Melora Walters was born on October 21, 1959, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, to American parents. She is an American actress and filmmaker, best known for her starring roles as Wanda Henrickson on HBO's "Big Love" (2006-2010) and Kathy Kone on Hulu's "PEN15" (2019-2021).

Melora Walters frequently collaborates with director Paul Thomas Anderson, earning two Screen Actors Guild nominations for her work in "Boogie Nights" (1997) and "Magnolia" (1999). Her other film credits include "Dead Poets Society" (1989), "Eraser" (1996), "Matchstick Men" (2003), "Cold Mountain" (2003), "The Butterfly Effect" (2004), "Short Term 12" (2013), "Cam" (2018), and "Venom" (2018).

Her directorial credits include "Waterlily Jaguar" (2018) and "Drowning" (2019), both of which she wrote and co-produced.

She began her career with a small part in the 1988 film "Underground" and gained more substantial roles in films like "Dead Poets Society" as Gloria, a school student. She continued to work in various features throughout the early to mid-1990s, including "Beethoven" (1992), "Ed Wood" (1994), and "Eraser" (1996).

Her professional partnership with Paul Thomas Anderson began with his directorial debut, the 1996 crime drama "Hard Eight," and she earned praise for her work in his subsequent films "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia."

On television, Melora Walters has appeared in guest roles on series such as "Roseanne," "Seinfeld," "NYPD Blue," "CSI," "Desperate Housewives," "Californication," "The Mentalist," "NCIS," and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

She also starred as Felicity on "L.A. Doctors" (1998-1999) and had a recurring role as Wanda Henrickson on "Big Love." In 2019, she began playing Kathy Kone on the Hulu series "PEN15."

In her personal life, Melora Walters was married to actor Dylan Walsh from 1996 until their divorce in 2003, and they have two children, Joanna Marie and Thomas Charles.

She was previously married to actor Christopher Scotellaro from 1990 to 1994 and later married cinematographer Alex Vendler in 2008, though they divorced in 2010.