Michelle Williams

Biography

Michelle Ingrid Williams (born September 9, 1980) is an American actress. Known primarily for starring in small-scale independent films with dark or tragic themes, she has received various accolades, including three Golden Globe Awards, two Actor Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for five Academy Awards, four BAFTA Awards and a Tony Award. Williams, daughter of politician and trader Larry R. Williams, began her career with television guest appearances and made her film debut in the family film Lassie in 1994. She gained emancipation from her parents at age fifteen, and soon achieved recognition for her leading role as Jen Lindley in the teen drama television series Dawson's Creek (1998–2003). This was followed by low-profile films, before having her breakthrough with the drama film Brokeback Mountain (2005), which earned Williams her first Academy Award nomination. Williams received critical acclaim for playing emotionally troubled women coping with loss or loneliness in the independent dramas Wendy and Lucy (2008), Blue Valentine (2010), and Manchester by the Sea (2016). She has won three Golden Globes: for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in the drama My Week with Marilyn (2011), Gwen Verdon in the miniseries Fosse/Verdon (2019), and a woman with terminal cancer in the miniseries Dying for Sex (2025), as well as a Primetime Emmy Award for Fosse/Verdon. Her highest-grossing releases came with the thriller Shutter Island (2010), the fantasy film Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), the musical The Greatest Showman (2017), and the superhero films Venom (2018) and Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021). Williams has also led major studio films, such as Ridley Scott's thriller All the Money in the World (2017) and Steven Spielberg's drama The Fabelmans (2022). On Broadway, Williams starred in revivals of the musical Cabaret in 2014 and the drama Blackbird in 2016, for which she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She is an advocate for equal pay in the workplace. Consistently private about her personal life, Williams has a daughter from her relationship with actor Heath Ledger and was briefly married to musician Phil Elverum. She has three children with her second husband, theater director Thomas Kail. Description above from the Wikipedia article Michelle Williams (actress), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Kelly Clarkson Show

The Graham Norton Show

The View

Golden Globe Awards

Dawson's Creek

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

All Movies (60)

• A Place in Hell2026
• Deep Sky2023 · as Narrator (voice)
• Showing Up2023 · as Lizzy
• The Fabelmans: A Family in Film2023 · as Self
• The Fabelmans2022 · as Mitzi Fabelman
• Venom: Let There Be Carnage2021 · as Anne Weying
• That Click2019 · as Self
• After the Wedding2019 · as Isabel
• Venom2018 · as Anne Weying
• I Feel Pretty2018 · as Avery LeClair
• All the Money in the World2017 · as Gail Harris
• The Greatest Showman2017 · as Charity Barnum
• Wonderstruck2017 · as Elaine
• Project X2016 · as Narrator 2 (voice)
• Manchester by the Sea2016 · as Randi Chandler
• Certain Women2016 · as Gina
• Suite Française2015 · as Lucille Angellier
• Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy2013 · as Self - Letter Reader
• My Journey in Oz2013 · as Self
• Oz the Great and Powerful2013 · as Annie / Glinda
• Ben Lee: Catch My Disease2012 · as Self
• Take This Waltz2011 · as Margot
• My Week with Marilyn2011 · as Marilyn Monroe
• Meek's Cutoff2011 · as Emily Tetherow
• Blue Valentine2010 · as Cindy
• Shutter Island2010 · as Dolores
• Heath Ledger: A Tribute2009 · as Self
• Greed, a New Fragrance by Francesco Vezzoli2009 · as Woman
• Mammoth2009 · as Ellen Vidales
• Wendy and Lucy2008 · as Wendy
• Synecdoche, New York2008 · as Claire Keen
• Deception2008 · as S
• Incendiary2008 · as Young Mother
• I'm Not There2007 · as Coco Rivington
• The Hottest State2007 · as Samantha
• The Hawk Is Dying2007 · as Betty
• Brokeback Mountain2005 · as Alma Beers
• The Baxter2005 · as Cecil Mills
• Imaginary Heroes2004 · as Penny Travis
• Land of Plenty2004 · as Lana
• A Hole in One2004 · as Anna Watson
• The Station Agent2003 · as Emily
• Dawson's Creek - The Series Finale (Extended Cut)2003 · as Jen Lindley
• Prozac Nation2003 · as Ruby
• The United States of Leland2003 · as Julie Pollard
• Me Without You2001 · as Holly
• Perfume2001 · as Halley
• But I'm a Cheerleader2000 · as Kimberly
• If These Walls Could Talk 22000 · as Linda
• Dick1999 · as Arlene Lorenzo
• Halloween H20: 20 Years Later1998 · as Molly
• A Thousand Acres1997 · as Pammy
• Killing Mr. Griffin1997 · as Maya
• My Son Is Innocent1996 · as Donna
• Species1995 · as Young Sil
• Timemaster1995 · as Annie
• Lassie1994 · as April Porter
• Evel Knievel on Tour—
• Untitled Damien Chazelle Film—
• Nice Fish—

All TV Shows (25)

• Dying for Sex2025 · as Molly Kochan
• Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter2023 · as Self
• The Kelly Clarkson Show2019 · as Self
• Fosse/Verdon2019 · as Gwen Verdon
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert2015
• Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter2015 · as Self
• Variety Studio: Actors on Actors2014 · as Self
• Cougar Town2009 · as Laurie's Foster Sister
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon2009 · as Self - Guest
• The Graham Norton Show2007 · as Self
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show2003 · as Self
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self
• Dawson's Creek1998 · as Jen Lindley
• The View1997 · as Self
• E! True Hollywood Story1996 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno1992
• Step by Step1991 · as J.J.
• Home Improvement1991 · as Jessica Lutz
• Baywatch1989
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988 · as Self - Guest
• MTV Video Music Awards1984 · as Self
• The Oscars1953 · as Self
• The Emmy Awards1949 · as Self
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Nominee