Melanie Lynskey Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Warning: Spoilers for “Yellowjackets” seasons 1-2. Do not read if you have not watched the season 2 premiere, “Friends, Romans, Countrymen,” written by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson and directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer.  

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Following one of the most shocking finale episodes in recent TV history, the highly anticipated second season of “Yellowjackets” is finally here. The Emmy-nominated series arrives on Showtime on Friday, March 24 but will also be available to stream for free on Paramount+ beginning Sunday, March 26. The Showtime breakout hit — which stars Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Juliette Lewis and Christina Ricci, among others — follows a high school soccer team after a near-fatal plane crash leaves them deserted in a remote location in the wilderness. The girls find themselves at the center of a “Lord of the Flies”-inspired survival horror story in the 19 brutal months before they’re rescued.

Now that has returned with season 2, there's been a renewed search for answers to the biggest questions about the show, including everything from when the young survivors will become cannibals in the past to what's going on with Adult Lottie (Simone Kessell) in the present. While at its core, the Showtime drama is about what happened to a group of teenagers after a plane crash stranded them in the wilderness for 19 months and how a few of the grownup survivors are reckoning with the secrets that amassed both then and now, it's a puzzle box series that introduces new pieces with each episode. And as a result, fans have run wild with theories and ideas about every detail of the series, much to the delight of its creators, Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, who admitted to ET that they «have been, along with the entire cast and most of our EPs, trolling Reddit a little bit and watching Twitter.» And in doing so, they noticed during season 1 that «somebody out of the thousands of comments that have come up has rightly predicted almost everything.»That said, there are still many (new and old) questions to be asked, theories to be addressed and answers to be debated. And as season 2 continues to roll out, this article will be updated with information from each new episode as well as additional insight from the creators and the cast, including the adult players, Christina Ricci, Juliette Lewis, Melanie Lynskey and Tawny Cypress, and their younger counterparts, Courtney Eaton, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Liv Hewson, Sammi Hanratty, Sophe Nelisse and Sophie Thatcher.

It’s good to be back. Yellowjackets left fans with plenty of questions about the fate of the group in the wilderness — and whether the aftermath of their trauma would lead to more shocking deaths.

Yellowjackets kicks off its second season this month.Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, the mystery thriller series follows a girls’ football team in 1996 who, while travelling to a tournament in Seattle, crash-land in the Canadian wilderness and are left stranded for nineteen months. Between their attempts to survive, the show also jumps to their adult lives in the present day.The show’s first season received seven nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards last year, including Outstanding Drama Series and acting nods for Melanie Lynskey and Christina Ricci.Other members of the cast include Tawny Cypress, Ella Purnell, Sophie Nelisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Sammi Hanratty and Juliette Lewis.The exact number of episodes hasn’t been officially confirmed.

Melanie Lynskey would really like to stop being asked about being body shamed on the set of Yellowjackets.

“Yellowjackets” has returned, and if you thought things couldn’t get any more wild on the Showtime drama series, prepare to be proven wrong. Season 2 continues the bifurcated storylines of the titular soccer team stranded after a plane crash in the 1990s, and the grown-up survivors dealing with their past trauma in present day.New revelations, expanded mythology and new characters permeate the new season as the story barrels forward, with Shauna (Melanie Lynskey, Sophie Nélisse), Taissa (Tawny Cypress, Jasmin Savoy Brown), Misty (Christina Ricci, Sammi Hanratty), Natalie (Juliette Lewis, Sophie Thatcher) all returning.Elijah Wood joins the cast as Walter, a citizen detective, while Lauren Ambrose appears in Season 2 as the adult version of Van (played in the 1990s timeline by Liv Hewson) and Simone Kessell plays the adult version of Lottie (played in the ‘90s by Courtney Eaton).The new season picks up pretty immediately after Season 1 left off, with the survivors dealing with a harsh winter and dwindling food supply back in 1996 while the present day versions of the characters find that their past continues to haunt them in significant ways.

TV’s favorite soccer team is back — and fiercer than ever! The cast of Yellowjackets slayed at the season 2 premiere in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 22. 

know a thing or two about survival onscreen — and off. In the breakout Showtime series, Christina Ricci, Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Tawny Cypress, Lauren Ambrose and Simone Kessell each play the adult versions of members of the Wiskayok High School girls soccer team, who survived a horrific plane crash that left them stranded in the Ontario wilderness. ET's Deidre Behar spoke with each of the actresses -- who have all successfully navigated their careers -- and asked them about their secrets to surviving and thriving in Hollywood. «When I first started, and still as adults, this career has always been an escape for me,» Ricci told ET.

Melanie Lynskey says she feels very «fortunate» for the best things in her life, including her career, her sweet husband, Jason Ritter, and their adorable daughter.The celebrated actress walked the carpet at the season 2 premiere of , held at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Wednesday, and she spoke with ET's Deidre Behar about Ritter, and his casting in the second season of her popular showtime series.«I don't think I can tell you anything,» Lynskey admitted, when it came to details about who Ritter would be playing in the hit psychological horror drama, and added that she didn't have anything to do with his casting — which was entirely the idea of creator Ashley Lyle.«Ashley, in fact, came to him and said, 'Would you want to do this particular thing?' And he was really excited,» said Lynskey, who also added that she and Ritter «have no scenes [together]. We didn't work together.»Ultimately, Lynskey said it was «kind of helpful to not work together because, you know, one of us has to be with our child.»Lynskey and Ritter — who began dating in 2013 — got engaged in 2017 and welcomed their baby girl in December 2018.

Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, Melanie Lynskey, and Tawny Cypress look amazing at the premiere of their Showtime series, Yellowjackets!

know a thing or two about survival onscreen — and off. In the breakout Showtime series, Christina Ricci, Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Tawny Cypress, Lauren Ambrose and Simone Kessell each play the adult versions of members of the Wiskayok High School girls soccer team, who survived a horrific plane crash that left them stranded in the Ontario wilderness. ET's Deidre Behar spoke with each of the actresses -- who have all successfully navigated their careers -- and asked them about their secrets to surviving and thriving in Hollywood. «When I first started, and still as adults, this career has always been an escape for me,» Ricci told ET.

returns with season 2, it will include the addition of two new major characters: the adult versions of Lottie and Van, played by Simone Kessell and Lauren Ambrose, respectively. The two actresses join the Showtime drama as it continues to explore what happened to a group of teenagers who survived a horrific plane crash and their respective adult versions who have been forced to reckon with what went on when they were stranded in the wilderness. While speaking to ET, both Kessell and Ambrose talk about what it was like joining the ensemble cast and working with their counterparts, Courtney Eaton and Liv Hewson, who originated the younger versions of their characters in the past timeline. «It was amazing,» Ambrose said of joining the likes of Christina Ricci, Juliette Lewis, Melanie Lynskey and Tawny Cypress, who were established as the core grownup survivors in season 1 before it was revealed that others had made it out alive.  The star, who's «admired their work for long,» added that she was «really excited to be able to join in and continue telling the story of [these characters].»  Cypress then joked that «there was a hazing period» for the newcomers.

Like a fungus, the truth eventually has come out. It seems actor Jason Ritter made a quiet cameo as a clicker (the nickname for those infected with the mutated cordyceps fungus) on HBO’s “The Last of Us.”

Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter are #CoupleGoals! In a thread on Twitter Tuesday, an eagle-eyed  fan shared a BTS photo from the show, which they spotted Ritter on set as a Clicker.«Do I spy with my little eye @JasonRitter (in the The Last Of Us BTS) on set as a clicker…? @melanielynskey, gonna assume this was „Take Your Husband to Work“ Day

Production is underway on “The Tattooist of Auschwitz.” “Yellowjackets” Emmy nominee Melanie Lynskey is set to play the book’s real-life author, Heather Morris, and Jonah Hauer-King of the upcoming “Little Mermaid” remake has been cast as the title character, Lale Sokolov. The period drama hails from Sky and Peacock, which announced the casting news Thursday.

Peacock and Sky have set the cast for their adaptation of The Tattooist of Auschwitz. 

“Yellowjackets” definitely hit a nerve with its inspired combination of “Now and Then,” “Lord of the Flies” and “Alive”; the series quickly became one of Showtime’s most successful ever, with about 5 million viewers tuning in each week. The inspired premise of a group of plane crash survivors — told in the “then” and “now” — was only enhanced by the stellar cast who brought it to life, like Melanie Lynskey as Shauna, now a suburban mom and housewife with homicidal impulses; Juliette Lewis as the edgy, extremely damaged grown-up Natalie; and Christina Ricci as the obsessive Misty, who was basically to blame for the entire disaster, as her teenage self (Samantha Hanratty) was enjoying the camaraderie of the girls’ life in the wild so much that she destroyed the plane’s black box to prevent the team from getting rescued in the first place.The “Yellowjackets” casting team deserves all the awards, as the older and younger versions of the main characters match up seamlessly.

With a show like “Yellowjackets,” where the mysteries are everything, you can’t reveal too much too soon. David Lynch and Mark Frost learned that lesson with “Twin Peaks,” a clear inspiration for Showtimes‘s hit series in terms of tone and setting, which solved its central question halfway through its second season and then quickly faltered for the remaining episodes (until, of course, the divine “The Return,” two decades later, which defied all conventions).  READ MORE: New ‘Yellowjackets’ Season 2 Trailer: Showtime’s Cult Hit Series Returns On March 24, Premieres On-Air On March 26 Co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson said they envisioned their Showtime hit as a five-season series, and so far they are doing an excellent job of keeping up the momentum while also keeping the show as wild and weird as possible.

With a show like “Yellowjackets,” where the mysteries are everything, you can’t reveal too much too soon.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Jonah Hauer-King (“The Little Mermaid”) and Anna Próchniak (“Baptiste”) are starring in the limited event series adapted from Heather Morris’s “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” for Sky and Peacock. Now in production, the Peacock Original series is being produced by Synchronicity Films and will be entirely directed by Tali Shalom-Ezer, whose past credits include “Princess.” Claire Mundell and Jacquelin Perske are executive producers. A global bestseller, “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” has sold more than 12 million copies around the world. “In Auschwitz, a factory of death and dehumanisation, Lale and Gita’s love story is an act of defiance,” said Shalom-Ezer. “It is the choice to remain human. I’m inspired and honoured to bring this story to life, alongside the talented team of people assembled,” Shalom-Ezer continued.

Sasha Urban editor The Elton John AIDS Foundation raised more than $9 million at its annual Academy Awards viewing party on Sunday night. The star-studded evening featured a performance by Rina Sawayama and Sir Elton John, a dance party into the night and a live auction for original Keith Haring artwork and the host’s iconic crystalized Dodgers robe. The evening hosted stars including Donatella Versace, Michael Imperioli, Melanie Lynskey, Tiffany Haddish, Kesha, Troye Sivan, Emma Watson, Heidi Klum, Maggie Rogers and Brooke Shields. Smokey Robinson and Nile Rogers sat next to each other for dinner, while special guests Eric McCormack and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez encouraged the audience to donate via text during commercial breaks.

“Once upon a time, there was a place called the wilderness…”

Julia MacCary editor Showtime has released the trailer for Season 2 of the Emmy-nominated series “Yellowjackets,” which is accompanied by Florence + the Machine’s new cover of No Doubt’s 1995 hit “Just a Girl.” The psychological horror series follows a high school soccer team that survives a plane crash in 1996, only to be left deep in the Canadian woods. Through a mix of flashbacks and present day, the show depicts how the athletes transitioned from an elite team into a savage clan. The second season picks up two months after Shauna disregarded Jackie with bad results. The tensions have grown within the team with winter conditions intensifying, leaving the girls to make impossible decisions to survive.

The trailer for season 2 of Yellowjackets has finally debuted online and it’s teasing three timelines this season!

is the hit survival drama that unfolds over two timelines: one in the past, when the high school soccer team’s plane crashed in the northern wilderness, forcing the stranded teenage girls to do anything to survive; and another in the present, picking up with four adults, who managed to make it out alive nearly 25 years earlier. After an explosive debut, which earned seven Emmy nominations, Showtime renewed the series from creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson for another season. And as anticipation builds, here’s everything we know about season 2, including the first official look at newest cast members Elijah Wood and Lauren Ambrose, as well as the extended trailer, teasing what's to come in the new episodes. Season 1 starred an ensemble cast, with Melanie Lynskey and Sophie Nélisse as the adult and teenage versions of Shauna, respectively; Tawny Cypress and Jasmin Savoy Brown as the adult and teenage versions of Taissa; Juliette Lewis and Sophie Thatcher as the adult and teenage versions of Natalie; as well as Christina Ricci and Sammi Hanratty as the adult and teenage versions of Misty.Other initial survivors included assistant coach Ben Scott (Steven Krueger), the late coach’s two sons, Travis (Kevin Alves) and Javi (Luciano Leroux), as well as team members Jackie (Ella Purnell), Van (Liv Hewson), Lottie aka the Antler Queen (Courtney Eaton), Akliah (Keeya King), Laura (Jane Widdop) and Mari (Alexa Barajas). While Laura died trying to take off in a small prop plane early on and Jackie froze to death during the season 1 finale, fan-favorite Van survived being mauled by a wolf.

Showtime has dropped another trailer for season two of Yellowjackets, which will return for its second season Friday, March 24 on streaming and on demand for subscribers. It’ll make its on-air debut Sunday, March 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.  

Showtime’s “Yellowjackets,” was best known for starring as Wednesday Addams in “The Addams Family” 1991 movie and its 1993 sequel, as well as films such as “Sleepy Hollow” and “Prozac Nation.” An “It” girl for most of that decade who gave irreverent interviews referencing death and eating disorders, she told Rolling Stone, “I could have handled [fame] in a way that was less teenage … I always go too far. I never realize how awful a thing I’m saying is until someone else is like, ‘What the f–k?’“I was a bit of a dickhead.” In 1999, when she was 19, Ricci graced the cover of Rolling Stone in pink lingerie.

Hong Chau (“The Whale,” “The Menu”), Anna Camp (“Pitch Perfect”), Melanie Lynskey (“The Last of Us”) and Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”) are among the presenters for its 38th Artios Awards taking place in both Los Angeles and New York City. Also presenting at the Los Angeles gala alongside host Yvette Nicole Brown are Utkarsh Ambudkar, Paul Walter Hauser, Andrew Leeds, Sam Richardson, Britt Robertson, Glynn Turman and Tuc Watkins. Sarita Choudhury, Jordan E. Cooper, Rory Culkin, Khris Davis, Alex Edelman, Raúl Esparza, Katie Finneran,Katrina Lenk, Nicole Ari Parker, Peppermint, Morgan Spector,  Celia Rose Goodin, Chris Sullivan and Kuhoo Verma will present at the New York ceremony, with Amber Ruffin as host.