X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Melinda Dillon Biography

Birth Place:
Hope, Alaska, United States
Profession
Actor

Fast Facts

  • Stepfather was a U
  • S
  • Army colonel; spent her childhood traveling around to Army bases with her family
  • Studied with famed acting coach Lee Strasberg and at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago
  • Got her start in acting as an improvisational comedian and stage actor
  • Nominated for a Tony Award for her stage debut as Honey in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on Broadway in 1962
  • After shooting to stardom in Woolf and having problems handling the pressure, quit the show and took a month off to recuperate in a mental institution

Awards

  • 1999Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: nominated
  • 1981Oscar-Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: nominated
  • 1977Oscar-Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: nominated
  • 1977Golden Globe-New Star of the Year - Actress: nominated

Relationships