Melora Walters
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
A quirky blonde actress capable of projecting a diamond hardness or intense fragility, Melora Walters has enjoyed her best screen roles (to date) in collaboration with writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson. The actress made her first screen appearance in "Dead Poets Society" (1989) and then segued to a recurring role as a pal of the title character on the ABC sitcom "Roseanne" in 1990. Several small roles followed in films ranging from big studio fare (e.g., "Beethoven" 1992) to low-budget indies (i.e., "Twenty Bucks" 1993) to the in-between ("Ed Wood" 1994). She had perhaps her widest exposure as the unlikely love interest of Chris Elliott in the disastrous "Cabin Boy" (1994). Anderson rescued her from these roles which did little to tap into her capabilities when he cast her as the floozy who hooks up with Samuel L. Jackson in "Hard Eight/Sydney" (1997). The writer-director subsequently created the roles of a porn star married to another adult film actor (Don Cheadle) in "Boogie Nights" (1997) and a high-strung drug abuser who finds romance with a cop in "Magnolia" (1999). The latter role especially allowed Walters to cut loose as she traversed a gamut of emotions. Her relationship with John C. Reilly formed the center of the film and she got to deliver the line that inspired the film, "Now that I've met you, would you object to never seeing me again?" Walters memorable work in the film was often cited for praise, even by those reviewers who had reservations about the film as a whole.
In between feature work, Walters remained active on the small screen in TV-movies and episodic work. She did a two-episode stint on "NYPD Blue" in 1995 and made a guest appearance on "Brooklyn South" which featured her real-life husband Dylan Walsh. Walters had her widest exposure as the slightly ditsy receptionist Felicity on the CBS medical drama "L.A. Doctors" (1998-99), appearing in 23 of the series' 24 episodes. She also excelled as a rival to Molly Ringwald in the Lifetime fantasy "Twice Upon a Time" (1998).
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1989
Feature film debut, "Dead Poets Society"
1990
Had recurring role on the ABC sitcom "Roseanne"
1993
Played a stripper in the independent feature "Twenty Bucks"
1994
Portrayed the love interest of Chris Elliott's "Cabin Boy"
1995
Played recurring role on ABC's "NYPD Blue"
1996
Appeared in the Arnold Schwarzennegger vehicle "Eraser"
1997
First collaboration with writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson "Hard Eight/Sydney"; played Samuel L Jackson's girlfriend
1997
Guest starred on CBS' "Brooklyn South", starring husband Dylan Walsh
1997
Played the adult film performer wife of a black porn star in Anderson's "Boogie Nights"
1998
Had regular role of Felicity, the office receptionist, on CBS' "L.A. Doctors"
1998
Appeared as a rival to Molly Ringwald for the affections of George Newbern in the Lifetime movie "Twice Upon a Time"
1999
Starred as a troubled drug addict who finds an unlikely romance with a policeman in "Magnolia"; Paul Thomas Anderson wrote the part specifically for her
2001
Acted in the ensemble of "Speaking of Sex"; premiered at the Chicago Film Festival
2001
Had leading role in the film "Rain"
2002
Acted alongside Mira Sorvino and Mariah Carey in "Wise Girls"
2003
Played a woman who tries to seduce Jude Law in "Cold mountain"
2003
Became a regular on the series "Threat Matrix"
2004
Portrayed the mother to Ashton Kutcher's character in "The Butterfly Effect"
2009
Starred in the horror film "Hurt"
2010
Co-starred opposite Helen Mirren in "Love Ranch," based on the true story of a married couple who opened the first legal brothel in Nevada
Family
Companions
