Michelle Monaghan
Encyclopedia
Michelle Lynn Monaghan is an American actress known for her roles in Mission: Impossible III
, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
, Gone Baby Gone
, Made of Honor
, The Heartbreak Kid
, Eagle Eye
, and Source Code
.
, Iowa. Her mother, Sharon (née Hammel), ran a day care center in the family's home, and her father, Robert Monaghan, was a factory worker and part time farmer. She has two older brothers, Bob and John, and her family also brought up twelve children over a period of twelve years. Monaghan is of Irish and German descent and was raised Catholic
. She graduated from East Buchanan High School, Class of 1994, where she was class president and acted in several plays. After graduation, she moved to Chicago to study journalism at Columbia College Chicago
. While studying, she began modeling: she worked in the United States, Milan
, Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong. With one semester remaining in her journalism degree she left for New York to pursue an acting career.
(in which she appeared twice), and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
, came in 2001. She made her big screen debut that year in the small role of "Henrietta" in the movie Perfume. This was followed by another small role in Unfaithful in 2002.
Monaghan had a big break in 2002 when she co-starred in the television series Boston Public
in the role of Kimberly Woods. After guest-starring for a season, she returned to the silver screen, appeared in It Runs in the Family
in 2003, Winter Solstice
in 2004, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
in 2005. Her scenes in Constantine
and Syriana
do not appear in the final films. However, her audition tape from Constantine earned her an audition for Mission Impossible III earning her the role of Julia, opposite Tom Cruise
.
In 2007, she starred in the remake of The Heartbreak Kid
, opposite Ben Stiller
, as Miranda, the role originally played by Cybill Shepherd
. She also starred in Gone Baby Gone
receiving excellent notices for her performance as the female protagonist, Angie Gennaro, opposite Casey Affleck
. In 2008, she appeared as "Hannah" alongside Patrick Dempsey
in Made of Honor
, and co-starred in Eagle Eye
with Shia LaBeouf
. She also starred in the movie Trucker
as Diane Ford.
In October 2011, Monaghan revealed that she had skin cancer. Her husband spotted a new mole on the back of her calf, and she had it examined. It turned out to be skin cancer
. She had it excised, and there do not seem to be any complications or spreading.
Mission: Impossible III
Mission: Impossible III is a 2006 spy film, the third based on the spy-themed television series Mission: Impossible starring Tom Cruise who reprises his role of IMF agent Ethan Hunt....
, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a 2005 crime/dark comedy film, which engages many conventions of the classic film noir genre in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. It is based, in part, on the novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them by Brett Halliday. The cast includes Robert Downey, Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan...
, Gone Baby Gone
Gone Baby Gone
Gone Baby Gone is a 2007 American crime drama-mystery film directed by Ben Affleck and starring his brother Casey Affleck. The screenplay by Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard is based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River and Shutter Island...
, Made of Honor
Made of Honor
Made of Honor is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Paul Weiland and story written by Adam Sztykiel . It was produced by Neal H. Moritz and was released by Columbia Pictures in North America on May 2, 2008...
, The Heartbreak Kid
The Heartbreak Kid (2007 film)
The Heartbreak Kid is a 2007 romantic comedy film directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly. Starring Ben Stiller and Malin Åkerman, The Heartbreak Kid is a remake of the italian film Luna di miele in tre and a version of the 1972 film of the same name. Also starring are Michelle Monaghan, Jerry...
, Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye is a 2008 thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan. The two portray a young man and a single mother who are brought together and coerced by an anonymous caller into carrying out a plan by a possible terrorist organization...
, and Source Code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
.
Early life
Monaghan was born in WinthropWinthrop, Iowa
Winthrop is a city in Buchanan County, Iowa, United States. The population was 772 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Winthrop is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, Iowa. Her mother, Sharon (née Hammel), ran a day care center in the family's home, and her father, Robert Monaghan, was a factory worker and part time farmer. She has two older brothers, Bob and John, and her family also brought up twelve children over a period of twelve years. Monaghan is of Irish and German descent and was raised Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
. She graduated from East Buchanan High School, Class of 1994, where she was class president and acted in several plays. After graduation, she moved to Chicago to study journalism at Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
. While studying, she began modeling: she worked in the United States, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong. With one semester remaining in her journalism degree she left for New York to pursue an acting career.
Career
Monaghan's first notable appearances, though minor parts were in episodes of Young AmericansYoung Americans (TV series)
Young Americans is an American television drama created by Steven Antin. The show debuted on July 12, 2000 on The WB network as a summer replacement for, and spin-off from, another Columbia TriStar Television production, Dawson's Creek. The series was originally ordered for the fall 1999-2000...
(in which she appeared twice), and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
, came in 2001. She made her big screen debut that year in the small role of "Henrietta" in the movie Perfume. This was followed by another small role in Unfaithful in 2002.
Monaghan had a big break in 2002 when she co-starred in the television series Boston Public
Boston Public
Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place...
in the role of Kimberly Woods. After guest-starring for a season, she returned to the silver screen, appeared in It Runs in the Family
It Runs in the Family (2003 film)
It Runs in the Family is a 2003 comedy-drama movie directed by Fred Schepisi and starring three generations of the Douglas family: Kirk Douglas, his son Michael Douglas, and Michael's son Cameron Douglas, who play three generations of a family....
in 2003, Winter Solstice
Winter Solstice (film)
Winter Solstice is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Josh Sternfeld. The screenplay focuses on the efforts of a man to interact with and relate to his sons in the years following the accidental death of his wife.-Plot:...
in 2004, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a 2005 crime/dark comedy film, which engages many conventions of the classic film noir genre in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. It is based, in part, on the novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them by Brett Halliday. The cast includes Robert Downey, Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan...
in 2005. Her scenes in Constantine
Constantine (film)
Constantine is a 2005 American action horror film directed by Francis Lawrence as his directorial debut, starring Keanu Reeves as John Constantine, with Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, and Djimon Hounsou...
and Syriana
Syriana
Syriana is a 2005 geopolitical thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, and executive produced by George Clooney, who also stars in the film with an ensemble cast. Gaghan's screenplay is loosely adapted from Robert Baer's memoir See No Evil...
do not appear in the final films. However, her audition tape from Constantine earned her an audition for Mission Impossible III earning her the role of Julia, opposite Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
.
In 2007, she starred in the remake of The Heartbreak Kid
The Heartbreak Kid (2007 film)
The Heartbreak Kid is a 2007 romantic comedy film directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly. Starring Ben Stiller and Malin Åkerman, The Heartbreak Kid is a remake of the italian film Luna di miele in tre and a version of the 1972 film of the same name. Also starring are Michelle Monaghan, Jerry...
, opposite Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
, as Miranda, the role originally played by Cybill Shepherd
Cybill Shepherd
Cybill Lynne Shepherd is an American actress, singer and former model. Her best known roles include starring as Jacy in The Last Picture Show, as Betsy in Taxi Driver, as Madeleine Spencer in Psych, as Maddie Hayes on Moonlighting, as Cybill Sheridan on Cybill, and as Phyllis Kroll on The L...
. She also starred in Gone Baby Gone
Gone Baby Gone
Gone Baby Gone is a 2007 American crime drama-mystery film directed by Ben Affleck and starring his brother Casey Affleck. The screenplay by Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard is based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River and Shutter Island...
receiving excellent notices for her performance as the female protagonist, Angie Gennaro, opposite Casey Affleck
Casey Affleck
Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt , better known as Casey Affleck, is an American actor and film director. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, he played supporting roles in mainstream hits like Good Will Hunting and Ocean's Eleven as well as in critically acclaimed independent films such as...
. In 2008, she appeared as "Hannah" alongside Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Galen Dempsey is an American actor, known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Prior to Grey's Anatomy he made several television appearances and was nominated for an Emmy Award...
in Made of Honor
Made of Honor
Made of Honor is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Paul Weiland and story written by Adam Sztykiel . It was produced by Neal H. Moritz and was released by Columbia Pictures in North America on May 2, 2008...
, and co-starred in Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye is a 2008 thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan. The two portray a young man and a single mother who are brought together and coerced by an anonymous caller into carrying out a plan by a possible terrorist organization...
with Shia LaBeouf
Shia LaBeouf
Shia Saide LaBeouf is an American actor who became known among younger audiences for his part in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens and made his film debut in Holes . In 2007, he starred as the leads in Disturbia and Transformers...
. She also starred in the movie Trucker
Trucker (film)
Trucker a 2008 dramatic independent film by Plum Pictures. It was written and directed by James Mottern, and produced by Scott Hanson, Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray and Daniela Taplin Lundberg.-Plot:...
as Diane Ford.
Personal life
Monaghan met Australian graphic artist Peter White at a party in 2000. They were married in August 2005 and live in New York. She gave birth to daughter Willow Katherine White on November 5, 2008.In October 2011, Monaghan revealed that she had skin cancer. Her husband spotted a new mole on the back of her calf, and she had it examined. It turned out to be skin cancer
Skin cancer
Skin neoplasms are skin growths with differing causes and varying degrees of malignancy. The three most common malignant skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises...
. She had it excised, and there do not seem to be any complications or spreading.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Young Americans Young Americans (TV series) Young Americans is an American television drama created by Steven Antin. The show debuted on July 12, 2000 on The WB network as a summer replacement for, and spin-off from, another Columbia TriStar Television production, Dawson's Creek. The series was originally ordered for the fall 1999-2000... |
Caroline Busse | Episode: "Cinderbella" Episode: "Free Will" |
| 2001 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced... |
Dana Kimble | Episode: "Consent" |
| 2001 | Perfume Perfume (2001 film) Perfume is a 2001 film about the fashion industry in New York City.-Plot:Prior to a major show, the people involved find themselves embroiled in their own personal battles.... |
Henrietta | |
| 2002 | Unfaithful | Lindsay | |
| 2002 | Hack | Stacy Kumble | Episode: "Favors" |
| 2002–2003 | Boston Public Boston Public Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place... |
Kimberly Woods | 8 episodes |
| 2003 | It Runs in the Family It Runs in the Family (2003 film) It Runs in the Family is a 2003 comedy-drama movie directed by Fred Schepisi and starring three generations of the Douglas family: Kirk Douglas, his son Michael Douglas, and Michael's son Cameron Douglas, who play three generations of a family.... |
Peg Maloney | |
| 2004 | Winter Solstice Winter Solstice (film) Winter Solstice is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Josh Sternfeld. The screenplay focuses on the efforts of a man to interact with and relate to his sons in the years following the accidental death of his wife.-Plot:... |
Stacey | |
| 2004 | Kim | ||
| 2005 | Constantine Constantine (film) Constantine is a 2005 American action horror film directed by Francis Lawrence as his directorial debut, starring Keanu Reeves as John Constantine, with Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, and Djimon Hounsou... |
Ellie (uncredited) | |
| 2005 | Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a 2005 crime/dark comedy film, which engages many conventions of the classic film noir genre in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. It is based, in part, on the novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them by Brett Halliday. The cast includes Robert Downey, Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan... |
Harmony Faith Lane | Nominated – Saturn Award Saturn Award The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within... for Best Supporting Actress Nominated – Satellite Award for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role |
| 2005 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005 film) Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a 2005 American romantic comedy action film directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kinberg. The original music score was composed by John Powell... |
Gwen | |
| 2005 | North Country North Country (film) North Country is a 2005 American drama film directed by Niki Caro. The screenplay by Michael Seitzman was inspired by the 2002 book Class Action: The Story of Lois Jenson and the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler, which chronicled the case of... |
Sherry | |
| 2006 | Mission: Impossible III Mission: Impossible III Mission: Impossible III is a 2006 spy film, the third based on the spy-themed television series Mission: Impossible starring Tom Cruise who reprises his role of IMF agent Ethan Hunt.... |
Julia Meade | |
| 2007 | Gone Baby Gone Gone Baby Gone Gone Baby Gone is a 2007 American crime drama-mystery film directed by Ben Affleck and starring his brother Casey Affleck. The screenplay by Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard is based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River and Shutter Island... |
Angie Gennaro | |
| 2007 | Miranda | ||
| 2008 | Trucker Trucker (film) Trucker a 2008 dramatic independent film by Plum Pictures. It was written and directed by James Mottern, and produced by Scott Hanson, Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray and Daniela Taplin Lundberg.-Plot:... |
Diane Ford | Won – SDFCS Award for Best Actress |
| 2008 | Made of Honor Made of Honor Made of Honor is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Paul Weiland and story written by Adam Sztykiel . It was produced by Neal H. Moritz and was released by Columbia Pictures in North America on May 2, 2008... |
Hannah | |
| 2008 | Eagle Eye Eagle Eye Eagle Eye is a 2008 thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan. The two portray a young man and a single mother who are brought together and coerced by an anonymous caller into carrying out a plan by a possible terrorist organization... |
Rachel Holloman | |
| 2010 | Somewhere Somewhere (film) Somewhere is a 2010 American drama film that was written and directed by Sofia Coppola. The film follows Johnny Marco, a newly famous actor, as he recuperates from a minor injury at the Chateau Marmont, a well-known Hollywood retreat. Despite money, fame and professional success, Marco is trapped... |
Rebecca | |
| 2010 | Due Date Due Date Due Date is a 2010 American comedy road film directed by Todd Phillips, co-written by Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, and Adam Sztykiel, and starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. The film was released on November 5, 2010... |
Sarah Highman | |
| 2011 | Source Code Source code In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source... |
Christina Warren | |
| 2011 | Machine Gun Preacher Machine Gun Preacher Machine Gun Preacher is a 2011 action biopic film about Sam Childers, a biking preacher-defender of Sudanese orphans. The movie was written by Jason Keller, directed by Marc Forster and stars Scottish actor Gerard Butler as Childers... |
Lynn Childers |