Mary Elizabeth Winstead : biography
Mary Elizabeth Winstead (born November 28, 1984) is an American actress and recording artist. Winstead is known for her scream queen roles in the horror films: Final Destination 3, Death Proof, The Thing, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, but has also branched out to other genres, including as John McClane’s daughter Lucy in Die Hard 4 and 5, Ramona Flowers in the comic-to-film adaptation of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and as an alcoholic who struggles through sobriety in the Sundance-selected film Smashed.
Her singing career started in 2013, with her album collaboration with Dan the Automator.
Early life
The youngest of five children"" Saturday Night Magazine. Retrieved August 23, 2011. of James Ronald and Betty Lou (née Knight) Winstead, Winstead was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Winstead has stated that her maternal grandfather was a cousin of actress Ava Gardner. Winstead was only five years old when her family moved to Sandy, Utah, a Salt Lake City suburb."" Yahoo! Movies. retrieved August 23, 2011 As a girl, Winstead attended Peruvian Park Elementary, where she excelled academically and attended advanced classes. A talented dancer and singer, Winstead studied dance in a Joffrey Ballet summer program in Chicago, Illinois and was also a member of the International Children’s Choir."" Tribute. Retrieved August 23, 2011 During her youth, Winstead initially hoped to pursue a career as a ballerina and appeared in local ballet productions. As she entered her teens Winstead was forced to quit ballet due to her height. She later stated "I realized pretty early on that I was already too tall by the time I was 13… You know, your body has to stay that way for your entire life, and it’s pretty hard on your muscles and your bones". Realizing that her career as a ballerina was unlikely, Winstead turned to acting instead.
Singing career
Winstead has expressed her interest in singing, but initially did not plan on pursuing it as a career. "I wasn’t ever really going to be a singer, but it’s just something I’ve always loved."Lee, Michael J. RadioFree.com For her part of the Grindhouse film, Tarantino had Winstead sing an a cappella cover of The Shirelles’ hit recording "Baby It’s You".Lee, Michael J. RadioFree.com Retrieved August 20, 2011 She was asked impromptu to perform the song and the cast were reportedly "gob-smacked" by her singing.
In 2009, Winstead and music producer Thai Long Ly co-wrote a song, "Warmth of Him"."" thailongly.com. Retrieved August 23, 2011 Although first rumored to be a pre-release single, Winstead has since then confirmed that she was just exploring her interest and does not plan on releasing any music albums.
On January 18, 2012, Winstead tweeted about performing vocals for a "Deltron song", which is as yet unreleased.
On March 17, 2012, Winstead premiered a new song that she sang at the SXSW Festival during the Red Bull 3Style event with Dan the Automator.
In an interview with Complex for the June/July 2012 issue, Winstead revealed she was working with Dan the Automator and is indeed planning on releasing a music album. "The inspiration behind it is, like, French ’60s pop—Jane Birkin, and stuff like that. It’s kind of married with Dan’s sensibility, which is his beats and a little bit of that low-key hip-hop vibe. So it makes for something that’s very unique; it’s very lounge-y and light. It’s got a little bit of a French quality," Winstead discloses.
In summer 2013, Winstead and collaborator Dan the Automator formed the band Got a Girl, and released their first single “You & Me” on May 21. The album is set for release in August via EMI.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | The|Ring Two}} | Young Evelyn | |
2005 | Checking Out | Lisa Apple | |
2005 | Sky High | Gwendolyn ‘Gwen’ Grayson | |
2006 | Final Destination 3 | Wendy Christensen | |
2006 | Bobby | Susan Taylor | Hollywood Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble CastNominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best CastNominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
2006 | Factory Girl | Ingrid Superstar | |
2006 | Black Christmas | Heather Lee-Fitzgerald | |
2007 | Grindhouse: Death Proof | Lee Montgomery | |
2007 | Live Free or Die Hard | Lucy Gennero-McClane | |
2008 | Make It Happen | Lauryn Kirk | |
2010 | Scott Pilgrim vs. the World | Ramona Victoria Flowers | Nominated—IGN Movie Award for Best Ensemble CastNominated—Teen Choice Awards for Choice Actress Action |
2011 | The|Thing|The Thing (2011 film)}} | Dr. Kate Lloyd | |
2012 | Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter | Mary Todd Lincoln | |
2012 | Smashed | Kate Hannah | Dallas International Film Festival Shining Star Award for Best Actress Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Female LeadNominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress |
2013 | A|Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III}} | Kate | |
2013 | A|Good Day to Die Hard}} | Lucy Gennero-McClane | Cameo |
2013 | A.C.O.D. | Lauren Stinger | |
2013 | The Spectacular Now | Holly Keely | |
2014 | Seven Years, Three Days[https://twitter.com/prodweek/status/323941894742765568 Twitter / prodweek: -@maxminghella, @RobertsEmma, …] | ||
2014 | Untitled Chris Messina Project | Alex | |
2014 | Faults |