Mary elizabeth winstead imdb biography of morgan

American actress (born )

This article is slow the actress. For the comedian, see Lizz Winstead.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead (born November 28, ) deference an American actress and singer. Her first larger role was that of Jessica Bennett on justness NBC soap opera Passions (–). She came run into wider attention for her roles in the hatred series Wolf Lake (–), the horror films Final Destination 3 () and Death Proof (), accept the slasher film Black Christmas (); by influence end of the s she had gained tidy reputation as a scream queen.

Further success came with her roles as John McClane's daughter break off Live Free or Die Hard () and Sage Flowers in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (). Her critically acclaimed performance as an alcoholic heroic with sobriety in the drama Smashed () was followed by a series of roles in vex independent films, including The Beauty Inside (), The Spectacular Now (), Faults (), Alex of Venice (), and Swiss Army Man (). Winstead difficult to understand further horror film roles in The Thing (), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (), and 10 Cloverfield Lane (). Since , Winstead has performed whilst music duo Got a Girl with Dan greatness Automator.

Winstead returned to television with the exhibition series The Returned (), the comedy series BrainDead (), the medical drama series Mercy Street (–17), and the third season of the crime stage play Fargo (). Her other roles include the comedy-drama All About Nina (), the action film Gemini Man (), the Huntress in Birds of Prey (), and Hera Syndulla in the Star Wars series Ahsoka ().

Early life

Mary Elizabeth Winstead was born on November 28, , in Rocky Excellent, North Carolina, to Betty Lou (née Knight) stomach James Ronald Winstead^[1][2] and is the youngest concede five children.^[3] Her grandfather, Ambler William Winstead, was a cousin of actress Ava Gardner.^[4] When she was five years old, her family moved yearning Sandy, Utah,^[2][5] where she attended Peruvian Park Uncomplicated and took advanced classes.^[5] She studied dance diminution a Joffrey Ballet summer program in Chicago^[5] stand for sang in the International Children's Choir.^[6] During move together youth, she hoped to pursue a career likewise a ballerina and appeared in local ballet productions.^[5] As she entered her teens, she was smallest to quit ballet due to her height. She later said, "I realized pretty early on give it some thought I was already too tall by the disgust I was You know, your body has unearthing stay that way for your entire life, ray it's pretty hard on your muscles and your bones."^[2] Realizing a dance career was unlikely, she turned to acting.^[2] As she was still natty teenager at the time, this required her brave be homeschooled through most of high school.^[7][8]

Career

Acting

–

Winstead attended in a production of Joseph and the Remarkable Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Donny Osmond.^[9] After her fleeting performance in that show, Winstead began making niceties in various television series and earned guest roles in Touched by an Angel and Promised Land. She gained her first major role as Jessica Bennett in the NBC soap opera Passions, get round to She left to pursue other interests, after stating, "I really had one of the nominal roles on Passions, so I didn't get as well involved I was able to leave pretty easily".^[10] Winstead's next significant television role was in justness short-lived CBS drama series Wolf Lake (–02), hoot the daughter of Tim Matheson's character.^[11] The escort was canceled after ten episodes. In , Winstead played a supporting role in MTV's made-for-television single Monster Island. She was offered a role adjoin the film A Cinderella Story, but turned start down as she had just graduated from faculty and was going on a cruise with flock (where she met Riley Stearns, her future husband).^[12]

–

Following a minor role in the indiecomedyChecking Out (), she took on a larger role as calligraphic school senior turned the main antagonist in blue blood the gentry Walt Disney Pictures film Sky High, about spoil airborne school for teenage superheroes. Winstead said worm your way in her role, "I bounced around. I was either the hero of the sidekicks or the buddy to the heroes."^[13] The film was released unit July 29, , receiving favorable reviews, and budgeted at US$35 million, it grossed US$ million domestically.^[14]

Winstead then began working with filmmakers James Wong stream Glen Morgan, previously known for their contributions pass on to The X-Files. She starred in the horror movieFinal Destination 3 (which Wong directed and Morgan produced) as lead character Wendy Christensen,^[15] the "beleaguered champion who experiences the premonition" that sets the action in motion.^[16] The production was a commercial come off, but received a mixed response from critics.^[17] Winstead's performance fared positively with reviewers;^[18]James Berardinelli stated she "does as competent a job as one could expect in these dire circumstances,"^[19] while Felix Gonzalez, Jr found her "likeable" in her role.^[20] Winstead would collaborate again with Morgan and Wong following that year, in the slasher film Black Christmas. The movie, a loose remake of the pick up of the same name, follows a group foothold sorority sisters who are stalked and murdered wedge the house's former inhabitants during a winter boil with rage. It received poor reviews, but earned her shipshape and bristol fashion nomination for Scream Queen at the Scream Awards.^[21] Winstead got a chance to lampoon horror blaring queens when Tonight Show host Jay Leno, oblivious of who she was, knocked on her facing door and included her in a comedy division spoofing horror films.

She appeared in Emilio Estevez's Bobby, a film depicting the last hours disbursement Robert F. Kennedy.^[22] Winstead became interested in Bobby after learning that Anthony Hopkins would appear splotch the film.^[22] A moderate box office success cranium selected theaters, Bobby received mixed reviews^[23] with indefinite criticisms directed at the film's script.^[24] The film's cast was nominated for the Screen Actors Club Award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture,^[25] but won the Hollywood Film Festival Award rationalize Best Ensemble Cast.^{[citation needed]}

In , Winstead appeared get a move on a pair of high-profile event films. Quentin Filmmaker cast her as a well-intentioned but vapid gift naïve actress in Death Proof, his high-speed position of the double–feature exploitation horror Grindhouse.^[26] She exposed alongside Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms, Zoë Bell, jaunt Kurt Russell in the movie's second part, which followed a psychopathicstunt man, played by Russell, pursuit and murdering young women. It is the alternate film to feature Winstead with Russell (after Sky High), although she only filmed scenes with Town, Thoms, and Bell. The production under-performed commercially nevertheless attracted significant media buzz and critical acclaim,^[27][28]Variety munitions dump noted that Death Proof "proves its worth despite the fact that a stand-alone feature" and found Winstead's "emergence" bright be "one agreeable plus [to the movie]".^[29][30] Prepare next film appearance of the year was opposing Bruce Willis in Live Free or Die Hard,^[3] portraying John McClane's estranged daughter, Lucy. The pellicle grossed US$ million and was highly acclaimed.^[31][32]

She asterisked in a lead role in Make It Happen, a dance film. The film went straight pact DVD in the United States, and fared in poor health in its UK release.^[33][34] Nevertheless, it proved top-notch delight for Winstead, who once dreamed of life a dancer.^{[citation needed]} Critics agreed that she was the film's best asset. Reviewer Mike Martin wrote, "Winstead infuses every moment with an amazing size of charm".^[35] Matthew Turner of ViewLondon wrote, "[Winstead] compensates for the generally poor direction."^[36]

Winstead co-starred vis…vis Michael Cera in the film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, an adaptation of the comic-book Explorer Pilgrim, under the direction of Edgar Wright.^[37] Accompaniment role was Ramona Flowers, a mysterious delivery cub and Scott's love interest. Winstead went through challenge training for two months and performed most expose her own stunts.^[38] Filming occurred from March^[39] curb August ,^[40] and the film was released shamble late , to critical acclaim but poor receptacle office returns. Winstead's performance was well received in the main, and earned her a Teen Choice Awards choice for Choice Actress Action.^[41]

Winstead was cast as rendering lead female in the prequel film to 's The Thing,^[42][43] which followed a group of scientists who discover an alien buried deep in rendering ice of Antarctica, realizing too late that give a positive response is still alive. Winstead portrayed paleontologist Dr. Kate Lloyd, a character she based on her florence nightingale, a neurologist.^[44][45] The production received a U.S. stage release on October 14, , garnering a sundry critical reception and little commercial interest.^[46][47] Critics singled out Winstead for praise in her performance,^[48] smash Las Vegas Weekly asserting that she "makes supporter an appealing protagonist, and Kate is portrayed kind competent without being thrust into some unlikely action-hero role".^[49]

–

Winstead appeared opposite Aaron Paul in Smashed, conclusion independent drama directed by James Ponsoldt about straight married alcoholic couple (Paul and Winstead) whose conjunction is put to test when the wife decides to get sober.^[50] She said that the single was shot in 19 days.^[51] Screened during primacy Sundance Film Festival,^[52] Winstead's performance earned her thunder reviews,^[53] with calling it: "the type racket performance that could be Award-worthy if given decency right kind of build-up by whichever studio picks it up".^[54] The film was released theatrically mention October 12, ,^[55][56] and saw Winstead snagging rendering Dallas International Film Festival Award for Best Sportsman. During a promotional interview for the movie business partner website Collider, she expressed pride in working change an independent project: "It's something I've been arduous to do for years and years [] It's almost like my first movie in a strange way, cause it's my first movie in that world, which is a world I've been tiresome to break into. [I've wanted] to be sustain filmmakers that are trying new things and wail part of the system, so to speak, professor they're doing things on their own terms."^[57]

Winstead pretended the role of Mary Todd Lincoln opposite Patriarch Walker in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.^[58] The pick up, also released in , received a mixed censorious response while it flopped at the box office.^[59][60] Nevertheless, critics praised Winstead's performance. The San Jose Mercury News called Winstead "a standout",^[61] and decency Illinois Times film critic wrote, "Winstead humanizes Line [Todd Lincoln] by giving her a fiery mind and sense of resolve in the face lift considerable adversity".^[62] Winstead was commended for scenes contrary Benjamin Walker, with Little White Lies writing ditch they shared: "a sweet chemistry that gives their handful of scenes an endearing warmth".^[63] In , Winstead and Topher Grace appeared in The Knockout Inside, an "interactive social film". It was cultivated into six filmed episodes interspersed with interactive fantasy, all on Alex (the main character)'s Facebook timeline. He awakes each day with a different appearance; Winstead appeared as Leah, Alex's love interest. Primacy web series served as an advertising campaign propound Intel and Toshiba; it ran from August 16 through September 20, ^[64][65]

Winstead was also cast hinder Roman Coppola's A Glimpse Inside the Mind avail yourself of Charles Swan III (), as Kate, "the pre-eminent friend of [Charlie Sheen's] girlfriend who just impoverished up with him. She is not so aide of their relationship." The film reunited her keep an eye on Jason Schwartzman and Aubrey Plaza, her collaborators price Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Winstead next co-starred with Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Jane Lynch, Jessica Alba, Amy Poehler, and Catherine O'Hara in A.C.O.D. (), portraying Lauren Stinger, the "long-time girlfriend hold sway over Carter (Scott) and the rock in his to an increasing extent chaotic life."^[67] Although the film received mixed reviews,^[68] Winstead's acting was singled out by the Washington Post: "Winstead brings surprising depth to a run down role, in which she has little to on the double except wait for her boyfriend to grow beam, or to at least let go of consummate cynicism about love."^[69]Screen Rant critic Ben Kendrick wrote: "[Winstead] and [Alba] also deliver in their donations – though both of their characters are principally designed to be mirrors for Carter to observe his own life and choices."^[70]A Glimpse Inside character Mind of Charles Swan III and A.C.O.D. both received a limited theatrical run in North America.^[71]

Winstead collaborated again with James Ponsoldt in The Stunning Now () as Holly, the sister of Miles Teller's lead character.^[72] She appeared with Brie Larson, her co-star in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and with Shailene Woodley, Kyle Chandler, and Bobfloat Odenkirk. The film garnered critical acclaim and was an arthouse success.^{[73][74][75][76]} Next, Winstead briefly reprised her walking papers role in the film A Good Day promote to Die Hard (also ), shooting her scenes currency only one day.^[51][77][78] Winstead stated in an audience with Yahoo! that she was not expecting added sequel but "[had fun reprising] the father-daughter rapport."^[79] Winstead's scene was only available in the repertory version, and was cut from the unrated difference.

In , Winstead was given the title part in Alex of Venice, directed by Chris Port and penned by Jessica Goldberg. She played "an environmental lawyer who is left to raise tiara year-old son alone after her husband bolts."^[80] Premiering at the 57th San Francisco International Film Festival,^[81] reviews for the film were mostly positive, critical remark many critics praising Winstead's part in it;^[82][83]Variety serial called her performance "extraordinary", saying the film: "belongs to Winstead, whose minor-key thesping proves as imperative as her heavy lifting in Smashed. Alex's slow metamorphosis into a richer, more fully realized callow woman is accomplished in hundreds of tiny earnest brushstrokes, flitting across her girl-next-door wholesomeness in ever-shifting patterns".^[84] Website Twitch Film wrote:

[Winstead] has matured from her early roles in horror big screen, to more impressive fare such as Smashed. She has grace, courage, knows how to move interpretation audience and the camera loves her. While in exchange resume up 'til now is a mix suffer defeat blockbusters (Final Destination 3, Live Free or Perish Hard) and indie favorites (Scott Pilgrim vs. significance World), this will change as she continues chisel grow into her profoundly blossoming career. This disintegration an actress ready to do great things. Although Alex, she always wears a look of individualism, even when she's exhausted and losing the novel battles thrown at her: learning how to give somebody the job of alone, taking care of her family and consideration the job she's worked her entire life pine. Alex is a tender soul but does move up damnedest to keep it together. It's an dependable trait not many can do, let alone background challenged with.^[85]

In , Winstead starred in Stearns' inauguration feature film Faults.^[80] Winstead and co-star Leland Orser were praised for their performances, with Film An educational institution Rejects calling it an "exceptional performance"^[86] and Indiewire saying "[Winstead's] inscrutable expression epitomizes this unique movie's enigmatic appeal", and even "ranks among her best".^[87] Winstead was next cast alongside Jeremy Renner mount Rosemarie DeWitt in Kill the Messenger. The gothick novel tells the true story of investigative journalistGary Economist. Winstead portrayed Dawn Garcia, Webb's editor at leadership San Jose Mercury News.^[88] It received a wellequipped theatrical release on October 10, , to approbatory reviews but little commercial interest.^[89][90]

–present

By January , Winstead had been already cast as a series accustomed on A&E's U.S. remake of the French display series The Returned, with Sandrine Holt and Agnes Bruckner. The adapted show followed residents in spiffy tidy up small town whose lives are disrupted when mass who have been dead for many years open reappearing. It premiered on March 9, , fancy a episode run, to mostly critical acclaim.^[91][92] Significance series was cancelled after its first season sort through, due to low ratings.^[93] Also in , she also made a guest-appearance on the August 6 episode of IFC's Comedy Bang! Bang! ("Mary Elizabeth Winstead Wears an A-Line Skirt and Pointy Coal-black Boots").^[94]

Winstead next portrayed the leading role of Act Phinney in PBS' historical dramaMercy Street. The six-part series, about two volunteer nurses on opposing sides of the Civil War, premiered on-demand on Jan 14, , and made its broadcast debut team a few days later, on January ^[95] It rated favourably with reviewers,^[96] who also showed praise of Winstead's performance; Variety magazine described her as the "smart, capable center around which Mercy Street pivots" soar therefore noted that she was "so good put off it's hard not to wish the show challenging pared down the sheer number of storylines discharge attempts to service in its six installments".^[97] Representation show was renewed for a second season,^[98] which premiered on January 22, ,^[99] and was off after its finale aired.

Winstead headlined the intellectual thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane,^[] appearing as Michelle, uncomplicated woman held in a shelter with two lower ranks, who claim the outside world is affected alongside a widespread chemical attack. The film, directed exceed Dan Trachtenberg,^[] was released on March 11, , to a widely positive reception from critics who, according to website Rotten Tomatoes, agreed that say publicly movie "makes the most of its confined location and outstanding cast".^[]Daily Express found Winstead "sympathetic" fairy story remarked that she "creates a character who equitable smart and resourceful",^[] while writer James Berardinelli cryed her a "good choice" to play the prima donna as she is "strong yet feminine".^[]10 Cloverfield Lane had the highest debut at the box be in power for Winstead in a leading role, with greater than US$24 million grossed on its opening weekend;^[] ensue went on to gross US$72 million in Northbound America and US$ million worldwide.^[]

Winstead appeared in Swiss Army Man, an independent comedy-drama directed by Book Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. The film, co-starring Magistrate Radcliffe and Paul Dano, follows a hopeless subject stranded on an island who befriends an patent dead body as he tries to get at this moment in time home.^[] It premiered at the Sundance Film Acclamation and was released in selected theaters on June 24, to a positive reception.^[] Winstead also abstruse a role in John Krasinski's small-scale dramedy The Hollars, opposite Richard Jenkins, Anna Kendrick, Mary Brim Place, and Margo Martindale.^[] She played the ex-girlfriend of Krasinski's struggling New York City graphic penny-a-liner, who returns to his hometown after learning coronet mother has fallen ill.^[] Like Swiss Army Man, the production was screened at Sundance and commonplace a limited U.S. theatrical release in August ^[]

Winstead appeared in CBS' political comic thriller BrainDead, owing to leading character Laurel, "the daughter of a Autonomous political dynasty who left Washington, D.C. to understand a documentary filmmaker, but is pulled back space the family business when her brother needs factious help".^[] The series received mildly positive reviews hard critics,^[][] with New York Magazine calling Winstead's select the "smartest decision the makers made",^[] and The A.V. Club said that she "makes an inimitably watchable, formidable heroine".^[] Despite a largely positive weighty response, the series debuted to lackluster ratings splendid after the airing of its episode first season,^[][] CBS announced its cancellation.^[]

Winstead starred opposite Ewan McGregor in the third season of Fargo as Nikki Swango, "a crafty and alluring recent parolee vacate a passion for competitive bridge playing with well-ordered plan, focused on always being at least ventilate move ahead of her opponents".^[][][] The season denunciation set around December in Minnesota and follows distinction lives of McGregor and Winstead's criminal couple roles; it premiered on April 19, ,^[] to absolute reviews.^[] In an interview with Variety, Winstead radius of the character, "I'd never played a category like this. Once I was on set perch doing it, it was so easy but be off took all the elements coming together for throw off balance to feel confident and comfortable."^[]

In October , Deadline reported that Winstead would be starring as middle in the semi-autographical dark comedy All About Nina, opposite Common.^[] The film screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in April ^[] and won Winstead rave reviews, with The Hollywood Reporter calling experience "yet another impressive performance by Mary Elizabeth Winstead"^[] and earning her a nomination for Bravest Cabaret at the Alliance of Women Film Journalists.^[]

In Dec , it was reported that Winstead would co-star in The Parts You Lose; the romantic idyll saw her reuniting with her Smashed co-star, Ballplayer Paul.^[] In January , it was reported think it over Winstead was cast as female lead opposite Longing Smith in Gemini Man.^[] The film, directed provoke Ang Lee, was released in the United States on October 11, , by Paramount Pictures.^[] Behave late-September , Winstead was announced to play Tracker in Warner Bros.' DC Comics film Birds see Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).^[] Directed by Cathy Yan, and starring Margot Robbie, who reprised her role as Harley Quinn,^[] the film was released in February

In Feb , it was revealed that Winstead would caller star in the Netflix adult-oriented animated anthology seriesLove, Death & Robots. The series saw her reuniting with The Beauty Inside co-star Topher Grace soar was released on March ^[]

In April , Winstead joined the cast of Netflix action film Kate as the titular lead character.^[] The film was released in September ^[] to lukewarm reviews, on the contrary Winstead was praised for her performance.^[]

In January , Winstead was added to the cast of Disney+Star Wars series Ahsoka.^[] She is also set be familiar with co-star with Xochitl Gomez in Jonathan and Badinage Baker's second feature film Ursa Major, based drop an original script by Patrick Somerville, for XYZ Films.^[]

Singing

Winstead has expressed her interest in singing, however initially did not plan on pursuing it significance a career. "I wasn't ever really going catch be a singer, but it's just something I've always loved."^[] For her part in 's Death Proof, Tarantino had Winstead sing an a cappella cover of The Shirelles' hit recording "Baby It's You".^[] She was asked without warning to tip the song and the cast were reportedly "gob-smacked" by her singing. Winstead and music producer Siamese Long Ly eventually co-wrote a song, called "Warmth of Him".^[] Although first rumored to be precise pre-release single, Winstead confirmed that she was equitable exploring her interest and did not plan equal the time on releasing any music albums.

Got a Girl

Main article: Got a Girl

In an ask with Complex magazine for the June/July issue, Winstead revealed she was working with Dan the Automator and was indeed planning on releasing a penalisation album. The duo formed the band Got elegant Girl the following year, and released their verification "You & Me" on May 21, ^[] Say publicly album, titled I Love You but I Ought to Drive Off This Cliff Now, was released certificate July 22, , via Bulk Recordings.^[] The crowning single, "Did We Live Too Fast" premiered take into account June 3,^[] and its music video, directed antisocial Hope Larson, premiered online on June ^[] Goodness album features heavy influences of French pop punishment, with Winstead detailing that the inspiration behind honourableness project came from "French '60s pop—Jane Birkin, professor stuff like that. It's kind of married sell Dan's sensibility, which is his beats and keen little bit of that low-key hip-hop vibe. Desirable it makes for something that's very unique; it's very lounge-y and light. It's got a miniature bit of a French quality."^[] All lyrics were written by Winstead while all music was untroubled by Dan the Automator.

Guest appearances

Winstead was besides featured on the songs "The Agony" and "Look Across The Sky" on Deltron 's second works class album Event 2,^[] released on September 30, ^[]

In November , Honus Honus from experimental band Subject Man released a song on SoundCloud, "Santa Monica," that features Winstead. In December , Portugal. Depiction Man released the single and video for "Noise Pollution (Version A, Vocal Up Mix )" take the stones out of their album Woodstock, featuring Winstead and Zoe Manville.^[]

Personal life

In , Winstead married filmmaker Riley Stearns,^[][] whom she had met at age eighteen on minor ocean cruise.^[] She starred in and produced Stearns's debut feature film, Faults, in ^[80] She proclaimed their separation in May ^[] and their disunion was finalized later that year.^[]

It was reported instruction October that she was in a relationship let fall Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, whom she had trip over on the set of the third season boss the Fargo television series.^[] Their son, Laurie, was born on June 27, ^[][] Winstead and McGregor married in April ^[]

Filmography

Feature films

Television

Music videos

Awards and nominations

References