Michelle Ingrid Williams was born on September 9, 1980, in the small town of Kalispell, Montana. By the age of 10, she moved to San Diego where her parents enrolled her in a community theater. Michelle Williams quickly caught the acting bug and soon found herself traveling back and forth from San Diego to Los Angeles on a regular basis for professional auditions.
Michelle Williams’ screen debut was at the age of 14 in an adaptation of Lassie (1994). Her career then shifted toward a darker road with appearances in two science-fiction movies called Timemaster (1995) and Species (1995), where she played the little scared human-alien hybrid that escapes from the government lab and eventually evolves into a fully grown Natasha Henstridge.
Michelle Williams is emancipated
Convinced by her acting talents and the signs that her career was starting to heat up, Michelle Williams turned to accelerated home schooling and graduated early. She then moved into a small Burbank apartment at the age of 15, and received legal emancipation from her parents in order to pursue her career as an adult.
Michelle Williams landed a series of small roles in television projects, such as Raising Caines, My Son Is Innocent and Killing Mr. Griffin. After Michelle Williams landed a role as Michelle Pfeiffer’s daughter in the movie A Thousand Acres (1997), her real big break came in the form of a soap for teenagers.
Michelle Williams in dawson’s creek
In 1998, Michelle Williams landed a role playing Jennifer Lindley on Dawson’s Creek, a show that opened a window into the lives of four friends with many adolescent issues. Michelle Williams admits to drawing on her own life experiences to inform her characterization of Dawson’s Jennifer. The show made her instantly recognizable as the on-again, off-again girlfriend of Dawson Leery played by James Van Der Beek, the main character of the show.
Her career took a serious turn toward the big screen in 1998 when she landed a supporting role alongside Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. Her next two big-screen flicks in 1999 had her costarring with Kirsten Dunst in the comedy Dick, and in the cult hit about being a gay teenager, But I’m a Cheerleader, with Natasha Lyonne.
Michelle Williams does prozac nation
In 2001, when Dawson’s Creek was still in full swing, Michelle Williams starred in three more movies: Perfume, Prozac Nation and Me Without You.
In 2003, when the Creek bid adieu to its fans (Michelle Williams’ character died in the finale), Michelle’s movie career was in full swing, seeing the release of The United Stated of Leland (at the Sundance Film Festival), The Station Agent and A Hole in One (2004).
Michelle Williams in brokeback mountain
Michelle Williams showed no signs of slowing down with her movie career. 2004 had her starring in Land of Plenty, Imaginary Heroes and Safety Glass, and in 2005 came her most successful movie debut in Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, with Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger.
Michelle Williams garnered a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Alma in Brokeback, a woman who finds out her husband is having an affair with his male friend.
Brokeback Mountain was also an important film for Michelle Williams, as it was on the set of that film that she met and fell in love with actor Heath Ledger. The two were engaged and welcomed their daughter, Matilda Rose, into the world in October 2005.
Michelle Williams in i’m not there
In 2006, Michelle Williams appeared in the flick The Hawk Is Dying with Paul Giamatti. Then, in 2007, she earned a role in two blockbuster movies: The Hottest State with Ethan Hawke and I’m Not There, in which she starred alongside Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Julianne Moore, and Heath Ledger. However, in September of that year it was confirmed to the Sydney Daily Telegraph that Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger had broken up. Rumors abounded, and many speculated that the breakup was difficult for Heath.
Michelle Williams mourns heath ledger
Following the shocking death of Heath Ledger in January 2008, Michelle Williams flew to Perth, Australia, to attend his funeral service, including a wake on Cottesloe Beach. She handled herself gracefully through 2008 and 2009, trying her best to stay out of the press at all costs, mainly for her daughter, Matilda Rose. She’s currently linked to Spike Jonze.
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Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Simply Magic: A Rainy Day Adventure | Rebecca | |
| 1994 | Lassie | April Porter | Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress Co-Starring in a Motion Picture |
| 1995 | Species | Young Sil | |
| 1997 | Killing Mr. Griffin (TV) | Maya | |
| A Thousand Acres | Pammy | ||
| 1998 | Halloween H20: 20 Years Later | Molly Cartwell | Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress |
| Dawson’s Creek | Jen Lindley | TV series (1998–2003)
Nominated — YoungStar Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama TV Series (Nominated 1998-1999) |
|
| 1999 | Dick | Arlene Lorenzo | Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actress |
| But I’m a Cheerleader | Kimberly | ||
| 2000 | If These Walls Could Talk 2 (TV) | Linda | |
| 2001 | Me Without You | Holly | |
| Prozac Nation | Ruby | ||
| 2003 | The United States of Leland | Julie Pollard | |
| The Station Agent | Emily | Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast |
|
| 2004 | Land of Plenty | Lana | Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress |
| Imaginary Heroes | Penny Travis | ||
| A Hole in One | Anna Watson | ||
| 2005 | The Baxter | Cecil Mills | |
| Brokeback Mountain | Alma Beers | Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated — Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
|
| 2006 | The Hawk Is Dying | Betty | |
| The Hottest State | Samantha | ||
| 2007 | I’m Not There | Coco Rivington | |
| 2008 | Deception | S | |
| Incendiary | Young Mother | ||
| Synecdoche, New York | Claire | Robert Altman Award
Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast |
|
| Wendy and Lucy | Wendy Carrol | Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress
Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Actress Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress |
|
| 2009 | Mammoth | Ellen Vidales | |
| Blue Valentine | Cindy Periera | ||
| 2010 | Shutter Island | Dolores Chanal | |
| Meek’s Cutoff |
