Trivia

Legally emancipated from her parents at age 15.

At age 16, she won the Robbins Trading Company World Cup Championship of Futures Trading by turning $10,000 into $100,000. It is the second highest profit in the tournament's history.

Collects rare books. Owns a first edition of The Great Gatsby amongst others.

The godparents of her daughter, Matilda, are Jake Gyllenhaal (her Brokeback Mountain (2005) co-star) and Busy Philipps (her Dawson's Creek (1998) co-star).

Accepted the role of Glinda in Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) so that her daughter Matilda could watch a movie with her in it.

Her ex-fiancé and father of her daughter Matilda, Heath Ledger, died on January 22, 2008.

After becoming known for acting in smaller independent films like Blue Valentine (2010), Williams surprised audiences by appearing in the musical The Greatest Showman (2017) and the comedy I Feel Pretty (2018) with Amy Schumer. In response to doing big budget movies, like All the Money in the World (2017) or Venom (2018), Williams told "Vanity Fair", "I always like to do things I haven't done before-genres, parts. I like a challenge.".

Michelle and her fiancé Heath Ledger had a girl, Matilda Ledger, on October 28, 2005, in Brooklyn, New York.

Is the most Oscar-nominated actor born in the 1980s, with 4 nominations as of 2022.

Wrote a script called "Don't Blink" which was sold but never made.

Was in a relationship with Heath Ledger, having met on the set of Brokeback Mountain (2005) (June 2004-September 2007). They were both nominated for Oscars for their performances in the film.

Was once roommates with Jessica Chastain. They both were nominated for Oscars in 2012 and have remained good friends.

She spent her early childhood years in her birthplace of Kalispell, Montana discovering a love of nature. In a recent interview, Williams said that she hopes her daughter has a similar childhood "exploring snake skins and arrowheads and cliffs and plants and abandoned houses, and having that sense of freedom and safety in the world".

She has appeared in three films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Brokeback Mountain (2005), Manchester by the Sea (2016) and The Fabelmans (2022).

Nominated for the 2016 Best Leading Actress in a Play Tony Award for her performance in "Blackbird". She lost the award to Jessica Lange for her performance in "Long Day's Journey into Night".

Living in Brooklyn, New York with her daughter, Matilda Ledger. (February 2009)

First cast-member of Dawson's Creek (1998) to receive an Oscar nomination.

Gave birth to her second child at age 39, a son Hart Kail, in June 2020. Child's father is her second husband, Thomas Kail.

Was in a relationship with Conor Oberst (1999-2001). Some songs for his band, Bright Eyes, are about her.

Was roommates with Christina Ricci whilst filming Prozac Nation (2001) with her.

Was five months pregnant with her son Hart when she completed filming on Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021).

Loves reading in her spare time.

Face of Louis Vuitton handbags and jewelry since 2013.

Katharine Hepburn is one of her favorite actresses.

Returned to work 5 months after giving birth to her daughter Matilda to begin filming The Hottest State (2006).

Narrated the audiobook version of Britney Spears' highly anticipated memoir "The Woman in Me".

Dated singer/songwriter Andy Herod (of "The Comas") for two years. His latest album "Conductor" is about their relationship and his heartbreak after it ended. Michelle also features in the accompanying short film of the same name.

Was in a relationship with Spike Jonze, having met on the set of Where the Wild Things Are (2009) (July 2008-September 2009).

Received the Desert Palm Achievement Actress award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 7, 2012.

Was on director Baz Luhrmann's shortlist for the role of Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby (2013). The role went to Carey Mulligan.

Appeared in two films with Ryan Gosling: The United States of Leland (2003) and Blue Valentine (2010). They lived in the same house for four weeks while filming Blue Valentine in Carbondale, Pennsylvania.

Her father Larry is a former Republican candidate for Montana State Senate.

Was director Liv Ullmann's original choice to play the title role of Miss Julie (2014), but she had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.

On March 2, 2017, Katy Perry used Michelle's platinum short hair as an inspiration for her new hairstyle. Perry posted on her official Instagram account a photo of Williams in her Fall/Winter 2013 Louis Vuitton campaign with the caption "shout out to my inspo".

She has appeared in one film that has been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Brokeback Mountain (2005).

Resides in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, New York.

(April 19, 2019) Had separated from her husband of 9 months Phil Elverum.

Gave birth to her third child at age 42 in October 2022. Child's father is her second husband, Thomas Kail.

Has one younger sister Paige and three older half siblings from her father's first marriage - Jason, Kelley, and Sara.

Was offered the role of Miss San Antonio in Machete Kills (2013) but declined. The role went to Amber Heard.

The longest she has gone without an Oscar nomination is 5 years, between Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Blue Valentine (2010).

In 2003, she was one of Elle Girl's 25 Favorite Hot, Young, Talented New Stars.

Two of her films premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival: Manchester by the Sea (2016) and Certain Women (2016). She couldn't attend the festival because she was in rehearsals for the Broadway play "Blackbird".

In 1999, she was chosen as one of Teen People Magazine's "21 Hottest Stars Under 21."

Was considered for the role of Daisy Domergue in The Hateful Eight (2015). Jennifer Jason Leigh was cast instead.

Michelle's father is of one-half Norwegian, one-quarter German, and approximately one-quarter English ancestry, along with distant Scottish roots. Michelle's mother is of three-eighths Norwegian descent, with Michelle's mother's other ancestry including Swedish, Swiss-German, Danish, English, Welsh, and Scottish.

Has starred in three films directed by Kelly Reichardt: Wendy and Lucy (2008), Meek's Cutoff (2010), and Certain Women (2016).

Returned to work twelve months after giving birth to her son Hart to begin filming Showing Up (2022).

Williams and her Shutter Island (2010) co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, have both appeared in Lassie productions. DiCaprio appeared in two episodes of The New Lassie (1989) when he was 15 years old, while Williams made her film debut in Lassie (1994), when she was 13.

Was cast for the role of Kay in Gold (2016), but dropped out and was replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard.