1. - Winona Ryder, The Crucible, 1996. Melanie was Fran Walsh's discovery, two weeks before shooting began on her husband Peter Jackson's  fifth film, Heavenly Creatures, 1994, where  she gave Kate Winslet her first screen kiss

2. - Neve Campbell, Scream, 1996. Despite going for the three name bit in Abandon, 2002, as Melanie Jayne Lynskey, she says:  "I don't think I'll ever be a movie star."

3. - Kelly Macdonald, Cousin Bette, 1998.  Melanie's second film was also for Peter Jackson: The Frighteners with Michael J Fox.

4. - Amelia Warner, Mansfield Park, 1999. After such a stunning debut down-under, Melanie  found  extreme difficulty in getting her career rolling. She really wanted to be... a film critic

5. - Patricia Arquette, Little Nicky, 1999. Lynskey auditioned for Valerie. Arquette didn’t need to. Nor did Rodney Dangerfield, Ozzy Osbourne and Quentin Tarantino. None of them could rescue another obnoxious Adam Sandler “comedy.” 

6. - Cameron Diaz, Gangs of New York,  2002.  And since settling in LA  and opening her Velvet Morning Productions. her name has counted against her.  Far too close to a certain Monica...

7. -  Sheeri Rappaport, Claustrophobia (aka Serial Slayer), 2003.  First cast as Gina, she took over the lead role of  Lauren in  the horror trip about a serial killer armed with "a crossbow pistol."

8. - Jennifer Morrison, Big Stan, 2006. Stan's trophy wife Mindy was changed by director Rob Schneider - who also played Stan the con man on his way to jail.