Melinda Dillon

IMDB profile

Add to favorites

Edit page

Search at Amazon

Stats

Birth Name: Melinda Rose Dillon

Born: 13 October 1939 Died: 9 January 2023

Country of origin: United States

Height: 5' 8"

Relationship Status: Married

Partner: Richard Libertini

Lists

97 votes

Actresses who deserves the Oscar (Since 70s) (46 items)
list by xolmis

Published 8 years, 3 months ago

8 comments

86 votes

Gone, but not forgotten (1621 items)
list by Agent Kermit D. Fonz

Published 7 months, 3 weeks ago

10 comments

47 votes

Beautiful Women (854 items)
list by compcua

Published 9 years, 8 months ago

1 comment

15 votes

Directed by Steven Spielberg (311 items)
list by diabolical dr voodoo

Published 12 years, 7 months ago

1 comment

12 votes

Actors with Most Oscar Nominations But Zero Wins (142 items)
list by Leo

Published 9 years, 6 months ago

1 comment

View all Melinda Dillon lists

Photos

1 vote

View all Melinda Dillon pictures

Description: Melinda Dillon was an American actress, perhaps best known for roles in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "A Christmas Story". Dillon was born in Hope, Arkansas, The daughter of E. Norine Barnett and W.S. Dillon, an army officer, Dillon went to school in Chicago attending Hyde Park High School. Though best known for her supporting performances in films, Dillon get her start as an improvisational comedian and stage actress, Her first major role as honey in the original 1962 Broadway production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Melinda Dillon was an American actress, perhaps best known for roles in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "A Christmas Story".

Dillon was born in Hope, Arkansas, The daughter of E. Norine Barnett and W.S. Dillon, an army officer, Dillon went to school in Chicago attending Hyde Park High School.

Though best known for her supporting performances in films, Dillon get her start as an improvisational comedian and stage actress, Her first major role as honey in the original 1962 Broadway production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Peformance by the featured actress in a play, and she also appeared in You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running and Paul Sill's Story Theatre.

Dillon's first film was The April Fools in 1969, Playing "Memphis Sue" opposite David Carradine, She was nominated for the best Acting Female Debut Golden Globe for the 1976 Woody Guthrie biopic Bound For Glory. She was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the role of a mother whose young child is abducted by aliens in Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977, and had an uncredited short role in the Muppet Movie, The same year she appeared semi-nude with Paul Newman in the comedy classic, Slap Shot, Four years later she was once again nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as a suicidal teacher in 1981's Absence of Malice opposite Paul Newman.

As a comedienne, Dillon is perhaps best known for a role as a compassionate mother of Ralphie and Randy in Bob Clark's 1983 film a Christmas Story, The film was based on a series of short stories and novels written by Jean Shepherd and follows young Ralphie Parker played by Peter Billingsley on his quest for a BB Gun from Santa Claus.

Five years later she appeared opposite John Lithgow in the bigfoot comedy Harry and the Hendersons, She continued to be active in stage and film throughout the 1990's, taking minor roles in the Barbara Streisland drama The Prince of Tides, The Low-Budget Lou Diamond Phillips thriller Sioux City, and the drama How to make an American Quilt.

In 1999, She appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson's film Magnolia as Rose Gator, the wife of TV Game show host Jimmy Gator, Played by Phillip Baker Hall.

In 2005, She guest starred in an episode of Law & Order: SVU entitled "Blood".
... (more)