Melanie Griffith Biography

Melanie Griffith was born on August 9, 1957, in New York, USA, to well-known actress Tippi Hedren and advertising professional as well as occasional actor Peter Griffith. Her mother starred in the famous film ‘Birds,’ which was directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

In 1961, when Melanie Griffith was only four years old, her parents divorced. She then spent her childhood in New York and California. She would live in New York with her father for some days and then travel to California to live with her mother before returning to New York.

Griffith exhibited acting skills from an early age. Considering the fact that both her parents were actors, it was not a surprise. Although she did go to a regular school, she eventually joined the ‘Hollywood Professional School’ and graduated in 1973.

Melanie Griffith worked as a child actor at different points in her childhood. She acted in films, such as ‘Smith,’ which released in 1969. In 1974, she appeared in a movie called ‘Night Moves’ in which she had a nude scene.

In 1981, at the age of 24, she was cast in the movie ‘Roar,’ which also had her mother Tippi Hedren in an important role. On the set of the movie, Griffith met with a horrible accident when a lion, which was part of the film, attacked her and damaged her face. However, immediate medical attention made sure that her acting career wasn’t ruined.

Melanie Griffith’s first major role was given to her by legendary director Brian De Palma when he decided to cast her to play a pornographic actress in his film ‘Body Double,’ which released in 1984. The film was a commercial failure, but Griffith’s portrayal of the role earned her rave reviews, establishing her as a brilliant performer.

In 1986, Griffith starred in the movie ‘Something Wild’ alongside Jeff Daniels. The film was well-received by the audience. Two years later, she landed the lead role in the film ‘Working Girl.’ The film catapulted her career to new heights as she ended up winning the ‘Academy Award’ for ‘Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy’ for her role.

In 1990, Griffith was cast in the movie ‘Pacific Heights.’ Over the next decade, she produced an impressive body of work in mainstream Hollywood with films, such as ‘Born Yesterday,’ ‘Two Much,’ ‘Buffalo Girls,’ ‘Crazy in Alabama,’ and ‘Celebrity.’ During the 1990s, she became one of the most prominent actresses in Hollywood.

In the 1998 film ‘Another Day in Paradise,’ which was directed by Larry Clark, Melanie Griffith played the role of a heroin addict. Many consider this as the best role of her career. A year later, Griffith appeared on stage and acted in a play titled ‘Vagina Monologues,’ which was staged at the famous ‘Old Vic’ theatre in London, United Kingdom.

Following her sporadic appearances in theatre, Melanie Griffith made her first Broadway appearance in the year 2003 when she acted in the play ‘Chicago.’ Since then, Griffith has not been able to land meaningful roles in Hollywood and only appeared in fleeting roles in films like ‘Hot in Cleveland.’ She has also acted in a few TV series like ‘Twins’ and ‘Viva Laughing.’

Griffith starred alongside Al Pacino and Evan Peters in a drama film titled ‘The Pirates of Somalia’ in 2017. The same year, she was also cast in the movie ‘The Disaster Artist.’

In a career that has spanned almost her entire life (she first appeared in a commercial even before she had turned one), Melanie Griffith has delivered plenty of memorable performances. One performance that stands out in her career is her portrayal of ‘Tess McGill’ in the 1988 film ‘Working Girl.’ She won an ‘Academy Award’ for her performance in the film.

Melanie Griffith won the award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ from the ‘National Society of Film Critics’ for her performance in the 1984 film ‘Body Double.’

In 1989, Melanie Griffith won the ‘Academy Award’ for ‘Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy’ for her role in the film ‘Working Girl.’

When she was 14 years old, Melanie Griffith got into a romantic relationship with actor Don Johnson. The couple got married in 1976, and got divorced in six month’s time.

In 1981, Melanie Griffith got married to actor Steven Bauer. They had a son named Alexander Bauer. Their marriage ended in divorce after being together for five years.

Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson got back together in 1988 and they married again in 1989. They had a daughter, Dakota Johnson, who grew up to become an actress. Griffith and Johnson separated after six years and had an on-again, off-again relationship for some time. She divorced Johnson in 1996.

In 1996, Melanie Griffith got married to one of Hollywood’s biggest superstars Antonio Banderas. They separated in 2014 and the divorce was finalized in 2015. They have a daughter named Stella del Carmen Banderas.

Melanie Griffith’s net worth is estimated to be around $40 million.