Michelle Williams | Biography, Movies, TV Shows, & Facts

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class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michelle-Williams-American-actress">Michelle Williams</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <span class="toc-extra-link selected link-gray-900 mt-15"> Introduction </span> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michelle-Williams-American-actress/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Michelle-Williams-American-actress">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div 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src="https://cdn.britannica.com/81/194181-004-A12EFF57/Michelle-Williams-Casey-Affleck-Manchester-Sea-Kenneth.jpg" alt="Michelle Williams and Casey Affleck in Manchester by the Sea" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/16/261816-050-86EA212F/Publicity-still-from-season-3-episode-7-of-the-television-series-Dawsons-Creek-starring-Michelle-Williams-Jen-Lindley-Joshua-Jackson-Pacey-Witter-James-Van-Der-Beek-Dawson-Leery-Katie-Holmes-Joey-Potter-and-Michelle-Williams-Jen-Lindley.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1825324/315622" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/16/261816-004-3694DB4B/Publicity-still-from-season-3-episode-7-of-the-television-series-Dawsons-Creek-starring-Michelle-Williams-Jen-Lindley-Joshua-Jackson-Pacey-Witter-James-Van-Der-Beek-Dawson-Leery-Katie-Holmes-Joey-Potter-and-Michelle-Williams-Jen-Lindley.jpg" alt="Dawson's Creek" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/17/261817-050-BB6DDEBB/Publicity-still-from-season-6-episode-3-of-the-television-series-Dawsons-Creek-starring-Michelle-Williams-Jen-Lindley-Kerr-Smith-Jack-McPhee-Busy-Philipps-Audrey-Liddell-and-Joshua-Jackson-Pacey-Witter.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1825324/315624" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/17/261817-004-CBDC9478/Publicity-still-from-season-6-episode-3-of-the-television-series-Dawsons-Creek-starring-Michelle-Williams-Jen-Lindley-Kerr-Smith-Jack-McPhee-Busy-Philipps-Audrey-Liddell-and-Joshua-Jackson-Pacey-Witter.jpg" alt="Dawson's Creek" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " 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Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jan/28/michelle-williams-interview-the-fabelmans-spielberg-metoo-money" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">The Guardian - ‘Girls today aren’t prey. They are victorious’: Michelle Williams on #MeToo, money and playing Spielberg’s mum</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/206804%7C0/Michelle-Williams#overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Turner Classic Movies - Michelle Williams</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Michelle Ingrid Williams</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/John-M-Cunningham/3520691" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">John M. Cunningham</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">John M. Cunningham graduated from Kalamazoo College in 2000 with a B.A. in English. He worked at Britannica from 2004 to 2018. A student of pop culture and the arts, he wrote about popular (and semipopular)...</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> John M. Cunningham</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-10-21T00:00:00CDT" >Oct 21, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michelle-Williams-American-actress/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>In full: </dt> <dd>Michelle Ingrid Williams</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>September 9, 1980, <a href="/place/Kalispell">Kalispell</a>, <a href="/place/Montana-state">Montana</a>, U.S. (age 44)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also Known As: </dt> <dd>Michelle Ingrid Williams</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Awards And Honors: </dt> <dd><a href="/art/Golden-Globe-Award">Golden Globe Award</a></dd> <dd><a href="/art/Emmy-Award">Emmy Award (2019)</a></dd> <dd>Emmy Award (2019): Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie</dd> <dd>Golden Globe Award (2020): Best Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television</dd> <dd>Golden Globe Award (2012): Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Married To: </dt> <dd>Thomas Kail (2020–present)</dd> <dd>Phil Elverum (2018–2019)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In): </dt> <dd>"Fosse/Verdon" (2019)</dd> <dd>"After the Wedding" (2019)</dd> <dd>"Venom" (2018)</dd> <dd>"I Feel Pretty" (2018)</dd> <dd>"The Greatest Showman" (2017)</dd> <dd>"All the Money in the World" (2017)</dd> <dd>"Wonderstruck" (2017)</dd> <dd>"Certain Women" (2016)</dd> <dd>"Manchester by the Sea" (2016)</dd> <dd>"Suite Française" (2014)</dd> <dd>"Oz the Great and Powerful" (2013)</dd> <dd>"My Week with Marilyn" (2011)</dd> <dd>"Take This Waltz" (2011)</dd> <dd>"Meek's Cutoff" (2010)</dd> <dd>"Shutter Island" (2010)</dd> <dd>"Blue Valentine" (2010)</dd> <dd>"Mammoth" (2009)</dd> <dd>"Synecdoche, New York" (2008)</dd> <dd>"Wendy and Lucy" (2008)</dd> <dd>"Deception" (2008)</dd> <dd>"Incendiary" (2008)</dd> <dd>"I'm Not There" (2007)</dd> <dd>"The Hottest State" (2006)</dd> <dd>"The Hawk Is Dying" (2006)</dd> <dd>"Brokeback Mountain" (2005)</dd> <dd>"The Baxter" (2005)</dd> <dd>"Imaginary Heroes" (2004)</dd> <dd>"Land of Plenty" (2004)</dd> <dd>"A Hole in One" (2004)</dd> <dd>"Dawson's Creek" (1998–2003)</dd> <dd>"The Station Agent" (2003)</dd> <dd>"The United States of Leland" (2003)</dd> <dd>"Prozac Nation" (2001)</dd> <dd>"Me Without You" (2001)</dd> <dd>"Perfume" (2001)</dd> <dd>"But I'm a Cheerleader" (1999)</dd> <dd>"Dick" (1999)</dd> <dd>"Halloween H20: 20 Years Later" (1998)</dd> <dd>"A Thousand Acres" (1997)</dd> <dd>"Raising Caines" (1995)</dd> <dd>"Timemaster" (1995)</dd> <dd>"Species" (1995)</dd> <dd>"Home Improvement" (1995)</dd> <dd>"Step by Step" (1994)</dd> <dd>"Lassie" (1994)</dd> <dd>"Baywatch" (1993–1994)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Michelle-Williams-American-actress"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> <button class="facts-list-show-more-btn mt-15 p-0 mx-auto btn font-14 d-block font-weight-normal"> <span class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></span> <span class="show-more-label">Show More</span> </button> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref1133426"></span>Michelle Williams</strong> (born September 9, 1980, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kalispell" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Kalispell</a>, Montana, U.S.) is an American actress known for her delicate beauty and for the emotional depth she brings to <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="vulnerable" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vulnerable" data-type="MW">vulnerable</a> characters.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Williams spent her early childhood in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Montana-state" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Montana</a>, where her mother was a homemaker and her father a financial trader and author. After moving with her family to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/San-Diego-California" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">San Diego</a>, she began <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/acting" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">acting</a> in <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="community" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community" data-type="MW">community</a> theater productions, and in her early teens she made her screen debut in <em><span id="ref1135198"></span>Lassie</em> (1994), a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/motion-picture" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">film</a> based on the long-running family-oriented television show. At age 15, having earned a GED at home, Williams became legally emancipated from her parents in order to pursue her acting career without being restricted by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/child-labour" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">child labor</a> laws. Not long after, she was cast as the rebellious outsider Jen Lindley on the teen <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/soap-opera" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">soap opera</a> <em><span id="ref1135199"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dawsons-Creek" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Dawson’s Creek</a></em> (1998–2003). The popular series provided a breakthrough for Williams, and she earned praise for the maturity of her portrayal.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Williams’s increased visibility led to roles in such films as the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/horror-film" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">horror</a> sequel <em>Halloween H20: 20 Years Later</em> (1998) and <em><span id="ref1297936"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dick" class="md-crosslink ">Dick</a></em> (1999), a spoof on the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Watergate-Scandal" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Watergate scandal</a>. In 1999 she also acted in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tracy-Letts" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tracy Letts</a>’s darkly violent <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Off-Broadway" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Off-Broadway</a> comedy <em><span id="ref1135200"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Killer-Joe-play-by-Letts" class="md-crosslink ">Killer Joe</a></em>, which, along with her appearance as a young lesbian in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/HBO" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">HBO</a> movie <em>If These Walls Could Talk 2</em> (2000), indicated an <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="affinity" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affinity" data-type="MW">affinity</a> for provocative independent-minded fare. A string of roles in nonmainstream films followed, including leads in the coming-of-age tale <em><span id="ref1297937"></span>Me Without You</em> (2001), as a British teenager in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/punk" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">punk rock</a> era, and in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wim-Wenders" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Wim Wenders</a>’s sociopolitical <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/theatre-art" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">drama</a> <em><span id="ref1135201"></span>Land of Plenty</em> (2004), as a former Christian missionary in urban <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Los-Angeles-California" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Los Angeles</a>.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/pop-culture-quiz" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/65/129465-131-8F637272/USA-Annual-Academy-Awards-Closeup-entrance-statue-2009.jpg" alt="USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Pop Culture Quiz</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In 2005 Williams appeared in <em><span id="ref1135202"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Brokeback-Mountain-film-by-Lee" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Brokeback Mountain</a></em>, which centered on a secret romance between two cowboys. The film was a surprise hit, and her performance as the beleaguered wife of one of the men (played by <span id="ref1251227"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Heath-Ledger" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Heath Ledger</a>) was honored with an <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Academy-Award" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Academy Award</a> nomination for <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Academy-Award-for-best-supporting-actress" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">best supporting actress</a>. By that time Williams had also attracted considerable attention for her off-screen relationship with Ledger, with whom she had a daughter. (The couple split several months before his death in 2008.)</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">As her career progressed, Williams continued to take supporting parts in such iconoclastic projects as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Todd-Haynes" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Todd Haynes</a>’s <em><span id="ref1135204"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Im-Not-There" class="md-crosslink ">I’m Not There</a></em> (2007), a fragmented portrait of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bob-Dylan-American-musician" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bob Dylan</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charlie-Kaufman" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Charlie Kaufman</a>’s inventive <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="existential" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/existential" data-type="MW">existential</a> drama <em><span id="ref1135203"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Synecdoche-New-York" class="md-crosslink ">Synecdoche, New York</a></em> (2008). She won <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="accolades" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accolades" data-type="MW">accolades</a> for her nearly solo turn in <span id="ref1281074"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kelly-Reichardt" class="md-crosslink ">Kelly Reichardt</a>’s <em><span id="ref1135205"></span>Wendy and Lucy</em> (2008), in which she evinced the solitary desperation of an impoverished drifter. For her emotionally raw performance in <em><span id="ref1135206"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Blue-Valentine" class="md-crosslink ">Blue Valentine</a></em> (2010), which sketched the story of a crumbling marriage, Williams captured an <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Academy-Award" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Oscar</a> nomination for <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Academy-Award-for-best-actress" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">best actress</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Williams subsequently starred in the bleak western <em><span id="ref1281073"></span>Meek’s Cutoff</em> (2010), also directed by Reichardt, and as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marilyn-Monroe" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Marilyn Monroe</a> in <em><span id="ref1135207"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/My-Week-with-Marilyn" class="md-crosslink ">My Week with Marilyn</a></em> (2011), which depicted events behind the scenes of the 1957 film <em>The Prince and the Showgirl</em>. Her <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="nuanced" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nuanced" data-type="MW">nuanced</a> personification of the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="iconic" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iconic" data-type="MW">iconic</a> starlet was rewarded with a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Golden-Globe-Award" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Golden Globe Award</a> for best actress and a third Oscar nomination. After exploring interpersonal complexities in <em><span id="ref1281075"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Take-This-Waltz" class="md-crosslink ">Take This Waltz</a></em> (2011), as a married woman who finds herself romantically drawn to a neighbor, Williams played the good witch Glinda in <em><span id="ref1281076"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oz-the-Great-and-Powerful" class="md-crosslink ">Oz the Great and Powerful</a></em> (2013), a film inspired by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/L-Frank-Baum" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">L. Frank Baum</a>’s Oz series of children’s books. She made her <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Broadway-street-and-district-New-York-City" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Broadway</a> debut in 2014 as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sally-Bowles" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sally Bowles</a> in a revival of <em><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cabaret-musical-by-Kander-and-Ebb" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Cabaret</a></em>.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="219289" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/81/194181-050-3A1F107A/Michelle-Williams-Casey-Affleck-Manchester-Sea-Kenneth.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/1825324/219289"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/81/194181-050-3A1F107A/Michelle-Williams-Casey-Affleck-Manchester-Sea-Kenneth.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/81/194181-050-3A1F107A/Michelle-Williams-Casey-Affleck-Manchester-Sea-Kenneth.jpg?w=300" alt="Michelle Williams and Casey Affleck in Manchester by the Sea" data-width="1600" data-height="1067" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/81/194181-050-3A1F107A/Michelle-Williams-Casey-Affleck-Manchester-Sea-Kenneth.jpg" data-href="/media/1/1825324/219289">Michelle Williams and Casey Affleck in <em>Manchester by the Sea</em></a><span>Michelle Williams (left) and Casey Affleck in <em>Manchester by the Sea</em> (2016), directed by Kenneth Lonergan.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Williams returned to the screen in <em><span id="ref1281071"></span>Suite Française</em> (2014), in which she portrayed a woman drawn to a Nazi officer in occupied France during <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">World War II</a>. In 2016 she starred in the Broadway production of <em>Blackbird</em>, playing a woman who seeks out the man who sexually abused her when she was 12 years old, and, for her performance, Williams earned her first <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Tony-Awards" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tony Award</a> nomination. She reteamed with Reichardt on <em><span id="ref1281072"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Certain-Women" class="md-crosslink ">Certain Women</a></em>, a drama featuring intersecting <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="vignettes" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vignettes" data-type="MW">vignettes</a> about three women in Montana, and appeared in <em><span id="ref1281070"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Manchester-by-the-Sea" class="md-crosslink ">Manchester by the Sea</a></em> (both 2016), portraying the ex-wife of a man who is haunted by the tragedy that ended their marriage. For her performance in the latter film, Williams received her fourth Academy Award nomination.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=black-friday-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In 2017 Williams appeared in Haynes’s <em><span id="ref1256394"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wonderstruck" class="md-crosslink ">Wonderstruck</a></em>, which was based on the best-selling children’s book; <em><span id="ref1252786"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Greatest-Showman" class="md-crosslink ">The Greatest Showman</a></em>, a musical in which she was cast as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/P-T-Barnum" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">P.T. Barnum</a>’s wife; and the biopic <em><span id="ref1252787"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/All-the-Money-in-the-World" class="md-crosslink ">All the Money in the World</a></em>, about the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, grandson of oil billionaire <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/J-Paul-Getty" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">J. Paul Getty</a>. The next year she showed her comedic skills in playing the boss of a delusionally confident woman in the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="romantic" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/romantic" data-type="MW">romantic</a> comedy <em><span id="ref1256395"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/I-Feel-Pretty" class="md-crosslink ">I Feel Pretty</a></em> and then appeared in the comic-book movie <em><span id="ref1260964"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Venom-2018-film" class="md-crosslink ">Venom</a></em>; she also was in the latter’s 2021 sequel, <em><span id="ref1297938"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Venom-Let-There-Be-Carnage" class="md-crosslink ">Venom: Let There Be Carnage</a></em>.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD9 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In 2019 Williams returned to television in the miniseries <em><span id="ref1266460"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fosse-Verdon" class="md-crosslink ">Fosse/Verdon</a></em>, which centered on the relationship between choreographer <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bob-Fosse" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bob Fosse</a> and dancer Gwen Verdon. For her performance, she was awarded an <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Emmy-Award" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Emmy</a> and a Golden Globe. Williams’s other credits from 2019 include <em><span id="ref1272696"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/After-the-Wedding" class="md-crosslink ">After the Wedding</a></em>, in which she portrayed a woman running an orphanage in India who makes a series of startling revelations when she meets with a potential <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="benefactor" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benefactor" data-type="MW">benefactor</a> (<a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julianne-Moore" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Julianne Moore</a>). In 2022 she portrayed a sculptor in Reichardt’s dramedy <em><span id="ref1308393"></span>Showing Up</em>. That year she also starred in <em><span id="ref1308392"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Fabelmans" class="md-crosslink ">The Fabelmans</a></em>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Steven-Spielberg" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Steven Spielberg</a>’s autobiographical film about an aspiring filmmaker. Williams earned praise—and an Oscar nomination for best actress—for her performance as the vibrant and supportive mother.</p><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/contributor/John-M-Cunningham/3520691">John M. 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Michelle Williams | Biography, Movies, TV Shows, & Facts | Britannica