Biography for
Melanie Griffith More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

9 August 1957, New York City, New York, USA

Birth Name

Melanie Richards Griffith

Height

5' 9¼" (1.76 m)

Mini Biography

Melanie Griffith was born on August 9, 1957, in New York City to model Tippi Hedren and advertising executive Peter Griffith. Her parents' marriage ended in 1961 and Tippi came to Los Angeles to get a new start. Tippi caught the eye of the great director Alfred Hitchcock, who gave her starring roles in The Birds (1963) and Marnie (1964). Tippi married her then-agent, Noel Marshall, in 1964 (they divorced in 1982), and Melanie grew up with three stepbrothers. Meanwhile, her father married Nanita Greene Samuels, with whom he had two more children: Melanie's half-siblings Tracy Griffith and Clay A. Griffith.

Melanie also grew up with tigers and lions, as Tippi and Noel were raising them for the movie Roar (1981), in which the family later starred. Her career began as a model at just nine months old and she later appeared as an extra in Smith! (1969) and The Harrad Experiment (1973), where she fell in love with her mother's co-star, Don Johnson. She was only fourteen years old, while he was a twice-divorced 22-year-old. Tippi took a very liberal approach and allowed Melanie to move in with Don at a tender age. She skipped a grade and graduated from Hollywood Professional School when she was just sixteen. Even though Melanie didn't like modeling, she continued to do so to pay the bills. One day, she went to meet with director Arthur Penn for what she thought was a modeling assignment. It was actually an audition for his film Night Moves (1975), and Penn cast her as a runaway nymphet. She married Johnson in January 1976 when she was 18, but the union only lasted six months. Melanie became addicted to drugs and alcohol, a fact well known to studio executives, who stopped considering her for film roles. She stopped acting for a considerable length of time before turning to television, and met her second husband, Steven Bauer, on the set of the TV movie She's in the Army Now (1981) (TV). He helped her to overcome her addictions and got her to take acting classes with Stella Adler in New York. The classes paid off, as director Brian De Palma cast her as a porno actress in his murder mystery Body Double (1984). Jonathan Demme was so impressed with her performance that he cast her in Something Wild (1986) without even auditioning her. Both films were box office failures, but nonetheless, Melanie was showered with critical acclaim and received Golden Globe nominations for her sexy, funny performances in them.

The birth of her first child, Alexander, in 1985, didn't help to save her struggling marriage, and she and Bauer divorced in 1987. Soon after, Melanie's career skyrocketed when Mike Nichols cast her in Working Girl (1988), a box-office hit for which she received an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress and won the Golden Globe Award as Best Actress in a Comedy. However, making the film had not been easy for her, as she continued to suffer from drug and alcohol addictions. Melanie was almost fired from the production when she arrived on the set too intoxicated to say her lines, and Nichols pushed her into a rehabilitation clinic after filming wrapped. En route to the clinic, she called Don Johnson for support, and they reconciled after her release from the clinic. She got pregnant in 1989 with their daughter Dakota Johnson, and they remarried that year.

Now sober and fresh off her breakthrough role, Melanie concentrated on her film career, working continuously throughout the new decade. Her first major role after "Working Girl" was the moderately successful urban thriller Pacific Heights (1990), which was followed by the outright bomb The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990). Even though she gave heartfelt performances in all her films, she was often miscast, with her breathy little-girl voice not helping matters in her starring roles as a spy in Shining Through (1992) and as a homicide detective going undercover in the Hassidic Jewish community in New York City in A Stranger Among Us (1992). Melanie had other high-profile flops with Born Yesterday (1993) and Milk Money (1994), though one bright spot came with her supporting role in Nobody's Fool (1994), where she acted with Paul Newman. Her personal life made headlines when she left Johnson in 1994 because of his own substance-abuse problems, reconciled with him months later when he became sober, only to leave him again in 1995, this time for Antonio Banderas, her married co-star from Two Much (1995). Both she and Banderas created a scandal with their torrid romance, and the tabloids followed their every move, including her divorce from Johnson and his divorce from wife Ana Leza, who at one point confronted them at a Seattle hotel and made such a scene that she had to be escorted out by security. Melanie became pregnant with her third child, and she and Banderas married in 1996. Their daughter Stella Banderas was born later that year, and the notorious couple were forgiven by the public and the media.

Melanie won strong reviews for her role as a ditzy heroin user on the run in the crime drama Another Day in Paradise (1998), and some critics wrote that it was the best performances of her career. She also acted in Woody Allen's Celebrity (1998), and portrayed actress Marion Davies in the made-for-cable TV movie RKO 281 (1999) (TV), a part that garnered her Golden Globe and Emmy nominations. Melanie then gave an outstanding performance as an eccentric woman who kills her husband and heads to Hollywood to become a movie star in Crazy in Alabama (1999), a moving film directed by Banderas and produced by the couple's production company, Greenmoon Productions. Unfortunately, the film was yet another major flop for Melanie. As a result, film offers dried up. In 2000, she had her last major roles to date in the little-seen independent films Cecil B. DeMented (2000) and Along for the Ride (2000). That same year, Melanie returned to rehab due to a painkiller addiction. She experienced a great loss in 2001, when her father died at age 67.

In 2003, Melanie turned to the Broadway stage, and packed houses with her turn as the murderess "Roxie Hart" in the musical "Chicago," for which she received a rave review from the New York Times theater critic. It renewed her confidence, as she had never sang, danced or been on the Broadway stage before. In 2005, she surprised TV viewers by playing a sexy mom to the title characters on the sitcom "Twins" (2005), which was canceled after one season. Her career took another blow when her next attempt at a TV series, "Viva Laughlin" (2007), was canceled after two episodes. Melanie would not act again for the remainder of the decade, because, by self-admission, she couldn't obtain any worthwhile roles. In 2009, Melanie was back in rehab yet again for continued substance-abuse problems, and emerged after a three-month stay. Professionally, she was faced with more disappointment in 2012 when "This American Housewife" (2012), a Lifetime series that Banderas produced for her to star in, never even aired.

Melanie has had many obstacles in her life, but she has overcome them thanks to the support of her husband Antonio Banderas, her three children, and mother Tippi Hedren. Banderas and Griffith are involved in many charities, including raising funds for Tippi's Shambala preserve, a refuge for wild animals. Melanie also runs a non-profit organization for benefiting burned children.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Ramstep

Spouse

Antonio Banderas	(14 May 1996 - present) 1 child
Don Johnson	(26 June 1989 - February 1996) (divorced) 1 child
Steven Bauer	(8 September 1981 - 1987) (divorced) 1 child
Don Johnson	(8 January 1976 - July 1976) (divorced)

Trade Mark

Blonde hair and blue eyes

Breathy, little girl voice

Voluptuous figure

Trivia

Her mother, Tippi Hedren, recently stated that the miniature doll of Hedren given to Melanie by Alfred Hitchcock was not intended to be a prank by the director. He merely wanted to give Melanie a beautiful doll with her mother's image, but it happened that the doll was in a wooden box. When Melanie received the gift, she freaked out and became upset thinking that it was indeed meant to be her mother in a coffin.

Born at 11:49pm-EDT

Older half-sister of Tracy Griffith and Clay A. Griffith.

Daughter of Peter Griffith and Tippi Hedren.

14 November 2000 - checked into a Marina Del Rey, California hospital to help her scale back on the use of painkillers she had been prescribed for a neck injury.

In 1980, she went to a movie and dinner with Ricci Martin (son of Dean Martin). Upon leaving La Dome, a restaurant on Sunset Boulevard, a car ran through the crosswalk and hit Melanie. The front of the car struck her hip in mid-stride, whiplashing her head back into the windshield. As the car screeched to a stop, Melanie catapulted more than a dozen feet forward to the curbside, hitting with great force. Melanie was rushed to a hospital. To this day, Melanie still experiences pain from that accident.

Real-life daughters Dakota Johnson and Stella Banderas appear as her character's daughters in the 1999 film Crazy in Alabama (1999) directed by her husband Antonio Banderas.

Claims that it was love at first sight when she met her husband Antonio Banderas on the set of Two Much (1995) in 1995.

She was unable to star in The Sheltering Sky (1990) and As Good as It Gets (1997) because of pregnancies.

She has three homes: Los Angeles, Aspen and Marbella, Spain.

Coincidentally, she bears the same first name as her mother Tippi Hedren's character, Melanie Daniels, in The Birds (1963).

Was eighteen when she married Don Johnson for the first time. He was eight years older than she, and they met on the set of her mother's film The Harrad Experiment (1973) when she was 14.

In 2002, a year after her father Peter Griffith died from emphysema, she told Larry King that he had died from "alcohol.".

Auditioned for the role of Susan in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), but lost out to Madonna.

Her son, Alexander Bauer, is the godson of Warren Beatty.

Her father is English and her mother is half Swedish, 1/4 German and 1/4 Norwegian.

Goes through two boyfriends in Working Girl (1988). As the film begins, she is in a relationship with Alec Baldwin, but at the end, she is in a relationship with Harrison Ford. Both Baldwin and Ford have played Jack Ryan in adaptations of the Tom Clancy novels.

First "Miss Golden Globe" to win a Golden Globe herself

Joanne Woodward told a 17-year-old Melanie on the set of The Drowning Pool (1975) that her goals were to marry a movie star (Paul Newman); have beautiful babies (she had three); and win an Oscar (which she did in 1958). Melanie said that she adopted the goals for herself by marrying a movie star (Antonio Banderas); have beautiful babies (she also had 3); but has expressed frustration that she hasn't won an Oscar even though she was nominated in 1989.

She and her daughter Dakota Johnson are the only mother-daughter- couple to be "Miss Golden Globe"

While in Washington, D.C. addressing the senate on Arts funding, she fell asleep twice during a speech by her host Michigan Senator Spencer Abraham. She apologized citing jet-lag as her reason for snoozing.

Her French dubbing voice Dorothée Jemma is also the French dubbing voice of Sheryl Lee and Jennifer Aniston.

Melanie said that fans sometimes confuse her with actress Meg Ryan, whom she admires. She would sign Meg Ryan's name so as not to disappoint the fans. Ryan said the same thing happened to her where fans thought she was Melanie.

Checked into the Cirque Lodge in Utah for rehab treatments [August 24, 2009]. Same place where Kirsten Dunst and Lindsay Lohan spent time in recent years.

Ex-stepdaughter of Nanita Greene Samuels, Noel Marshall, and Luis Barrenechea.

Stepdaughter of Martin Dinnes and Debra Griffith.

Underwent surgery for the early stages of skin cancer in December 2009.

Her mother was 22 while her father was only 18 when they married in 1952.

Daughter-in-law of Ana Banderas and Jose Banderas.

Sister-in-law of Francisco Banderas.

Has been a heavy smoker since she was 12 years old.

Friends with actresses Daryl Hannah, Demi Moore, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brooke Shields, Salma Hayek, and Sharon Stone.

Gave birth to her 1st child at age 28, a son Alexander Griffith Bauer on August 22, 1985. Child's father is her 2nd husband, Steven Bauer.

Gave birth to her 2nd child at age 32, a daughter Dakota Mayi Johnson (aka Dakota Johnson) on October 4, 1989. Child's father is Don Johnson.

Gave birth to her 3rd child at age 39, a daughter Stella del Carmen Banderas Griffith (aka Stella Banderas) on September 24, 1996. Child's father is her 3rd husband, Antonio Banderas.

Personal Quotes

[about her work with James Woods] It's kind of like being pregnant. You know, you go through the initial joy of it. Then you go through wanting it to be over. And then you're finished with it and you forget how bad it was.

There's a bit of a stripper in every woman.

I don't walk around with fear. I walk around with strength. I believe in cause and effect.

I don't think I'm beautiful. When I look in the mirror, I just see me - and, I'm pretty used to me.

Antonio [husband Antonio Banderas] is the best. He is compassionate and humble.

Angelina Jolie may get him [husband Antonio Banderas] in bed for eight hours on a movie set, but I get him in bed every day.

[on being typed as a sex symbol] I hope not! I don't want to be -- I've done enough parts like that. I can't say I won't do more, but I really want to do a variety of roles.

I would just like to be able to give to people through acting. If I can entertain people by being somebody else and allow somebody to feel something, then that makes me feel good.

I like smoking! I mean, God, I quit everything else, can't I smoke?

Salary

The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)	$1,000,000
Milk Money (1994)	$2,000,000

Where Are They Now

Will make her Broadway debut this summer (2003) playing the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago at The Ambassador theatre in New York City.

(December 2009) Underwent surgery for skin cancer.

(May 2012) Melanie will return to the theater in the World Premiere of Scott Caan's play 'No Way Around But Through', playing at the Falcon Theatre in Los Angeles, California from June 1st - July 8th, 2012.