Melanie Griffith (born August 9, 1957) is an American actress. She is an Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner for her performance in the 1988 film
Working GirlWorking Girl is a 1988 romantic comedy film written by Kevin Wade and directed by Mike Nichols. It tells the story of a Staten Island-raised secretary, Tess McGill , working in the mergers and acquisitions department of a Wall Street investment bank...
. She is the daughter of actress
Tippi HedrenNathalie Kay 'Tippi' Hedren is an American actress and former fashion model with a career spanning six decades. She is primarily known for her roles in two Alfred Hitchcock films, The Birds and Marnie, and her extensive efforts in animal rescue at Shambala Preserve, an wildlife habitat which she...
, and the wife of actor
Antonio BanderasJosé Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor and singer. He began his acting career at age 19 with a series of films by director Pedro Almodóvar and then appeared in high-profile Hollywood films including Assassins, Evita, Interview with the Vampire,...
.
Early life
Griffith was born in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, to
Tippi HedrenNathalie Kay 'Tippi' Hedren is an American actress and former fashion model with a career spanning six decades. She is primarily known for her roles in two Alfred Hitchcock films, The Birds and Marnie, and her extensive efforts in animal rescue at Shambala Preserve, an wildlife habitat which she...
and producer and former actor/advertising executive
Peter GriffithPeter Atwill Griffith was an American film actor.-Biography:Griffith was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Hilda and Ben E. Griffith. He had two sisters, Jennifer and Jessica Griffith. Griffith was a veteran in the U.S. Army serving in the Korean War...
. Her parents divorced when she was four years old, after which her father remarried to model/actress Nanita Greene and had two more children, actress
Tracy GriffithTracy Griffith is an American actress and chef. She is the daughter of actor and producer Peter Griffith and model/actress Nanita Greene, and the older sister of production designer and set decorator Clay A. Griffith...
and set designer
Clay A. GriffithClay A. Griffith is a production designer and set decorator for American films. He was born in 1967. He is the youngest child of actor-producer Peter Griffith and model-actress Nanita Greene. His older sister is actress Tracy Griffith. His half-sister is actress Melanie Griffith...
. Her mother married agent and producer
Noel MarshallNoel Marshall was an agent in Hollywood, California in the 1960s. He later became the executive producer of the 1973 horror film The Exorcist. He wrote, directed, co-produced and starred in the film Roar , which also featured his then-wife Tippi Hedren, stepdaughter Melanie Griffith, and his sons...
, and Griffith grew up with three stepbrothers. During her childhood and adolescent years, she divided her time between living in
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
with her father and in Antelope Valley, California, where her mother formed the animal preserve Shambala. She also skipped a grade and graduated from
Hollywood Professional SchoolHollywood Professional School was a private school in Hollywood, California, United States, for children working in show business, operating mornings only so that the children could work in the afternoon...
when she was just 16 years old.
Film career
Griffith began work at just nine months old in a commercial and later became an extra on
Smith! (1969) and
The Harrad ExperimentThe Harrad Experiment is a 1973 movie about a fictional Harrad College where the students learn about sexuality and experiment with each other...
(1973). Her first major role was in
Night MovesNight Moves is a 1975 film directed by Arthur Penn, and starring Gene Hackman, Jennifer Warren and Susan Clark. It features very early career appearances by Melanie Griffith and James Woods. The film was written by Alan Sharp...
(1975) in which she did several racy scenes at the age of 17. This drew attention to her and typecast her as a sexy nymphet in films such as
SmileA smile is a facial expression formed by flexing those muscles most notably near both ends of the mouth. The smile can also be found around the eyes . Among humans, it is customarily an expression denoting pleasure, happiness, or amusement, but can also be an involuntary expression of anxiety, in...
,
The Drowning PoolThe Drowning Pool is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, and based upon Ross Macdonald's novel The Drowning Pool. The film stars Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Anthony Franciosa, and is a sequel to Harper...
(both also 1975) and
One on OneOne on One is a 1977 movie starring Robby Benson and Annette O'Toole. It was written by Robby Benson and Jerry Segal , based on a story by Segal, and shot on location in 1976 at Colorado State University. The movie features songs from Seals and Crofts and was directed by Lamont Johnson...
(1977). Griffith reportedly turned down many parts in some popular movies, including the role of Iris in
Taxi DriverTaxi Driver is a film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. The movie is set in New York City, soon after the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro and features Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, Leonard Harris, Peter Boyle, Cybill Shepherd, and a young Jodie Foster...
, the lead role in
Carrie,
Princess Leia OrganaPrincess Leia Organa Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. She is portrayed by actress Carrie Fisher in A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Star Wars Holiday Special. Aiden Barton appeared as an infant Leia in Revenge of the Sith...
in
Star WarsStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released simply as Star Wars, is an American 1977 space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It was the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films continue the story, while a prequel trilogy contributes...
, Emmeline in
The Blue LagoonThe Blue Lagoon is a 1980 English language romance and adventure film starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins, produced and directed by Randal Kleiser. The screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart was based on the novel The Blue Lagoon by Henry De Vere Stacpoole...
and Sarah Connor in
The TerminatorThe Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed and co-written by James Cameron and distributed by the independent film studio Orion Pictures. It features Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator, Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor and Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese. The film was followed by...
.
Griffith's career gained momentum in 1984 when she played a porn star in the
Brian De PalmaBrian De Palma is an American film director. In a career spanning over forty years, he is probably best known for his suspense and thriller films, including such box office successes as Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Scarface, Carlito's Way, The Untouchables, and Mission: Impossible.Throughout the 1970s...
thriller
Body DoubleBody Double is a 1984 film directed by Brian De Palma. Starring Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, and Dennis Franz. The film is a homage to Alfred Hitchcock's films Vertigo, Rear Window, and Dial M for Murder. The original music score is composed by Pino Donaggio. The film is marketed with the...
. The film won her the
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting ActressThe National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the annual awards given by the National Society of Film Critics.This awards was given for the first time in 1967 to Marjorie Rhodes for her role in The Family Way....
, and led to her starring role in
Jonathan DemmeRobert Jonathan Demme is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter.-Personal life:Demme was born in Baldwin, New York, the son of Dorothy Demme and a public relations executive father. Demme has three children: Ramona, Brooklyn, Josephine. He is a graduate of the University of Florida. He...
's
Something Wild (1986), which became a cult favorite. She achieved mainstream success when
Mike NicholsMike Nichols is an American television, stage and film director, writer, and producer. Nichols is one of only ten people to have won all the major American entertainment awards: an Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award.-Early years:...
cast her as a spunky secretary named Tess McGill in the hit 1988 film
Working GirlWorking Girl is a 1988 romantic comedy film written by Kevin Wade and directed by Mike Nichols. It tells the story of a Staten Island-raised secretary, Tess McGill , working in the mergers and acquisitions department of a Wall Street investment bank...
, with
Harrison FordHarrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. Ford is best known for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series...
,
Sigourney WeaverSigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Lieutenant Ellen Ripley in the Alien film series and as Dana Barrett in the Ghostbusters movies. Weaver is also a three-time Academy Award nominee for her performances in Aliens, Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl...
,
Alec BaldwinAlexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American film and television actor. He has appeared in films such as Beetlejuice and The Hunt for Red October, in addition to the Martin Scorsese films The Aviator and The Departed.He was nominated for the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild...
and
Joan CusackJoan Mary Cusack is an American actress and comedienne.-Personal life:Joan Cusack was born in New York City to an Irish American Catholic family. She was raised in Evanston, Illinois. Her mother, Nancy, is a former mathematics teacher and political activist...
. Griffith's performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for
Best ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
and won her the
Golden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Awards are presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to recognize outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry, both domestic and foreign, and to focus wide public attention upon the best in motion pictures and television...
for
Best Actress in a Musical or ComedyThe Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1950...
.
Griffith's next role was starring in the well-received thriller
Pacific Heights (1990) with
Michael KeatonMichael John Douglas , better known as Michael Keaton, is an American actor, well known for his early comedic roles in films such as Night Shift, Mr...
and
Matthew ModineMatthew Avery Modine is an American actor, perhaps most famous for playing Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's 1987 film Full Metal Jacket and high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest.-Early life:...
. Despite her success, many of Griffith's following films were poorly received, especially
The Bonfire of the VanitiesThe Bonfire of the Vanities is a 1990 film adaptation of a novel by Tom Wolfe, also called The Bonfire of the Vanities. The film was directed by Brian De Palma and stars Tom Hanks as Sherman McCoy, Bruce Willis as Peter Fallow, Melanie Griffith as Maria Ruskin, and Kim Cattrall as Judy McCoy,...
(1990), which also starred
Bruce WillisWalter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor and producer. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles. He is well known for the role of John McClane in the Die Hard...
and
Tom HanksThomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title role in Forrest Gump, Commander James...
and reunited her with
Body Double director Brian de Palma. Other less-notable films were
ParadiseParadise is a 1991 film written and directed by Mary Agnes Donoghue. The original music score is composed by David Newman.Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson play Lily and Ben Reed, a young couple torn apart by a family tragedy...
(1991) and
Born YesterdayBorn Yesterday is a 1993 remake of the 1950 film based on Born Yesterday, a play by Garson Kanin. The film stars Melanie Griffith, John Goodman and Don Johnson. It was adapted by Douglas McGrath and directed by Luis Mandoki.-Plot:...
(1993) (both of which co-starred Griffith's then husband
Don JohnsonDon Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. Johnson made his screen debut in the 1970 film The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart, but it wouldn't be until 1984 that Johnson would land his defining role...
),
Shining ThroughShining Through is a World War II film drama, directed and written by David Seltzer and starring Michael Douglas and Melanie Griffith. Although based on the novel of the same name by Susan Isaacs, the film's plot is considerably different. The original music score was composed by Michael Kamen....
(1992) and
A Stranger Among UsA Stranger Among Us is a film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Melanie Griffith, released in 1992. It tells the story of an undercover police officer's experiences in a Hasidic community. It was entered into the 1992 Cannes Film Festival....
(1992). Griffith made a minor comeback when she received good reviews for her role as a desperate housewife in the Oscar-nominated film
Nobody's Fool (1994), which reunited her with Bruce Willis and Paul Newman. It was on the set of the 1996 comedy
Two MuchTwo Much is a 1995 romantic comedy film directed by Fernando Trueba and starring Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Daryl Hannah and Danny Aiello. It was produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Touchstone Pictures released it in the USA...
where Griffith met future husband
Antonio BanderasJosé Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor and singer. He began his acting career at age 19 with a series of films by director Pedro Almodóvar and then appeared in high-profile Hollywood films including Assassins, Evita, Interview with the Vampire,...
.
Griffith appeared in the
Woody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, comedian, writer, musician, and playwright....
film
CelebrityCelebrity is a 1998 American comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. The screenplay focuses on the divergent paths a couple takes following their divorce.-Plot synopsis:...
in 1998 with
Winona RyderWinona Laura Horowitz , better known under her professional name Winona Ryder, is an American actress who has appeared in film genres ranging from drama and comedy to science fiction. Her first significant role was as a goth teen in the 1988 Tim Burton film Beetlejuice, which won her critical and...
,
Leonardo DiCaprioLeonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer whose career rose with his role in the television sit-com Growing Pains....
and
Charlize TheronCharlize Theron is a South African actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She became an American citizen in 2007....
. Later that same year, she delivered what is arguably her finest screen performance to date as a ditzy heroin user in
Another Day in ParadiseAnother Day in Paradise is a 1998 drama film directed by Larry Clark, and released by Trimark Pictures. It is based on the novel Another Day in Paradise written by Eddie Little.-Plot:...
(1998). She formed Greenmoon Productions with Antonio Banderas in 1997, which produced her starring vehicle
Crazy in AlabamaCrazy in Alabama is a 1999 comedy-drama film directed by Antonio Banderas, written by Mark Childress , and starring Melanie Griffith as an abused wife who heads to California to become a movie star while her nephew back in Alabama has to deal with a racially-motivated murder involving a corrupt...
(1999), directed by Banderas and featuring Griffith's real-life daughters
Dakota JohnsonDakota Mayi Johnson is an American fashion model and actress. She is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith and the granddaughter of actress Tippi Hedren.-Early life:...
and Stella Banderas playing her daughters. Griffith's most recent mainstream film was
Stuart Little 2Stuart Little 2 is a 2002 film, directed by Rob Minkoff. It is a sequel to the 1999 film Stuart Little, and includes characters from the children's book by E. B...
(2002) in which she voiced the character of Margalo. Since then, she has acted in several independent films.
Griffith currently has two feature films in production.
Television
Griffith's most notable television work includes her Golden Globe nominated performances in the TV miniseries
Buffalo Girls and the HBO film
RKO 281RKO 281 is a 1999 dramatic film directed by Benjamin Ross and starringLiev Schreiber, James Cromwell, Melanie Griffith, John Malkovich, and Roy Scheider...
(1999), where she played actress
Marion DaviesMarion Davies was an American film actress.Davies is best remembered for her relationship with newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, as her high-profile social life often obscured her professional career....
. Her portrayal of Davies also earned her an Emmy nomination. She was also seen on the short-lived
The WBThe WB Television Network, or simply The WB, was a television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture of Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. As a replacement, on January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
sitcom
TwinsTwins is an American situation comedy series that first aired on The WB in the United States and on CTV in Canada in September 2005. The series is produced by KoMut Entertainment in association with Warner Bros...
(2005-2006), on which she played Lee, the mother of the show's main characters, played by
Sara GilbertSara Gilbert is an American actress best known for her role as Darlene Conner-Healy from 1988–1997 in the U.S. sitcom Roseanne.-Early life:Gilbert was born Sara Rebecca Abeles in Santa Monica, California...
and
Molly StantonMolly Stanton is an American actress.Stanton is best known for her role as Charity Standish on the soap opera Passions from the show's debut in 1999 until 2004...
. Her television career took a blow when her 2007 series
Viva LaughlinViva Laughlin is an American television musical-dramedy adapted by Bob Lowry and Peter Bowker from the popular BBC British serial, Blackpool. They also served as executive producers alongside Hugh Jackman, John Palermo, Paul Telegdy and Gabriele Muccino. The latter also directed the pilot...
was canceled after two episodes. Griffith's may resurrect her television career with a role on
Nip/TuckNip/Tuck is an American television drama series created by Ryan Murphy and broadcast on FX Networks. The show is set at the McNamara/Troy plastic surgery practice, and follows the professional and personal lives of its owners, Dr. Sean McNamara and Dr. Christian Troy...
during its seventh and final season. She will play porn-star Kimber Henry's mother who, along with her boyfriend of 6 years, comes to visit her daughter from Wisconsin.
Broadway career
In 1999, Griffith made her stage debut at the Old Vic in London, England, where she acted with
Cate BlanchettCatherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress and theatre director. She has won multiple acting awards, most notably two SAGs, two Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTAs, an Academy Award, as well as the Volpi Cup at 64th Venice International Film Festival.Blanchett came to international...
in the
Vagina Monologues. Four years later, in 2003, she made her Broadway debut playing Roxie in the musical
Chicago. Untrained in song and dance, Griffith still impressed
New York Times theatre critic
Ben BrantleyBen Brantley is the chief theater critic of the New York Times.-Biography:Born Benjamin D. Brantley in Durham, North Carolina, Brantley received a B.A...
, who wrote: "Ms. Griffith is a sensational Roxie, possibly the most convincing I have seen" and "[the] vultures who were expecting to see Ms. Griffith stumble...will have to look elsewhere". Griffith's celebratory reviews made it a box office success. At the same time Griffith was performing in
Chicago, husband Banderas was appearing across the street in another musical,
Nine.
Personal life
At age 14, Griffith began dating 22-year old actor
Don JohnsonDon Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. Johnson made his screen debut in the 1970 film The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart, but it wouldn't be until 1984 that Johnson would land his defining role...
who co-starred with her mother in the 1973 film,
The Harrad ExperimentThe Harrad Experiment is a 1973 movie about a fictional Harrad College where the students learn about sexuality and experiment with each other...
, in which Griffith was an extra. Griffith was 18 years old when she married him in
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of...
in January 1976. They divorced just six months later.
In September 1981, Griffith married
Steven BauerSteven Bauer is a Cuban born American actor. He is known for his role as Manny Ribera in the 1983 film Scarface, and his role on the bilingual PBS show Que Pasa USA.-Early life:...
, her co-star in the TV film
She's in the Army Now. They have a son, Alexander, born in August 1985. The couple divorced in 1987. Griffith later admitted to having problems with cocaine and liquor after her divorce from Bauer. "What I did was drink myself to sleep at night," she said. "If I wasn't with someone, I was an unhappy girl." While on the set of
Working Girl, she reconciled with first husband
Don JohnsonDon Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. Johnson made his screen debut in the 1970 film The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart, but it wouldn't be until 1984 that Johnson would land his defining role...
. At Johnson's insistence, Griffith checked into rehab and became sober. She became pregnant, and they remarried in June 1989. Their daughter,
Dakota JohnsonDakota Mayi Johnson is an American fashion model and actress. She is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith and the granddaughter of actress Tippi Hedren.-Early life:...
, was born on October 4, 1989. Six years later, she left him because of his own substance-abuse problems. She later reconciled with him, only to leave him again, this time for her leading man
Antonio BanderasJosé Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor and singer. He began his acting career at age 19 with a series of films by director Pedro Almodóvar and then appeared in high-profile Hollywood films including Assassins, Evita, Interview with the Vampire,...
from the film
Two MuchTwo Much is a 1995 romantic comedy film directed by Fernando Trueba and starring Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Daryl Hannah and Danny Aiello. It was produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Touchstone Pictures released it in the USA...
. She finalized her divorce from Johnson in February 1996, and married Banderas on May 14, 1996. Their daughter, Stella Banderas, was born on September 24, 1996. In 2000, Griffith had Banderas' first name tattooed on her right shoulder.
Griffith's daughter Dakota followed in her mother's footsteps and served as Miss Golden Globe at the 2006 Golden Globe Awards ceremony. Griffith herself was
Miss Golden GlobeMiss Golden Globe is an annual title awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The honoree, traditionally the daughter of a celebrity, assists in the Association's Golden Globe Awards....
in 1975, a title given as a launching pad to celebrity offspring breaking into show business.
In 2002, Griffith and Banderas received the Stella Adler Angel Award for their extensive charity work.
Griffith has struggled with drugs and
alcoholIn chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group. An important group of acohols is formed by the simple acyclic alcohols, the general formula for which is C
nH
2n+1OH...
through much of her life. In 2000, she sought treatment for addiction to painkillers. She returned to rehab in August 2009.
Honors
- Named "Star of Tomorrow" by the Motion Picture Booker's Club (1984)
- Taormina International Film Festival — Diamond Award (2000)
- Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival , founded in 1946, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious film festivals. The private festival is held annually at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, in the resort town of Cannes, in the south of France.The 62nd edition started 13 May and ended 24 May 2009...
— Lifetime Achievement Award (2001)
Filmography
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1969 |
Smith! |
Extra |
uncredited |
| 1973 |
The Harrad Experiment The Harrad Experiment is a 1973 movie about a fictional Harrad College where the students learn about sexuality and experiment with each other...
|
Extra |
uncredited |
| 1975 |
Night Moves Night Moves is a 1975 film directed by Arthur Penn, and starring Gene Hackman, Jennifer Warren and Susan Clark. It features very early career appearances by Melanie Griffith and James Woods. The film was written by Alan Sharp...
|
Delly Grastner |
|
The Drowning PoolThe Drowning Pool is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, and based upon Ross Macdonald's novel The Drowning Pool. The film stars Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Anthony Franciosa, and is a sequel to Harper...
|
Schuyler Devereaux |
|
| Smile Smile is a 1975 film directed by American director Michael Ritchie, with a screenplay by Jerry Belson, about a beauty pageant in Santa Rosa, California. It stars Bruce Dern and Barbara Feldon and introduced a number of young actresses who later went on to greater success and recognition, such as...
|
Karen Love |
|
| 1977 |
The Garden |
Young Girl |
|
| One on One One on One is a 1977 movie starring Robby Benson and Annette O'Toole. It was written by Robby Benson and Jerry Segal , based on a story by Segal, and shot on location in 1976 at Colorado State University. The movie features songs from Seals and Crofts and was directed by Lamont Johnson...
|
The Hitchhiker |
|
| Joyride |
Susie |
|
| 1978 |
Daddy, I Don't Like it Like This |
Girl in Hotel |
|
| Steel Cowboy |
Johnnie |
|
| 1981 |
Roar Roar is a 1981 film starring Tippi Hedren and Noel Marshall. In addition to starring in the film, Marshall also directed and wrote the film, producing it with entirely with his then-wife, Tippi. Tippi's real-life daughter Melanie Griffith plays her on-screen daughter, also named Melanie. Noel's...
|
Melanie |
|
| Underground Acres |
Lucy |
|
| The Star Maker |
Dawn Barnett Youngblood |
|
| She's in the Army Now |
Pvt. Sylvie Knoll |
|
| Golden Gate |
Karen |
|
| 1984 |
Fear City |
Loretta |
|
Body DoubleBody Double is a 1984 film directed by Brian De Palma. Starring Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, and Dennis Franz. The film is a homage to Alfred Hitchcock's films Vertigo, Rear Window, and Dial M for Murder. The original music score is composed by Pino Donaggio. The film is marketed with the...
|
Holly Body |
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress The National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the annual awards given by the National Society of Film Critics.This awards was given for the first time in 1967 to Marjorie Rhodes for her role in The Family Way....
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture |
| 1985 |
Alfred Hitchcock Presents |
Girl |
|
| 1986 |
Something Wild |
Audrey Hankel aka Lulu |
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1987 |
Cherry 2000Cherry 2000 is a 1987 science fiction cult film starring Melanie Griffith and David Andrews.-Plot summary:In 2017, business executive Sam Treadwell's beloved "perfect sex machine," the "Cherry 2000" android , short circuits during a torrid embrace amidst the soap suds on his kitchen floor...
|
Edith 'E' Johnson |
|
| 1988 |
The Milagro Beanfield WarThe Milagro Beanfield War is an American drama film based on the John Nichols novel of the same name, the first book in a trilogy. It was directed by Robert Redford and the screenplay was by Nichols and David S. Ward....
|
Flossie Devine |
|
| Stormy Monday Stormy Monday is the 1988 feature film debut of director Mike Figgis. Starring Sean Bean, Tommy Lee Jones, Sting and Melanie Griffith, it is an atmospheric noirish thriller. The notable jazz soundtrack is also by Figgis. Being set in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the film is something of an homage to Get...
|
Kate |
|
| Working Girl Working Girl is a 1988 romantic comedy film written by Kevin Wade and directed by Mike Nichols. It tells the story of a Staten Island-raised secretary, Tess McGill , working in the mergers and acquisitions department of a Wall Street investment bank...
|
Tess McGill |
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated — Academy Award for Best ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading RoleBest Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :...
|
| 1990 |
Women and Men: Stories of Seduction |
Hadley |
|
| In the Spirit |
Lureen |
|
| Pacific Heights Pacific Heights is a 1990 thriller film directed by John Schlesinger, starring Melanie Griffith, Matthew Modine, and Michael Keaton. Griffith's real-life mother Tippi Hedren has a cameo as a rich older woman who is conned by Keaton's character. The original music score was composed by Hans Zimmer....
|
Patty Palmer |
|
The Bonfire of the VanitiesThe Bonfire of the Vanities is a 1990 film adaptation of a novel by Tom Wolfe, also called The Bonfire of the Vanities. The film was directed by Brian De Palma and stars Tom Hanks as Sherman McCoy, Bruce Willis as Peter Fallow, Melanie Griffith as Maria Ruskin, and Kim Cattrall as Judy McCoy,...
|
Maria Ruskin |
|
| 1991 |
ParadiseParadise is a 1991 film written and directed by Mary Agnes Donoghue. The original music score is composed by David Newman.Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson play Lily and Ben Reed, a young couple torn apart by a family tragedy...
|
Lily Reed |
|
| 1992 |
Shining Through Shining Through is a World War II film drama, directed and written by David Seltzer and starring Michael Douglas and Melanie Griffith. Although based on the novel of the same name by Susan Isaacs, the film's plot is considerably different. The original music score was composed by Michael Kamen....
|
Linda Voss |
|
| A Stranger Among Us A Stranger Among Us is a film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Melanie Griffith, released in 1992. It tells the story of an undercover police officer's experiences in a Hasidic community. It was entered into the 1992 Cannes Film Festival....
|
Emily Eden |
|
| 1993 |
Born Yesterday Born Yesterday is a 1993 remake of the 1950 film based on Born Yesterday, a play by Garson Kanin. The film stars Melanie Griffith, John Goodman and Don Johnson. It was adapted by Douglas McGrath and directed by Luis Mandoki.-Plot:...
|
Billie Dawn |
|
| 1994 |
Milk Money Milk Money is a 1994 romantic comedy film about three suburban 11-year-old boys who find themselves behind in "the battle of the sexes," believe they would regain the upper hand if they could just see a real, live naked lady....
|
V |
|
| Nobody's Fool |
Toby Roebuck |
|
| 1995 |
Buffalo Girls |
Dora DuFran |
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film |
| Now and Then |
Tina 'Teeny' Tercell |
|
| Two Much Two Much is a 1995 romantic comedy film directed by Fernando Trueba and starring Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Daryl Hannah and Danny Aiello. It was produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Touchstone Pictures released it in the USA...
|
Betty Kerner |
|
| 1996 |
Mulholland FallsMulholland Falls is a 1996 American neo-noir drama film directed by Lee Tamahori. The drama features Nick Nolte, Jennifer Connelly, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Melanie Griffith, Treat Williams and John Malkovich....
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Katherine Hoover |
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| 1997 |
Lolita Lolita is a 1997 film directed by Adrian Lyne and was the second screen adaptation of the novel by Vladimir Nabokov. The film stars Jeremy Irons as Humbert Humbert and Dominique Swain as Dolores "Lolita" Haze...
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Charlotte Haze |
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| 1998 |
Another Day in ParadiseAnother Day in Paradise is a 1998 drama film directed by Larry Clark, and released by Trimark Pictures. It is based on the novel Another Day in Paradise written by Eddie Little.-Plot:...
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Sid |
Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actress also for Crazy in Alabama Crazy in Alabama is a 1999 comedy-drama film directed by Antonio Banderas, written by Mark Childress , and starring Melanie Griffith as an abused wife who heads to California to become a movie star while her nephew back in Alabama has to deal with a racially-motivated murder involving a corrupt...
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| Shadow of Doubt |
Kitt Devereux |
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| Celebrity Celebrity is a 1998 American comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. The screenplay focuses on the divergent paths a couple takes following their divorce.-Plot synopsis:...
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Nicole Oliver |
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| 1999 |
Crazy in Alabama Crazy in Alabama is a 1999 comedy-drama film directed by Antonio Banderas, written by Mark Childress , and starring Melanie Griffith as an abused wife who heads to California to become a movie star while her nephew back in Alabama has to deal with a racially-motivated murder involving a corrupt...
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Lucille Vinson |
Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actress also for Another Day in ParadiseAnother Day in Paradise is a 1998 drama film directed by Larry Clark, and released by Trimark Pictures. It is based on the novel Another Day in Paradise written by Eddie Little.-Plot:...
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| RKO 281 RKO 281 is a 1999 dramatic film directed by Benjamin Ross and starringLiev Schreiber, James Cromwell, Melanie Griffith, John Malkovich, and Roy Scheider...
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Marion DaviesMarion Davies was an American film actress.Davies is best remembered for her relationship with newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, as her high-profile social life often obscured her professional career....
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Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film |
| 2000 |
Cecil B. DementedCecil B. Demented is a darkly comic cult film written and directed by John Waters. It stars Melanie Griffith, Stephen Dorff, Alicia Witt, Adrian Grenier, Michael Shannon, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The title is a play on the name of famous director Cecil B. DeMille...
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Honey Whitlock |
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| Forever Lulu |
Lulu McAfee |
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| 2001 |
Tart Tart is a 2001 coming of age film starring Dominique Swain as Cat Storm, a teen going to a Manhattan prep school, who must deal with the issues of sex and drugs, and the loss of her best friend Delilah Milford, played by Bijou Phillips. Mischa Barton , also appears as Grace Bailey, who becomes...
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Diane Milford |
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| 2002 |
Searching for Debra Winger Searching for Debra Winger is a 2002 American documentary film conceived and directed by Rosanna Arquette. It presents a series of interviews with leading actresses who discuss the various pressures they face as women working in the film industry while trying to juggle their professional...
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Herself |
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Stuart Little 2Stuart Little 2 is a 2002 film, directed by Rob Minkoff. It is a sequel to the 1999 film Stuart Little, and includes characters from the children's book by E. B...
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Margalo the Bird |
voice |
| 2003 |
The Night We Called It a DayThe Night We Called It a Day is an Australian film directed by Peter Clifton starring Dennis Hopper, Melanie Griffith, Portia de Rossi, Joel Edgerton, Rose Byrne, and David Hemmings. It is based on the true events surrounding one of several tours of Frank Sinatra in Australia...
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Barbara Marx Barbara Marx , now known as Barbara Sinatra, was the wife of former comedian-turned agent, Zeppo Marx, from September 18, 1959 until their divorce in 1973, and to Frank Sinatra from 1976 until his death in 1998.-Early years:...
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Nominated — Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role is an award in the annual Australian Film Institute Awards. It has been awarded annually since 1976.-Previous winners:*1976: Melissa Jaffer - Caddie...
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| Shade Shade is a 2003 neo-noir crime drama starring Stuart Townsend, Gabriel Byrne, Thandie Newton, Jamie Foxx, Roger Guenveur Smith, Melanie Griffith and Sylvester Stallone...
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Eve |
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| Tempo (film) Tempo is a 2003 film set primarily in Paris about a love triangle that gets increasingly complicated as criminal enterprises go wrong.-Cast:*Melanie Griffith as Sarah James*Rachael Leigh Cook as Jenny Travile*Hugh Dancy as Jack Ganzer...
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Sarah |
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| 2005 |
Heartless (film) Title: Heartless
Writer: Howard Swindle, Adam Greenman
Director: Robert Markowitz
Running Time: 90 minutes
Production Year: 2005- Plot :...
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Miranda Wells |
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| 2010 |
Nip/TuckNip/Tuck is an American television drama series created by Ryan Murphy and broadcast on FX Networks. The show is set at the McNamara/Troy plastic surgery practice, and follows the professional and personal lives of its owners, Dr. Sean McNamara and Dr. Christian Troy...
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Brandie Henry |
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External links