Michelle Williams

Actor

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 two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for five Academy 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 15. She 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 she had 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 won Golden Globes for portraying Marilyn Monroe in the drama My Week with Marilyn (2011) and Gwen Verdon in the miniseries Fosse/Verdon (2019) and a Primetime Emmy Award for the latter. 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, theatre director Thomas Kail.

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Known For

Shutter Island Not in library

Shutter Island

2010

Venom Not in library

Venom

2018

Venom: Let There Be Carnage Not in library

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

2021

The Greatest Showman Not in library

The Greatest Showman

2017

Brokeback Mountain Not in library

Brokeback Mountain

2005

Oz the Great and Powerful Not in library

Oz the Great and Powerful

2013

Manchester by the Sea Not in library

Manchester by the Sea

2016

Blue Valentine Not in library

Blue Valentine

2010

The Fabelmans Not in library

The Fabelmans

2022

All the Money in the World Not in library

All the Money in the World

2017

Acting

2025 Dying for Sex as Molly Kochan (8 episodes) In Library
2023 Deep Sky as Narrator (voice)
2023 The Fabelmans: A Family in Film as Self
2023 Showing Up as Lizzy
2023 Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter as Self (1 episode)
2022 The Fabelmans as Mitzi Fabelman
2021 Venom: Let There Be Carnage as Anne Weying
2019 After the Wedding as Isabel
2019 That Click as Self
2019 Fosse/Verdon as Gwen Verdon (8 episodes)
2019 The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self (1 episode)
2018 I Feel Pretty as Avery LeClair
2018 Venom as Anne Weying
2017 The Greatest Showman as Charity Barnum
2017 Wonderstruck as Elaine
2017 All the Money in the World as Gail Harris
2016 Manchester by the Sea as Randi Chandler
2016 Certain Women as Gina
2016 Project X as Narrator 2 (voice)
2015 Suite Française as Lucille Angellier
2015 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015 Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self (1 episode)
2014 Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self (3 episodes)
2013 Oz the Great and Powerful as Annie / Glinda
2013 Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy as Self - Letter Reader
2013 My Journey in Oz as Self
2012 Ben Lee: Catch My Disease as Self
2011 My Week with Marilyn as Marilyn Monroe
2011 Meek's Cutoff as Emily Tetherow
2011 Take This Waltz as Margot
2010 Shutter Island as Dolores
2010 Blue Valentine as Cindy
2009 Mammoth as Ellen Vidales
2009 Heath Ledger: A Tribute as Self
2009 Cougar Town as Laurie's Foster Sister (1 episode)
2009 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as Self - Guest (1 episode)
2009 Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest (1 episode)
2008 Synecdoche, New York as Claire Keen
2008 Wendy and Lucy as Wendy Carroll
2008 Deception as S
2008 Incendiary as Young Mother
2007 I'm Not There as Coco Rivington
2007 The Hawk Is Dying as Betty
2007 The Hottest State as Samantha
2007 The Graham Norton Show as Self (1 episode)
2005 Brokeback Mountain as Alma Beers
2005 The Baxter as Cecil Mills
2004 Land of Plenty as Lana
2004 Imaginary Heroes as Penny Travis
2004 A Hole in One as Anna Watson
2003 The Station Agent as Emily
2003 The United States of Leland as Julie Pollard
2003 Prozac Nation as Ruby
2003 Dawson's Creek - The Series Finale (Extended Cut) as Jen Lindley
2003 Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self (1 episode)
2001 Me Without You as Holly
2001 Perfume as Halley
2000 But I'm a Cheerleader as Kimberly
2000 If These Walls Could Talk 2 as Linda
1999 Dick as Arlene Lorenzo
1998 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later as Molly Cartwell
1998 Dawson's Creek as Jen Lindley (128 episodes)
1997 Killing Mr. Griffin as Maya
1997 A Thousand Acres as Pammy
1997 The View as Self (2 episodes)
1996 My Son Is Innocent as Donna
1996 E! True Hollywood Story as Self (archive footage) (1 episode)
1995 Species as Young Sil
1995 Timemaster as Annie
1994 Lassie as April Porter
1992 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1991 Home Improvement as Jessica Lutz (1 episode)
1991 Step by Step as J.J. (1 episode)
1989 Baywatch
1988 LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self - Guest (1 episode)
1984 MTV Video Music Awards as Self (1 episode)
1953 The Oscars as Self (2 episodes)
1949 The Emmy Awards as Self (1 episode)
1944 Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee (1 episode)
— A Place in Hell
— Evel Knievel on Tour
— Untitled Damien Chazelle/Prison Movie

Directing

2003 Heart of America Third Assistant Director

Production

2025 Dying for Sex Executive Producer In Library
2019 Fosse/Verdon Executive Producer
2010 Blue Valentine Executive Producer
— This Is Jane Producer

Sound

2011 My Week with Marilyn Songs

Crew

2013 My Journey in Oz Thanks
2009 Where the Wild Things Are Thanks