Melanie Griffith

Biography

Melanie Richards Griffith, born on August 9, 1957, is a renowned American actress. She initiated her acting journey in the 1970s, featuring in various independent thriller films before gaining mainstream recognition in the mid-1980s.

Griffith was born in New York City to actress Tippi Hedren and advertising executive Peter Griffith, and she was primarily raised in Los Angeles. She completed her education at the Hollywood Professional School, graduating at the age of 16. At just 17, she starred alongside Gene Hackman in Arthur Penn's film noir, Night Moves, marking her entry into the industry. Her breakout role came in Brian De Palma's thriller Body Double (1984), where she played a pornographic actress, earning her a National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress. This success was followed by her acclaimed performance in the comedy Something Wild (1986) and her leading role in the 1988 film Working Girl, which garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and a Golden Globe win.

Throughout the 1990s, Griffith took on various roles that received mixed reviews, earning Golden Globe nominations for her work in Buffalo Girls (1995) and RKO 281 (1999). However, she also faced criticism, receiving a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress for her role in Shining Through (1992). Her filmography includes notable works like Pacific Heights (1990), Milk Money (1994), and Mulholland Falls (1996). In the 2000s, she transitioned to television with appearances in series like Nip/Tuck and Raising Hope, while also making a successful Broadway debut in a revival of Chicago in 2003. In the 2010s, Griffith returned to film, appearing alongside her then-husband Antonio Banderas in Autómata (2014) and taking the role of an acting coach in James Franco's The Disaster Artist (2017).