BWW Profile: Oscar-Nominated Michelle Williams Of MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Makes Her Mark in Independent Film

From BAYWATCH to BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN and beyond, actress Michelle Williams is making her mark in film. Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for a role with relatively little screen-time in MANCHESTER BY THE SEA. As Randi Chandler, wife of protagonist Lee Chandler - played by Casey Affleck - she was able to make a strong impression displaying the couple's complex relationship with just a handful of scenes.

Born September 9, 1980 in the small rural community of Kalispell, Montana, Michelle Williams is the daughter of homemaker Carla Ingrid and commodity trader and author Larry R. Williams. At age 16, Williams became emancipated from her parents and was able to focus on her growing acting career.

After a number of television guest spots starting with BAYWATCH in 1993, Williams appeared in severAl Small budget films . Her first high profile co-starring role was in the Richard Nixon versus teen comedy DICK with Kirsten Dunst (1999).

Television audiences got to know Williams as one of the central characters on the long-running DAWSON'S CREEK, where she played Jennifer "Jen" Lindley (1998-2003). Along with cast members Katie Holmes, James Van Der Book, and Joshua Jackson, Williams became a household name and idol of many teen fans.

Williams entered into her diverse film career after the DAWSON'S CREEK run, focusing on independent films, primarily. Her first Oscar nomination came in 2005 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in the Ang Lee film BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, co-starring Jake Gyllenhaal, and Heath Ledger. The film also sparked the relationship between Ledger and Williams, which lasted until the year before Ledger's untimely death. Together, the couple had a daughter, Matilda.

The Oscars recognizEd Williams consecutively in 2010 and 2011 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, starting with Cindy in BLUE VALENTINE. Her third Oscar nod came her critically acclaimed performance as screen legend Marilyn Monroe in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN. David Rooney, in the Hollywood Reporter, assessEd Williams' portrayal of Monroe as follows: "Playing both the damaged, insecure woman and the sensual celebrity construct, as well as the role with which Marilyn Monroe was struggling during a particularly difficult shoot, Williams gets us on intimate terms with one of Hollywood's most enduring and tragic icons." Rolling Stone's Peter Travers declarEd Williams as Marilyn "a great, soulful performance."

The screen star has made two appearances on Broadway in recent years. When the Alan Cumming revival of CABARET was remounted in 2014, Williams appeared as nightclub performer Sally Bowles. Two seasons later, she joined Jeff Daniels in a revival of the tense drama BLACKBIRD, which earnEd Williams a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress.

Whether the luminous star takes home an Oscar statue on Sunday, February 26 at the 89th Academy Awards, her fans can anticipate new and exciting roles for the 37 year old actress. She is currently filming THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, a movie musical with songs by Tony and Oscar nominees Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, about famous huckster and impresario P.T. Barnum. She will costar as Charity Barnum opposite Hugh Jackman. Williams, having played Marilyn Monroe, is set to play another troubled legend, Janis Joplin.

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