---
name: "Melora Walters"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/melora-walters"
fi1m_id: "melora-walters"
imdb_id: "nm0001828"
tmdb_id: 4766
wikidata_id: "Q242763"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "21 October 1959"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 12
average_fi1m_score: 74
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 12
updated: "2026-10-05T14:25:59.318713+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Melora Walters

## Identity

Melora Walters

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/melora-walters
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** melora-walters
- **IMDb ID:** nm0001828
- **TMDB ID:** 4766
- **Wikidata ID:** Q242763
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melora_Walters, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q242763, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001828/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4766

Actor. Born 21 October 1959 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 21 October 1959, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
- **Active:** 1988–2019
- **Also known as:** Melora Walters Scotellaro, Melora Williams
- **Average Fi1m score:** 74, as actor, over 12 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 81 (2), 1990s 74 (5), 2000s 70 (2), 2010s 72 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 74 to 67 across 11 titles
- **Score spread:** 7 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 6 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 7, Comedy 5, Action 2, Family 2, History 2, Adventure 1
- **Screen time:** 19 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,754m across 9 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melora_Walters, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q242763, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001828/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4766

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Magnolia*](https://film.one/film/magnolia.md) (84), [*Big Love*](https://film.one/tv/big-love.md) (79)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Short Term 12*](https://film.one/film/short-term-12.md) (86)
- **Hulu:** [*PEN15*](https://film.one/tv/pen15.md) (80)
- **Disney+:** [*Venom*](https://film.one/film/venom.md) (51)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Melora Walters

> Melora Walters makes distressed people worth listening to, even when a film is crowded with them. We value the care she brings to supporting parts, and *Magnolia* gives us the strongest reason to seek her out.

Claudia Wilson Gator is distressed, and *Magnolia* (1999) gives her plenty of company. Melora Walters makes it hard to dismiss her as one more troubled figure in Paul Thomas Anderson’s crowded drama. We were moved by Claudia’s uncertainty because Walters makes it recognisable, even amid so many people expressing their pain at full volume. She gives us a reason to stay with a film that can be exhausting.

The collaboration with Anderson began with *Hard Eight* (1996), followed by Jessie St. Vincent in *Boogie Nights* (1997) and Claudia in *Magnolia*. *Boogie Nights* is the more generous evening, its familiar rise-and-fall story sustained by the performances and the care taken over crowded scenes. Walters is one member of a company worth spending time with there. Her work as Claudia gives us a clearer sense of her particular skill with emotionally raw characters.

The useful comparison in *Magnolia* is with John C. Reilly’s Officer Jim Kurring, whose presence lets us listen without bracing ourselves. Both actors make uncertainty easier to recognise than the swagger around them, but it is Reilly who supplies the breathing room. Walters keeps Claudia’s distress from becoming anonymous misery, which means the repeated crises still hurt when we have begun to tire of them. Our reservation is with Anderson’s accumulation of suffering, not with her ability to make us care about one person caught up in it.

Her subsequent television work includes Wanda Henrickson in *Big Love* (2006–2010) and Kathy Kone in *Pen15* (2019–2021), both recurring roles. She has also been writing and directing her own features since 2018. Her work as Claudia makes us curious about what she might do with parts less dependent on distress. Give *Magnolia* an evening when you can spare 189 minutes and some patience.

## Biography

Melora Walters is an American actress and filmmaker. She was born on 21 October 1959 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Walters is known for her frequent collaborations with director Paul Thomas Anderson. She played Jessie St. Vincent in *Boogie Nights* (1997) and Claudia Wilson Gator in *Magnolia* (1999). Other film credits include *Dead Poets Society* (1989), *Ed Wood* (1994), *The Butterfly Effect* (2004) and *Venom* (2018). On television she has appeared as Wanda Henrickson in *Big Love* (2006–2010) and Kathy Kone in *PEN15* (2019–2021). She has also directed features including *Waterlily Jaguar* (2018).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (12)

- *PEN15* (2019), Fi1m 80, as Kathy Kone — [page](https://film.one/tv/pen15.md)
- *Venom* (2018), Fi1m 51, as Homeless Woman Maria — [page](https://film.one/film/venom.md)
- *Short Term 12* (2013), Fi1m 86, as Dr. Hendler — [page](https://film.one/film/short-term-12.md)
- *Big Love* (2006), Fi1m 79, as Wanda Henrickson — [page](https://film.one/tv/big-love.md)
- *Cold Mountain* (2003), Fi1m 62, as Lila — [page](https://film.one/film/cold-mountain.md)
- *Magnolia* (1999), Fi1m 84, as Claudia Wilson Gator — [page](https://film.one/film/magnolia.md)
- *Boogie Nights* (1997), Fi1m 86, as Jessie St. Vincent — [page](https://film.one/film/boogie-nights.md)
- *Eraser* (1996), Fi1m 58, as Darleen — [page](https://film.one/film/eraser.md)
- *Ed Wood* (1994), Fi1m 84, as Secretary #2 — [page](https://film.one/film/ed-wood.md)
- *Beethoven* (1992), Fi1m 60, as Pet Shop Owner — [page](https://film.one/film/beethoven.md)
- *Dead Poets Society* (1989), Fi1m 80, as Gloria — [page](https://film.one/film/dead-poets-society.md)
- *The Wonder Years* (1988), Fi1m 82, as Waitress — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-wonder-years.md)

## Complete filmography (96)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Crooks* (2026), as Blanche
- *Situations* (2026), as Brianne
- *The Idea* (2025), Actor
- *Where Are You* (2022), as Edith
- *American Gigolo* (2022), series, as Maryanne Henderson
- *Offseason* (2022), as Ava Aldrich
- *The Accursed* (2021), as Naida
- *Hard Luck Love Song* (2021), as Gypsy Sally
- *Far More* (2021), as Evie Flores
- *Pink Skies Ahead* (2020), as Hayley
- *The Pale Door* (2020), as Maria
- *Adeline, the Great* (2019), Actor
- *Drowning* (2019), as Rose · Writer, Director
- *Robert the Bruce* (2019), as Ylfa
- *PEN15* (2019), series, as Kathy Kone — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/pen15.md)
- *Beneath the Leaves* (2019), as Rose
- *In a Relationship* (2018), as Mia Ziniti
- *The Amaranth* (2018), as Lily Kendrick
- *The Lover in the Attic: A True Story* (2018), Director
- *Cam* (2018), as Lynne
- *Venom* (2018), as Homeless Woman Maria — Fi1m 51, [page](https://film.one/film/venom.md)
- *FBI* (2018), series, as Evelyn Adams
- *Waterlily Jaguar* (2018), Producer, Director, Writer
- *Doubting Thomas* (2018), as Kate
- *Odious* (2017), as Beatrice
- *The Lovers* (2017), as Lucy
- *Good After Bad* (2017), as Victoria Ackerman
- *The OA* (2016), series, as Melody
- *Sugar Mountain* (2016), as Tracey Huxley
- *Indiscretion* (2016), as Harper
- *Sacrifice* (2015), as Enid
- *Sex, Death and Bowling* (2015), as Evie Flores
- *The Young Kieslowski* (2014), as Barbara Kieslowski
- *Short Term 12* (2013), as Dr. Hendler — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/short-term-12.md)
- *Underdogs* (2013), as Nancy Smith-Burkett
- *Lonely Boy* (2013), as Betsy
- *Mary* (2012), as Mary
- *The Master* (2012), as Band (Voice) — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-master.md)
- *Missing Pieces* (2012), as Delia Greenly · Associate Producer
- *The River Murders* (2011), as Agent Glover
- *Franklin & Bash* (2011), series, as Joan Ackermann
- *Love Ranch* (2010), as Janelle
- *Shit Year* (2010), as Shelly
- *Case 219* (2010), as Victoria Lash
- *Hurt* (2009), as Helen Coltrane
- *The Mentalist* (2008), series, as Amber — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-mentalist.md)
- *Black Crescent Moon* (2008), as Katelan Beacon
- *Harrison Montgomery* (2008), as Margo Fleming
- *Californication* (2007), series, as Lisa — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/californication.md)
- *Brothers Three: An American Gothic* (2007), as Loren
- *Big Love* (2006), series, as Wanda Henrickson — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/tv/big-love.md)
- *Desperate Housewives* (2004), series, as Sylvia Greene — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/desperate-housewives.md)
- *The Butterfly Effect* (2004), as Andrea Treborn
- *Cold Mountain* (2003), as Lila — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/film/cold-mountain.md)
- *Melvin Goes to Dinner* (2003), as Trenice (uncredited)
- *NCIS* (2003), series, as Susan Elizabeth Lowe — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/ncis.md)
- *Threat Matrix* (2003), series, as Lia 'Lark' Larkin
- *Matchstick Men* (2003), as Heather (uncredited)
- *The Big Empty* (2003), as Candy
- *WiseGirls* (2002), as Kate
- *Desert Saints* (2002), as Bennie Harper
- *Speaking of Sex* (2001), as Melinda
- *Rain* (2001), as Ellen
- *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (2000), series, as Sage
- *Magnolia* (1999), as Claudia Wilson Gator — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/magnolia.md)
- *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (1999), series, as Laurel Linwood
- *Twice Upon a Time* (1998), as Alannah Merribone
- *L.A. Doctors* (1998), series, as Felicity
- *Boogie Nights* (1997), as Jessie St. Vincent — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/boogie-nights.md)
- *Brooklyn South* (1997), series, as Carly
- *Hard Eight* (1997), as Jimmy's Girl
- *Los Locos* (1997), as Allison
- *American Strays* (1996), as Cindy
- *Eraser* (1996), as Darleen — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/eraser.md)
- *Nash Bridges* (1996), series, as Flo
- *Ed Wood* (1994), as Secretary #2 — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/ed-wood.md)
- *Midnight Run for Your Life* (1994), as Lorna Bellstratton
- *All Tied Up* (1994), as Bliss
- *Dead Man's Revenge* (1994), as Bunny
- *Cabin Boy* (1994), as Trina
- *Twenty Bucks* (1993), as Stripper / Funeral Director
- *Bakersfield P.D.* (1993), series, as Marnie Archer
- *Walker, Texas Ranger* (1993), series, as Star
- *Telling Secrets* (1993), as Karen Blake
- *America's Deadliest Home Video* (1993), as Gloria · Camera Operator
- *Beethoven* (1992), as Pet Shop Owner — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/beethoven.md)
- *Dream On* (1990), series, as Dina
- *How to Murder a Millionaire* (1990), as Ginger
- *Rude Awakening* (1989), as Punky (uncredited)
- *Seinfeld* (1989), series, as Jane — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/tv/seinfeld.md)
- *Dead Poets Society* (1989), as Gloria — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/dead-poets-society.md)
- *Roseanne* (1988), series, Actor — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/roseanne.md)
- *Dear John* (1988), series, as Maria
- *Staring at the Dark* (1988), Actor
- *The Wonder Years* (1988), series, as Waitress — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-wonder-years.md)
- *They Follow*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Melora Walters](https://film.one/media/person/87111/gallery-5eb156bb19cd.jpg) Melora Walters — Image via TMDB
- ![Melora Walters](https://film.one/media/person/87111/gallery-54d48ddb17cd.jpg) Melora Walters — Image via TMDB
- ![Melora Walters](https://film.one/media/person/87111/gallery-93a8f420e1af.jpg) Melora Walters — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/melora-walters