/gotham-awards-nominations-2017-1202594047/ | url-status=live }} Next, she headlined the controversial independent drama And Then I Go,{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidalm/2018/04/17/and-then-i-go-offers-a-troubling-new-look-at-a-school-shooting-from-the-shooters-perspective/#384c9c624570 | work=Forbes | first=David | last=Alm | title='And Then I Go' Offers A Troubling New Look At A School Shooting, From The Shooters' Perspective | date=17 April 2018 | access-date=21 May 2018 | archive-date=21 May 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521192039/https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidalm/2018/04/17/and-then-i-go-offers-a-troubling-new-look-at-a-school-shooting-from-the-shooters-perspective/#384c9c624570 | url-status=live }} with Parade{{'}}s Samuel R. Murrian commending her "quality work" as the concerned parent of a troubled high schooler.{{cite news|url=https://parade.com/662633/samuelmurrian/review-teen-drama-and-then-i-go-is-stark-timely-unsettling/|website=Parade|title=Review: Teen Drama And Then I Go Is Stark, Timely, Unsettling|date=18 April 2018|access-date=7 November 2023}} That same year, she received a Golden Nymph nomination for starring as Zara Skelton, a headstrong criminal defence lawyer, in the Australian miniseries Sunshine;{{cite news | url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tvco-and-radio/australian-shows-and-actors-among-nominees-for-prestigious-tv-festival-20180427-p4zbxk.html|work=Sydney Morning Herald | first=Michael | last=Idato | title=Australian shows and actors among nominees for prestigious TV festival | date=27 April 2018 | access-date=1 May 2018 | archive-date=12 May 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512121806/https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/australian-shows-and-actors-among-nominees-for-prestigious-tv-festival-20180427-p4zbxk.html | url-status=live }} played the mother of a teenage witch in The Changeover, a fantasy thriller shot in New Zealand;{{cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/96474337/the-changeovers-melanie-lynskey-finally-fulfills-a-literary-dream|title=The Changeover's Melanie Lynskey finally fulfills a literary dream|work=Stuff|first=James|last=Croot|date=17 September 2017|accessdate=12 May 2024}} and appeared as a flustered housewife—frantically trying to conceal her husband's corpse after finding him dead—in the horror film XX. In their review of XX, Time said of Lynskey, "terrific as always, [she] brings a grace note of pathos to the wicked proceedings".{{cite magazine | url=https://time.com/4671841/xx-movie-review/ | magazine=Time | first=Stephanie | last=Zacharek | title=Review: XX, a Creepy Quartet of Horror Films by Women, Might Rob You of Sleep | date=17 February 2017 | access-date=9 February 2018 | archive-date=26 February 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226135201/http://time.com/4671841/xx-movie-review/ | url-status=live }}

In Sadie (2018), Lynskey starred as Rae, a woman bringing up her daughter in the confines of a trailer park while her husband serves in the military. Variety described her work in the drama as "compelling",{{cite news | url=https://variety.com/2018/film/festivals/sadie-review-1202736022/ | first=Joe | last=Leydon | title=SXSW Film Review: 'Sadie' | work=Variety | date=26 March 2018 | access-date=19 June 2018 | archive-date=15 June 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615040552/https://variety.com/2018/film/festivals/sadie-review-1202736022/ | url-status=live }} while Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter stated, "It's no surprise that Lynskey, who has quietly [been] establishing herself as one of indie cinema's finest actors, is once again superb in her emotionally complex turn".{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/sadie-1150489|first=Frank|last=Scheck|title='Sadie': Film Review|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=9 October 2018|access-date=10 August 2020|archive-date=16 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116220459/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/sadie-1150489|url-status=live}} Next, she appeared in the principal role of troubled psychic Molly Strand on the first season of Castle Rock, a supernatural horror series based on characters and settings from the books of Stephen King.{{cite news | url=https://deadline.com/2017/06/castle-rock-melanie-lynskey-star-hulu-jj-abrams-stephen-king-series-1202121194/ | website=Deadline Hollywood | first=Nellie | last=Andreeva | title='Castle Rock': Melanie Lynskey To Star In Hulu's J.J. Abrams/Stephen King Series | date=28 June 2017 | access-date=17 April 2020 | archive-date=15 February 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215033029/https://deadline.com/2017/06/castle-rock-melanie-lynskey-star-hulu-jj-abrams-stephen-king-series-1202121194/ | url-status=live }} It premiered on Hulu in July 2018, with critics pointing out the strong work of the cast: Paste referred to Lynskey as "delicately complex",{{cite news |url=https://pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/07/castle-rock-stephen-king-hulu-review.html | work=Paste | first=Jacob | last=Oller | title=Hulu's Stephen King-Inspired Castle Rock Is Easy to Watch and Hard to Forget | date=20 July 2018 | access-date=23 July 2018 | archive-date=24 July 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724002353/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/07/castle-rock-stephen-king-hulu-review.html | url-status=live }} while Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone felt the show was "the latest example of how much humanity and grounding [Lynskey] can bring to the most surreal and macabre of stories – it's a tradition that goes back to when she was a teenager in Heavenly Creatures."{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-reviews/castle-rock-tv-review-stephen-king-699974/ | magazine=Rolling Stone | first=Alan | last=Sepinwall | title='Castle Rock' Review: Hulu's Horror Anthology Show Is Fit for a King | date=23 July 2018 | access-date=23 July 2018 | archive-date=24 July 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724062548/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-reviews/castle-rock-tv-review-stephen-king-699974/ | url-status=live }} Earlier that same year, the Seattle International Film Festival hosted a tribute event in celebration of Lynskey's career.{{cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/movies/melanie-lynskey-visits-siff/|title=Melanie Lynskey visits SIFF|work=The Seattle Times|first=Moira|last=Macdonald|date=23 May 2018|accessdate=12 May 2024}}

Between April and May 2020, Lynskey appeared as Rosemary Thomson in the FX on Hulu period miniseries Mrs. America, a political drama centred on the life and career of conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly (played by Cate Blanchett). Her portrayal of the real-life Thomson,{{cite web|url=https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/g32132531/mrs-america-cast-vs-real-life/|title=See the Cast of Mrs. America vs. the People They Play in Real-Life|work=Elle|first=Savannah|last=Walsh|date=14 April 2020|accessdate=12 May 2024}} an ambitious champion of Schlafly and staunch opposer of the Equal Rights Amendment, was described by critics as "delightful" and a "standout" among the cast.{{Cite news|last=Carney|first=Brian T.|title='Mrs. America' is best cure for cabin fever|work=Washington Blade|url=https://www.washingtonblade.com/2020/04/11/mrs-america-is-best-cure-for-cabin-fever/|date=11 April 2020|access-date=24 July 2020|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724201209/https://www.washingtonblade.com/2020/04/11/mrs-america-is-best-cure-for-cabin-fever/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Fraser|first=Emma|title=Mrs America is a powerful look at the never-ending fight for equal rights|work=Little White Lies|url=https://lwlies.com/articles/mrs-america-cate-blanchett-phyllis-schlafly-limited-series/|date=2 April 2020|access-date=24 July 2020|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724210241/https://lwlies.com/articles/mrs-america-cate-blanchett-phyllis-schlafly-limited-series/|url-status=live}} Despite not sharing her beliefs, Lynskey said that her own Baptist upbringing enabled her to empathize with Rosemary's position and called working with Blanchett "one of the great experiences of my life".{{Cite news|last=Harvey|first=Kerry|title=How Cate Blanchett supported Melanie Lynskey as they filmed Mrs America|work=Stuff |url=https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/tv-guide/121548041/how-cate-blanchett-supported-melanie-lynskey-as-they-filmed-mrs-america|date=21 May 2020|access-date=27 July 2020|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727190007/https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/tv-guide/121548041/how-cate-blanchett-supported-melanie-lynskey-as-they-filmed-mrs-america|url-status=live}}

Lynskey agreed to star as a layabout stoner in Lady of the Manor (2021), the directorial debut of Justin Long, because "the thought of being in sweatpants [and] acting like I was high for a whole movie was so freeing".{{cite web|title=Critically-acclaimed actress Melanie Lynskey on pinch-me moments, measuring success and trusting your gut|url=https://www.thedenizen.co.nz/culture/actress-melanie-lynskey-on-pinch-me-moments-measuring-success-trusting-your-instincts/|website=denizen|date=23 April 2021|access-date=20 July 2021|archive-date=20 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720105151/https://www.thedenizen.co.nz/culture/actress-melanie-lynskey-on-pinch-me-moments-measuring-success-trusting-your-instincts/|url-status=live}} Her performance was well received, with The Hollywood Reporter commenting that she "brings the same airtight commitment to hot mess Hannah that she does to all her varied roles",{{Cite news|last=Han|first=Angie|title='Lady of the Manor': Film Review|work=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/lady-of-the-manor-1235011065/|date=15 September 2021|access-date=17 September 2021|archive-date=17 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917110344/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/lady-of-the-manor-1235011065/|url-status=live}} while Screen Rant felt she "unabashedly embraces physical humor [and] really commits to the gags".{{Cite news|last=Milner|first=Sarah Bea|title=Lady Of The Manor Review: Lynskey & Greer Shine As A Stoner & Her Ghost Friend|work=Screen Rant|url=https://screenrant.com/lady-of-the-manor-2021-movie-reviews/|date=15 September 2021|access-date=17 September 2021|archive-date=17 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917183404/https://screenrant.com/lady-of-the-manor-2021-movie-reviews/|url-status=live}} Adam McKay's satirical tackling of the climate crisis, Don't Look Up, was Lynskey's second film project that year: her portrayal of June Mindy, Leonardo DiCaprio's put-upon wife, was described as "terrific" by The Hollywood Reporter,{{Cite news|last=Rooney|first=David|title=Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence in Adam McKay's 'Don't Look Up': Film Review|work=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/dont-look-up-leonardo-dicaprio-jennifer-lawrence-1235057450/|date=7 December 2021|access-date=8 December 2021|archive-date=9 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209095115/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/dont-look-up-leonardo-dicaprio-jennifer-lawrence-1235057450/|url-status=live}} while IndieWire called her "low-key brilliant" and felt she brought a "clear-headed" presence to the narrative.{{Cite news|last=Ehrlich|first=David|title='Don't Look Up' Review: Adam McKay's Depressing Netflix Comedy Slogs Toward the Apocalypse|work=IndieWire|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2021/12/dont-look-up-review-netflix-1234683937/|date=7 December 2021|access-date=8 December 2021|archive-date=8 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208173537/https://www.indiewire.com/2021/12/dont-look-up-review-netflix-1234683937/|url-status=live}} She said that working on Up and bonding with DiCaprio had been "beautiful".{{cite web|url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/melanie-lynskey-compares-dont-look-up-yellowjackets-performances|title=A Melanie Lynskey Guide to Surviving the Worst|work=Tudum|first=Anne|last=Cohen|date=18 January 2022|accessdate=12 May 2024}}

On Showtime's Yellowjackets, Lynskey plays Shauna Sadecki, a suburban housewife carrying grim secrets about a plane crash that occurred twenty-five years ago. The series premiered in November 2021, with Rolling Stone feeling that Lynskey was the "standout" among its ensemble cast: "She's always great, but [this] feels like the kind of dark, messy, and charismatic part she's been waiting her whole career to play."{{Cite magazine|last=Sepinwall|first=Alan|title=The Girls of 'Yellowjackets' Survive a Plane Crash. What Happens Next Still Haunts Them.|magazine=Rolling Stone|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/yellowjackets-review-1251946/|date=5 November 2021|access-date=12 November 2021|archive-date=12 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112041800/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-reviews/yellowjackets-review-1251946/amp/|url-status=live}} In a similar review, The Guardian agreed that "Lynskey does by far the most emotional heavy lifting of the series".{{Cite news|last=Horton|first=Adrian|title=Yellowjackets review – gory Lord of Flies series gets lost in the wilderness|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/nov/12/yellowjackets-review-gory-lord-of-flies-series-gets-lost-in-the-wilderness|date=12 November 2021|access-date=12 November 2021|archive-date=9 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309153336/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/nov/12/yellowjackets-review-gory-lord-of-flies-series-gets-lost-in-the-wilderness|url-status=live}} She admitted it was Shauna's "internalized rage" that attracted her to the role, as well as "a real dark streak [that I] loved and was also terrified of".{{Cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Meredith|title='Yellowjackets' Stars Introduce the Teen & Adult Versions of the Plane Crash Survivors|work=TV Insider|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/yellowjackets-cast-characters-adult-teen-natalie-taissa-shauna-misty/|date=12 November 2021|access-date=12 November 2021|archive-date=12 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112052902/https://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/yellowjackets-cast-characters-adult-teen-natalie-taissa-shauna-misty/|url-status=live}} For her work on Yellowjackets, Lynskey won Best Actress in a Drama Series at the 27th Critics' Choice Awards, where her acceptance speech drew attention for paying tribute to her daughter's nanny.{{Cite news|last=Wynne|first=Kelly|title=Melanie Lynskey Thanks Husband Jason Ritter and Her 'Angel' Nanny in Critics Choice Speech|work=People|url=https://people.com/tv/critics-choice-awards-2022-best-actress-drama-series-melanie-lynskey-yellowjackets/|date=13 March 2022|access-date=14 March 2022|archive-date=14 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314124334/https://people.com/tv/critics-choice-awards-2022-best-actress-drama-series-melanie-lynskey-yellowjackets/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/melanie-lynskey-critics-choice-awards-speech-b2035687.html|work=The Independent|title=Melanie Lynskey thanks nanny during Critics Choice Awards acceptance speech|date=14 March 2022|access-date=5 November 2023}} Her subsequent accolades for playing Shauna include two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress, in 2022 and 2023, respectively.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-07-12/emmy-nominations-2022-live-updates|title=Here are the 2022 Emmy nominees (full list)|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=12 July 2022|archive-date=12 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220712134554/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-07-12/emmy-nominations-2022-live-updates|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/awards/emmys/emmy-nominations-2023/|title=Emmys nominations 2023: See the full list of nominees|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=12 July 2023}}

In the true crime miniseries Candy, Lynskey co-starred as Betty Gore, a Texan schoolteacher battling postpartum depression who is killed by her husband's lover Candy Montgomery, played by Jessica Biel. Airing on Hulu in May 2022, the show's acting was widely praised: Entertainment Weekly felt that Lynskey "captures the sadness and seething resentment of a woman stifled by the confines of stay-at-home motherhood",{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/tv/tv-reviews/reviews-dr-strange-multiverse-candy-hacks-girls5eva-happening/|title=The Dr. gets Strange, Hacks packs a punchline, Candy's a bit sour, and Girls5eva needs more spice, girl|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|first=Kristen|last=Baldwin|date=6 May 2022|accessdate=6 May 2022|archive-date=6 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506153640/https://ew.com/tv/tv-reviews/reviews-dr-strange-multiverse-candy-hacks-girls5eva-happening/|url-status=live}} while RogerEbert.com{{'}}s Brian Tallerico said, "She does so much with just a sigh or defeated body language."{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/candy-tv-review-2022|title=Candy|work=RogerEbert.com|first=Brian|last=Tallerico|date=10 May 2022|accessdate=9 May 2022|archive-date=9 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509132719/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/candy-tv-review-2022|url-status=live}} Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, Richard Roeper believed that the real Gore was "clearly depressed and in need of help" and that "through Lynskey's performance, we find that tragic and heartbreaking".{{cite web|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2022/5/6/23057200/candy-review-jessica-biel-melanie-lynskey-hulu|title='Candy' clarifies why two housewives were unhappy, and why one chopped up the other|work=Chicago Sun-Times|first=Richard|last=Roeper|date=6 May 2022|accessdate=6 May 2022|archive-date=6 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506110826/https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2022/5/6/23057200/candy-review-jessica-biel-melanie-lynskey-hulu|url-status=live}} Lynskey spoke of the intense emotion involved in recreating her character's murder, saying she and Biel took great care to perfect the sequence's staging and choreography.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/tv/candy-stars-jessica-biel-melanie-lynskey-axe-scene/|title=Candy stars Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey break down the finale's explosive axe scene|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|first=Jessica|last=Wang|date=13 May 2022|accessdate=12 May 2024}} She went on to receive Critics' Choice and Satellite Award nominations for her portrayal of Gore.{{Cite web |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |date=15 January 2023 |title=Critics Choice Awards: Full List of Winners |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/critics-choice-awards-winners-list-full-2023-1235300137/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116052049/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/critics-choice-awards-winners-list-full-2023-1235300137/ |archive-date=16 January 2023 |access-date=16 January 2023 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}{{cite news | url=https://glittermagazine.co/2022/12/07/new-nominations-announced-for-international-press-academys-satellite-awards/ | title=Nominations Announced for International Press Academy's Satellite Awards | work=Glitter Magazine | access-date=8 December 2022 | archive-date=8 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208164135/https://glittermagazine.co/2022/12/07/new-nominations-announced-for-international-press-academys-satellite-awards/ | url-status=dead }}

On HBO's The Last of Us, an adaptation of the action-adventure video game, Lynskey appeared in the guest role of Kathleen Coghlan, a ruthless war criminal.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/tv/the-last-of-us-trailer-pedro-pascal/|title=Clicker bait: The Last of Us trailer reveals Yellowjackets star Melanie Lynskey and the infected|last=Romano|first=Nick|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|publisher=Dotdash Meredith|date=26 September 2022|accessdate=27 September 2022 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926161908/https://ew.com/tv/the-last-of-us-trailer-pedro-pascal/ |archivedate=26 September 2022|url-status=live}} The character was created specially for the series by executive producer Craig Mazin, who wanted to work with Lynskey.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/melanie-lynskey-the-last-of-us-kathleen-1235512579/|title=Melanie Lynskey Unpacks Her 'Vicious' 'The Last of Us' Character: 'She Doesn't Have a Ton of Humanity'|work=Variety|first=Katcy|last=Stephan|date=5 February 2023|accessdate=13 May 2023}} The show premiered in January 2023,{{Cite news|last=Nicholson|first=Rebecca|title=The Last of Us review – one of the finest TV shows you will see this year|work=The Guardian |url=https://theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jan/16/the-last-of-us-review-one-of-the-finest-tv-shows-you-will-see-this-year|date=16 January 2023|access-date=1 May 2022}} with Stephen Kelly of BBC Culture stating that Lynskey's "chillingly violent" performance was "superb"{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230109-the-last-of-us-review-the-best-video-game-adaptation-ever|title=The Last of Us review: 'The best video game adaptation ever'|work=BBC Culture|first=Stephen|last=Kelly|date=10 January 2023|accessdate=11 January 2023|archive-date=10 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110165805/https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230109-the-last-of-us-review-the-best-video-game-adaptation-ever|url-status=live}} while Daniel Fienberg felt she was "thoroughly effective" in his review for The Hollywood Reporter,{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/the-last-of-us-hbo-1235292687/|title='The Last of Us' Review: Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in HBO's Powerful Video Game Adaptation|work=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Daniel|last=Fienberg|date=10 January 2023|accessdate=11 January 2023|archive-date=10 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110164259/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/the-last-of-us-hbo-1235292687/|url-status=live}} and Ben Travers of IndieWire wrote that one piece of dialogue in particular—"kids die, they die all the time"—stood out for him as "an all-time cold-blooded bad guy quote, delivered with exhausted gravity by the great Melanie Lynskey".{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/last-of-us-episode-5-review-endure-and-survive-spoilers-1234807914/|title='The Last of Us' Episode 5 Is a Stunning Depiction of What Lost Love Has Wrought|work=IndieWire|first=Ben|last=Travers|date=10 February 2023|accessdate=13 May 2023}} The performance earned her a nomination for that year's Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.

In the Peacock historical drama series The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Lynskey portrayed New Zealand social worker Heather Morris, a fledgling novelist who befriends an elderly Holocaust survivor, played by Harvey Keitel, and pitches him her idea for a book about his time spent imprisoned at a concentration camp. The show was released in May 2024, with The Daily Beast{{'}}s Nick Schager pointing out Lynskey's chemistry with Keitel but criticising the quality of the wig she had to wear in an effort to resemble the real Morris.{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/tattooist-of-auschwitz-review-holocaust-drama-couldnt-be-timelier|title='The Tattooist of Auschwitz': A New Holocaust Drama That Couldn't Be Timelier|work=The Daily Beast|first=Nick|last=Schager|date=30 April 2024|accessdate=30 April 2024}} Other reviewers believed her work to be "understated [and] endlessly empathetic",{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/the-tattooist-of-auschwitz-review-peacock-harvey-keitel/|title='The Tattooist of Auschwitz' Review: Peacock Holocaust Drama Leaves an Indelible Mark|work=TheWrap|first=Thelma|last=Adams|date=30 April 2024|accessdate=30 April 2024}} as well as "measured, nuanced, textured, and altogether beautiful".{{cite web|url=https://screenanarchy.com/2024/04/the-tattooist-of-auschwitz-review-haunted-by-loss.html|title=The Tattooist of Auschwitz Review: Haunted By Loss|work=Screen Anarchy|first=Peter|last=Martin|date=30 April 2024|accessdate=30 April 2024}} Owing to the nature of the material, Lynskey described the filming experience as "heavy", but said she felt it was "important to tell as many stories as we can from this period in history".{{cite web|url=https://people.com/how-melanie-lynskey-pushed-through-tattooist-of-auschwitz-shoot-exclusive-8641481|title=How Melanie Lynskey's Husband and Daughter Helped Her Through 'Heavy' "Tattooist of Auschwitz" Shoot (Exclusive)|work=People|first=Dana Rose|last=Falcone|date=1 May 2024|accessdate=2 May 2024}}

Lynskey described herself as a character actress in the early stages of her career, but has since renounced the term.{{cite web|work=Entertainment Tonight Canada|first=Becca|last=Longmire|title=Melanie Lynskey Says She Was Told She Wasn't 'Beautiful' And Had To Starve Herself For 'Coyote Ugly' Role|date=4 August 2022|access-date=28 May 2023|url=https://etcanada.com/news/917919/melanie-lynskey-says-she-was-told-she-wasnt-beautiful-and-had-to-starve-herself-for-coyote-ugly-role/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804121740/https://etcanada.com/news/917919/melanie-lynskey-says-she-was-told-she-wasnt-beautiful-and-had-to-starve-herself-for-coyote-ugly-role/|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 August 2022}}

Regarding her acting technique, Lynskey has said, "I don't have any [professional] training ... so the only thing I have to go on is my own instinct. So if a director gives me a note that doesn't feel like it's in line with my instinct, it's very hard for me to do something that ... feels like a lie. So, I'll argue it, and I can get kind of feisty because I feel it in my body, I know what is right".{{cite news|url=https://screencrush.com/melanie-lynskey-interview/|work=ScreenCrush|first=Britt|last=Hayes|title=Melanie Lynskey on 'The Intervention,' Relatable Characters and New Zealand's National Treasures|date=26 August 2016|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=22 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422014911/https://screencrush.com/melanie-lynskey-interview/|url-status=live}}

Asked by a journalist in 2012 about how she felt being cast—up to that point in her career—as a supporting player rather than a lead, Lynskey said it was something she had thought about a lot, and that the "meaty" parts are mostly written for men, or actresses like Meryl Streep. She told a different journalist the same year, "It's been a big issue that I'm not [famous] ... I'll audition for something and then the feedback has been, 'The director wants you, the creative people want you, but the studio is saying no' ... but I understand. People are investing a lot of money and they want somewhat of a guarantee".{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/melanie-lynskey-on-hello-i-must-be-going-a-character-actresss-star-turn|work=The Daily Beast|first=Geoff|last=Berkshire|title=Melanie Lynskey on 'Hello I Must Be Going': A Character Actress's Star Turn|date=5 September 2012|access-date=17 July 2021|archive-date=17 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717132520/https://www.thedailybeast.com/melanie-lynskey-on-hello-i-must-be-going-a-character-actresss-star-turn|url-status=live}} She has subsequently taken on leading roles in numerous independent films and been labelled an "indie queen".{{cite news|url=http://www.metro.us/entertainment/melanie-lynskey-on-rainbow-time-and-sticking-to-indies/zsJpkd---CTaP9EBE81Lmo|work=Metro US|first=Matt|last=Prigge|title=Melanie Lynskey on 'Rainbow Time' and sticking to indies|date=4 November 2016|access-date=27 June 2017|archive-date=10 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110234238/https://www.metro.us/entertainment/melanie-lynskey-on-rainbow-time-and-sticking-to-indies/zsJpkd---CTaP9EBE81Lmo|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://theplaylist.net/interview-melanie-lynskey-i-dont-feel-home-world-anymore-studio-system-20170224/|work=The Playlist|first=Jordan|last=Ruimy|title=Melanie Lynskey Talks 'I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore,' Working Outside The Studio System, More|date=24 February 2017|access-date=27 June 2017|archive-date=26 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126130651/https://theplaylist.net/interview-melanie-lynskey-i-dont-feel-home-world-anymore-studio-system-20170224/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.pressreader.com/usa/daily-local-news-west-chester-pa/20170226/281977492397280|work=Daily Local News|first=Bob|last=Strauss|title=Melanie Lynskey — sitcom superstar, indie queen|date=26 February 2017|access-date=21 May 2018|archive-date=22 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522041826/https://www.pressreader.com/usa/daily-local-news-west-chester-pa/20170226/281977492397280|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/new-zealand-listener/20170922/281522226269169|work=New Zealand Listener|first=Diana|last=Wichtel|title=Unchained Melanie|date=22 September 2017|access-date=21 May 2018|archive-date=22 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522043302/https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/new-zealand-listener/20170922/281522226269169|url-status=live}}

Speaking in 2017 about taking risks in her film work, Lynskey said, "I want to tell stories about women who are interesting and complicated and not like people you've seen before ... There aren't that many opportunities [to do that] except in the independent film world. I've made films that have cost $50,000 for the entire film. If you're willing to work like that, you get chances to do really creative, interesting stuff".

Lynskey is often complimented on her ability to perform an American accent.{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/ravenishak/best-american-accents-by-actors|title=13 Non-American Actors And Actresses Who Brilliantly Convinced Movie-Goers They Were "American" Because Of Their Spot-On Accents|work=BuzzFeed|first=Raven|last=Ishak|date=12 January 2024|accessdate=11 May 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/laurengarafano/actors-who-use-american-accents|last=Garafano|first=Lauren|work=BuzzFeed|title=44 Actors Who Are So Good At American Accents, People Were Shocked To Find Out They Were Fake|date=16 July 2022|access-date=14 October 2023}}{{cite news | url=https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/90163290/six-times-kiwi-actors-nailed-american-accents--including-kj-apa-in-riverdale | work=Stuff | title=Six times Kiwi actors nailed American accents – including KJ Apa in Riverdale | date=8 March 2017 | access-date=21 May 2018 | archive-date=21 May 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521191753/https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/90163290/six-times-kiwi-actors-nailed-american-accents--including-kj-apa-in-riverdale | url-status=live }}{{cite news | url=https://decider.com/2016/08/24/woman-crush-wednesday-melanie-lynskey/ | work=Decider | title=Woman Crush Wednesday: Melanie Lynskey Is The Super Talented Secret Weapon of Your Favorite Movie | date=24 August 2016 | access-date=21 May 2018 | archive-date=21 May 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521191740/https://decider.com/2016/08/24/woman-crush-wednesday-melanie-lynskey/ | url-status=live }}{{cite news | url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/12/christian-bale-and-actors-who-work-least-their-native-accents/355879/ | work=The Atlantic | title=Christian Bale and the Actors Who Work Least in Their Native Accents | date=6 December 2013 | access-date=21 May 2018 | archive-date=21 May 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521191818/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/12/christian-bale-and-actors-who-work-least-their-native-accents/355879/ | url-status=live }} She attributes this to staying with Joss Whedon when she first moved to Los Angeles: "When I came here, I stayed in his guest bedroom ... I watched movie after movie and learned American accents".{{cite news|url=https://parade.com/567918/walterscott/has-melanie-lynskey-ever-used-her-real-accent-in-a-movie/|last=Scott|first=Walter|work=Parade|title=Has Melanie Lynskey Ever Used Her Real Accent in a Movie?|date=5 May 2017|access-date=8 August 2020|archive-date=5 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105225500/https://parade.com/567918/walterscott/has-melanie-lynskey-ever-used-her-real-accent-in-a-movie/|url-status=live}} Tim Blake Nelson recalled that when she auditioned for the part of Colleen in Leaves of Grass, "She came in and auditioned for me and then ... opened [her] mouth and started talking in a New Zealand accent and I just couldn't believe it, because her south-eastern Oklahoma accent was so spot on, and it's a very specific accent."{{cite news|url=http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/39231|work=Ain't It Cool News|title=Tim Blake Nelson and Quint chat about Leaves of Grass, a Slim Pickens-ish Richard Dreyfuss and The Leader's return in Hulk 2!!|date=25 November 2008|access-date=20 July 2021|archive-date=20 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720170604/http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/39231|url-status=live}}

Lynskey is known for her improvisation skills, which she attributes to classes she attended in her youth. She regularly employs dreamwork to help her get into character,{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2022-08-02/melanie-lynskey-yellowjackets-emmy-nomination-shauna|work=Los Angeles Times|title=Melanie Lynskey opens up about the 'shock' of Hollywood sexism — and finding grace|date=2 August 2022|access-date=12 August 2022|archive-date=12 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812021802/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2022-08-02/melanie-lynskey-yellowjackets-emmy-nomination-shauna|url-status=live}} as well music:{{cite news|url=http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2012/8/30/melanie-must-be-going-with-a-playlist.html|work=The Film Experience|title=Melanie 'Must Be Going'... With A Playlist|date=30 August 2012|access-date=17 October 2023}} "Every movie I've done I have a particular song I keep going back to that puts me in the right emotional place."{{cite news|url=https://www.vulture.com/2012/09/hello-i-must-be-going-melanie-lynskey-interview.html|work=Vulture|title=Melanie Lynskey on Playing Christopher Abbott's Older Woman and What She Knows About Dating|date=7 September 2012|access-date=17 October 2023}}

In 2012, Lynskey voiced an animated version of herself in a pre-flight safety video for Air New Zealand.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2012/06/20/melanie-lynskey-air-new-zealand/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|title=Air New Zealand recruits Melanie Lynskey and Ed O'Neill for safety video|date=20 June 2012|access-date=6 June 2012|archive-date=9 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109062632/http://www.ew.com/article/2012/06/20/melanie-lynskey-air-new-zealand|url-status=live}}

In February 2013, she participated in a Live Read performance of the 1992 film Glengarry Glen Ross. The event was directed by Jason Reitman, who assembled a cast of women to read the all-male script; Lynskey played the role of George Aaronow, originally portrayed by Alan Arkin.{{cite news|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/jason-reitmans-all-female-live-read-of-glengarry-glen-ross-transcends-gender-with-brilliant-performances/|work=/Film|title=Jason Reitman's All-Female Live Read of 'Glengarry Glen Ross' Transcends Gender With Brilliant Performances|date=22 February 2013|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112031507/https://www.slashfilm.com/jason-reitmans-all-female-live-read-of-glengarry-glen-ross-transcends-gender-with-brilliant-performances/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/we-went-there-the-brass-balls-of-an-all-female-live-read-of-glengarry-glen-ross/|work=Grantland|title=We Went There: The Brass Balls of an All-Female Live Read of 'Glengarry Glen Ross'|date=22 February 2013|access-date=14 May 2018|archive-date=15 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180515043807/http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/we-went-there-the-brass-balls-of-an-all-female-live-read-of-glengarry-glen-ross/|url-status=live}}

Between 2014 and 2016, Lynskey featured on several occasions as part of The Thrilling Adventure Hour, a staged podcast in the style of old-time radio, which was performed monthly in Los Angeles.{{cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11450205|work=The New Zealand Herald|title=Serial thriller blast from past|date=18 May 2015|access-date=14 May 2018|archive-date=15 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180515044112/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11450205|url-status=live}} In 2015, she starred in the music video for the song "Waiting on Love" by Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers, alongside her then-boyfriend Jason Ritter.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2015/05/21/watch-cardboard-city-get-destroyed-nicki-bluhm-gramblers-new-video-exclusive/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|title=A cardboard city get destroyed in Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers' new video|date=21 May 2015|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=17 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217185943/https://ew.com/article/2015/05/21/watch-cardboard-city-get-destroyed-nicki-bluhm-gramblers-new-video-exclusive/|url-status=live}}

Lynskey served on the jury for the U.S. Narrative Competition at the 2017 Tribeca Festival.{{cite news |url=https://tribecafilm.com/news/jury-duty-presenting-the-2017-tribeca-film-festival-juries |website=TribecaFilm.com |title=Jury Duty: Presenting the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival Juries |date=12 April 2017 |access-date=7 July 2024}} In June 2018, she was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.{{cite news|url=https://collider.com/academy-new-members-2018-full-list/|first=Matt|last=Goldberg|title=The Academy Continues to Diversify by Inviting 928 Members including Tiffany Haddish, Mindy Kaling, and More|work=Collider|date=25 June 2018|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=11 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611012700/https://collider.com/academy-new-members-2018-full-list/|url-status=live}}

In October 2023, Lynskey narrated Devin Scillian's Memoirs of a Hamster for Storyline Online, a branch of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation that specialises in child literacy.{{cite AV media|date=10 October 2023|title='Memoirs of a Hamster' read by Melanie Lynskey|url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=slJkSLeHXUU|access-date=11 October 2023|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} Lynskey was selected as one of the judges for the 2024 Heath Ledger Scholarship, an initiative that offers financial support and career mentorship to emerging Australian talent.{{cite news|url=https://if.com.au/sarah-snook-melanie-lynskey-charlie-hunnam-to-judge-heath-ledger-scholarship/|work=IF Magazine|title=Sarah Snook, Melanie Lynskey, Charlie Hunnam to judge Heath Ledger Scholarship|date=28 July 2024|access-date=29 July 2024}}

Lynskey has appeared on the covers of magazines such as The Hollywood Reporter, InStyle, Variety, TheWrap, and Backstage.{{Cite web |last=Keegan |first=Rebecca |date=3 August 2022|title=How 'Yellowjackets' Stars Survived Hollywood |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/yellowjackets-melanie-lynskey-christina-ricci-surviving-hollywood-1235191000/ |access-date=10 October 2023|website=The Hollywood Reporter}}{{Cite web|date=10 August 2022|title=Melanie Lynskey Says Way Friend Brittany Murphy Viewed Herself Was 'Heartbreaking': 'She Was Perfect' |url=https://people.com/movies/melanie-lynskey-recalls-brittany-murphy-facing-body-pressures-hollywood/ |access-date=10 October 2023|website=People}}{{Cite web |last=Longeretta |first=Emily |date=2 June 2022|title=Melanie Lynskey Needed to Take on 'Yellowjackets' and 'Candy' for Very Different Reasons |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/features/melanie-lynskey-yellowjackets-candy-1235282322/ |access-date=10 October 2023|website=Variety}}{{Cite web|date=26 May 2023|title=Diego Luna, Melanie Lynskey, Dominique Fishback – TheWrap Magazine Cover "Genre TV Strikes Back"|url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/video/diego-luna-melanie-lynskey-dominique-205618053.html|access-date=11 October 2023|website=Yahoo! News}}{{Cite web |last=Cameron |first=Scheetz |date=June 8, 2022 |title=Melanie Lynskey Is Still Finding Her Magic |url=https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/melanie-lynskey-yellowjackets-interview-photos-75217/ |access-date=10 October 2023 |website=Backstage}}

Writing for InStyle in 2022, Laura Norkin referred to Lynskey as "the nicest person in Hollywood" and "one of the most skilled and compelling [actresses] of our time".{{Cite web|last=Norkin|first=Laura|date=9 August 2022|title=Melanie Lynskey Knew Her Main Character Moment Was Coming|url=https://www.instyle.com/celebrity/melanie-lynskey-cover-interview|access-date=12 October 2023|website=InStyle}} In the same article, actress Danielle Brooks said of Lynskey's reputation in the industry, "People are like, 'She's the real deal. She will deliver'".

In a 2023 article for The New York Times, Alexis Soloski described Lynskey as "polite almost to the point of pathology", adding, "Offscreen, Lynskey is a very nice lady. Unnervingly nice. Onscreen she specializes in a ferocious deconstruction of that same type. For the past decade, and particularly in the past couple of years ... she has embodied women who seem innocuous on the surface — breathy, meek, bland — only to reveal limitless anger and desire".{{Cite web|last=Soloski|first=Alexis|date=14 March 2023|title=The Examined Life of Melanie Lynskey|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/14/arts/television/melanie-lynskey-yellowjackets.html|access-date=11 October 2023|website=The New York Times}} Writing for TheWrap that same year, Libby Hill called Lynskey a "pop culture fan favorite".{{Cite web|last=Hill|first=Libby|date=21 August 2023|title=Melanie Lynskey Doesn't Care About 'The Last of Us' Fan Backlash to Her Character: She 'Wasn't in the F–king Game'|url=https://www.thewrap.com/melanie-lynskey-last-of-us-yellowjackets-interview/|access-date=11 October 2023|website=TheWrap}}

Lynskey told a journalist in 2012 that, for a while, the only roles she was being offered were "fat-girl parts", adding, "Seriously? Sometimes I feel like I'm making some kind of radical statement because I'm a size 6". In a 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she discussed being body-shamed early on in her career: "It was ridiculous. I was already starving myself and as thin as I could possibly be ... people [were] putting a lot of Spanx on me in wardrobe fittings ... [costume designers would say], "Nobody told me there would be girls like you" ... the feedback [around that time] was constantly ... 'You're not beautiful'". That same year, when asked how she was dealing with the response to her role on Yellowjackets, Lynskey explained to The Guardian that a lot of attention was being placed on her weight: "It's [about] trying to tune out [the negative comments] and [listening instead] to the women who say: thank you for just being on screen and not pinching your tummy, or being like: 'I wish I was thinner'".{{Cite web|last=Saner|first=Emine|date=24 February 2022|title='I was filled with self-loathing': Yellowjackets' Melanie Lynskey on insecurity, ambition and her idol Kate Winslet|url=https://theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/feb/24/oh-my-god-im-having-sex-again-yellowjackets-melanie-lynskey-on-raunch-rage-and-her-rival-kate-winslet|access-date=11 October 2023|website=The Guardian }} Meanwhile, she said that the creators of Yellowjackets were "excited" about her being "an average-size woman": "Nobody's pressuring me to look a different way [and] that's something that I did not think would ever be possible".{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2022/08/08/1115914836/yellowjackets-melanie-lynskey-lord-of-the-flies|title='Lord of the Flies' with teen girls? 'Yellowjackets' actor leans into the role|work=NPR|first=Ann Marie|last=Baldonado|date=8 August 2022|accessdate=28 May 2023}}

In February 2023, Lynskey responded to criticism of her casting in The Last of Us, when fashion model Adrianne Curry implied that Lynskey's body type made her ill-suited to the role of a villainous leader: "[The character is] supposed to be smart, ma'am. I don't need to be muscly. That's what henchmen are for."{{Cite magazine|last=Kirkpatrick|first=Emily|date=9 February 2023|title=Melanie Lynskey Responds to America's Next Top Model Winner Adrianne Curry's Critique of Her Body in The Last of Us|url= https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2023/02/melanie-lynskey-responds-adrianne-curry-body-shaming-last-of-us-twitter|access-date=11 October 2023|magazine=Vanity Fair}} Jeffrey Pierce, Lynskey's co-star on the show, defended her by saying, "Hollywood has done a terrible job of creating the mythology of, what is a man? What is a woman? What are these aesthetics that we hold up as power?", adding that he thought Lynskey had handled the situation with "grace [and] courage".{{Cite magazine|last=Romano|first=Nick|date=10 February 2023|title=Jeffrey Pierce, Melanie Lynskey's right-hand man in The Last of Us, supports costar against critics|url= https://ew.com/tv/the-last-of-us-jeffrey-pierce-defends-melanie-lynskey-body-image-critics/|access-date=25 May 2024|magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}

Though not gay herself, Lynskey is widely considered a gay icon.{{cite news|url=https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/originals/yellowjackets-melanie-lynskey-interview/|work=Gay Times|title=Yellowjackets star Melanie Lynskey: 'The homosexual agenda should be pushed at all times'|date=13 April 2023|access-date=22 April 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/02/03/melanie-lynskey-the-last-of-us-homophobic-troll/|work=PinkNews|title=Melanie Lynskey perfectly shuts down troll berating the 'homosexual agenda' in The Last of Us|date=3 February 2023|access-date=22 April 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/melanie-lynskey-yellowjackets-last-of-us-b2326650.html|work=The Independent|title=Melanie Lynskey: 'Doesn't everybody want to be loved by gay people?'|date=29 April 2023|access-date=13 October 2023}}

In 2001, Lynskey met American actor Jimmi Simpson during the filming of Rose Red, in which they both appeared. They became engaged in 2005 and were married on 14 April 2007, in a chapel on Lake Hayes, near Queenstown, New Zealand.{{cite news|title=Celebrity Wedding: Melanie Lynskey and Jimmi Simpson |url=http://www.instyleweddings.com/weddings/gallery/1,,20280136,00.html |access-date=15 January 2015 |work=InStyle |date=2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090610075817/http://www.instyleweddings.com/weddings/gallery/1%2C%2C20280136%2C00.html |archive-date=10 June 2009 |url-status=dead }} Lynskey filed for divorce from Simpson on 25 September 2012, citing irreconcilable differences,{{cite web|title=Melanie Lynskey Files For Divorce From Jimmi Simpson|url=http://www.inquisitr.com/355693/melanie-lynskey-files-for-divorce-from-jimmi-simpson|work=Inquisitr|date=7 October 2012 |access-date=7 October 2012|archive-date=17 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217190004/https://www.inquisitr.com/355693/melanie-lynskey-files-for-divorce-from-jimmi-simpson/|url-status=live}} with TMZ referring to it as "the nicest divorce ever". The divorce was finalised on 23 May 2014.{{cite web|title='Two & A Half Men' & 'Always Sunny' Stars – Nicest Divorce Ever|url=https://www.tmz.com/2014/05/23/melanie-lynskey-jimmi-simpson-nice-divorce-mediator/|work=TMZ|date=23 May 2014|access-date=17 April 2020|archive-date=17 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217185943/https://www.tmz.com/2014/05/23/melanie-lynskey-jimmi-simpson-nice-divorce-mediator/|url-status=live}} The two remain good friends.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2016/03/04/melanie-lynskey-togetherness-interview/|title=Melanie Lynskey: Every scene's secret weapon on Togetherness, indie film, and more|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=4 March 2016|access-date=15 October 2023}}{{cite web|url= https://www.thelist.com/1353971/melanie-lynskey-relationship-ex-husband-jimmi-simpson/|title=What We Know About Melanie Lynskey's Relationship With Ex-Husband Jimmi Simpson|work=TheList.com|date=5 August 2023|access-date=15 October 2023}} In February 2017, Lynskey announced that she was engaged to Jason Ritter, who she had been dating for four years.{{cite web|last1=Heller|first1=Corinne|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/830039/jason-ritter-and-melanie-lynskey-are-engaged|title=Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey Are Engaged|work=E! Online|date=16 February 2017|access-date=16 February 2017|archive-date=16 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216230752/http://www.eonline.com/news/830039/jason-ritter-and-melanie-lynskey-are-engaged|url-status=live}} In December the following year, they became parents to a daughter.{{cite web|last1=Vacco-Bolanos|first1=Jessica|title=Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey Quietly Welcome Their First Child|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/jason-ritter-melanie-lynskey-quietly-welcome-first-child/|work=Us Weekly|date=27 January 2019|access-date=28 January 2019|archive-date=17 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117230204/https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/jason-ritter-melanie-lynskey-quietly-welcome-first-child/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Melanie Lynskey's baby mystery solved on Twitter|url=https://spy.nzherald.co.nz/celebrity/melanie-lynskeys-baby-mystery-solved-on-twitter/#ath|work=The New Zealand Herald|access-date=2 February 2019|archive-date=2 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202153859/https://spy.nzherald.co.nz/celebrity/melanie-lynskeys-baby-mystery-solved-on-twitter/#ath|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/melanie-lynskey-in-conversation.html|title=In Conversation: Melanie Lynskey|work=Vulture|first= E. Alex|last=Jung|date=23 May 2022|accessdate=3 June 2023}} Lynskey and Ritter were married in 2020.{{cite web|title=I Want What They Have: Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter|last=Specter|first=Emma|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/i-want-what-they-have-melanie-lynskey-jason-ritter/|work=Vogue|date=14 March 2022|access-date=24 August 2022|archive-date=24 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824202032/https://www.vogue.com/article/i-want-what-they-have-melanie-lynskey-jason-ritter|url-status=live}}

Lynskey has lived in Los Angeles since 2000. She is a close friend of Clea DuVall, who she met when they appeared together in But I'm a Cheerleader.{{cite news | url=https://www.indiewire.com/2016/08/melanie-lynskey-the-intervention-interview-1201720239/ | work=IndieWire | title=Melanie Lynskey Is Always Willing to Wait for the Right Part (And It's Paying Off) — Girl Talk | date=25 August 2016 | access-date=8 May 2018 | archive-date=8 May 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508185615/https://www.indiewire.com/2016/08/melanie-lynskey-the-intervention-interview-1201720239/ | url-status=live }} She became a vegetarian at age 10 after learning about sheep farming but now identifies as pescetarian.{{cite web|access-date=3 January 2019|url=https://www.sansceuticals.com/journal/sanswoman/melanie-lynskey-actress|title=Melanie Lynskey, Actress|publication-date=8 December 2018|work=Sansceuticals.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181231141538/http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:P0P309Ac7jYJ:https://www.sansceuticals.com/journal/sanswoman/melanie-lynskey-actress&strip=1&vwsrc=0|archive-date=31 December 2018}}{{cite web|url= https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/melanie-lynskey-yellowjackets-last-of-us-villains-rcna75275|title= Melanie Lynskey on playing dark characters: 'There's parts of me in all of them'|work=Today.com|first=Sarah|last=Lemire|date=16 March 2023|accessdate=3 June 2023}} Lynskey has misophonia.{{cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11972376|title=Melanie Lynskey's fiance Jason Ritter reveals she suffers from misophonia|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=10 January 2018|access-date=9 January 2019|archive-date=10 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110013959/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11972376|url-status=live}} She describes herself as a feminist.

Lynskey has been open about her past struggle with an eating disorder, saying that she was "very unwell" for a long time: "I was so unhappy and my hair was falling out ... [eventually] I was like, 'I just need to look the way I'm supposed to look' ... I [had] to truly become comfortable with myself, because you can't fake it."{{cite web|title=Melanie Lynskey Opens Up About Past Body Image Issues: 'I Was Losing My Mind'|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/melanie-lynskey-opens-past-body-image-issues-losing/story?id=37630972|work=ABC News|date=14 March 2016|access-date=20 July 2021|archive-date=20 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720105144/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/melanie-lynskey-opens-past-body-image-issues-losing/story?id=37630972|url-status=live}}

{{main|Melanie Lynskey filmography|List of awards and nominations received by Melanie Lynskey}}

According to the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, Lynskey's most acclaimed films include Heavenly Creatures (1994), Ever After (1998), Shattered Glass (2003), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Up in the Air (2009), The Informant! (2009), Win Win (2011), Hello I Must Be Going (2012), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), Happy Christmas (2014), The Intervention (2016), I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017), And Then I Go (2017), and Sadie (2018).{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/melanie_lynskey|title=Melanie Lynskey|work=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=3 May 2024}} Her television work includes Two and a Half Men (2003–2015), Togetherness (2015–2016), Castle Rock (2018), Mrs. America (2020), Candy (2022), and Yellowjackets (2021–present). Her films have grossed $733 million worldwide.{{cite web|url=https://the-numbers.com/person/89100401-Melanie-Lynskey|title=Melanie Lynskey - Box Office|work=The Numbers|accessdate=3 May 2024}}

Lynskey's numerous accolades include a Sundance Special Jury Award and three Critics Choice Awards, in addition to nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards, three Gotham Awards, one Independent Spirit Award, and one Screen Actors Guild Award.

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