Michelle Ingrid Williams born September 9 1980 is an American actress Known primarily for starring in smallscale independent films with dark or tragic themes she has received various accolades including two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award in addition to nominations for five Academy Awards and a Tony Award Williams a daughter of politician and trader Larry R Williams began her career with television guest appearances and made her film debut in the family film Lassie in 1994 She gained emancipation from her parents at age fifteen and soon achieved recognition for her leading role in the teen drama television series Dawsons Creek 19982003 This was followed by lowprofile films before having her breakthrough with the drama film Brokeback Mountain 2005 Williams went on to receive critical acclaim for playing emotionally troubled women coping with loss or loneliness in the independent dramas Wendy and Lucy 2008 Blue Valentine 2010 and Manchester by the Sea 2016 She won two Golden Globes for portraying Marilyn Monroe in the drama My Week with Marilyn 2011 and Gwen Verdon in the miniseries FosseVerdon 2019 in addition to a Primetime Emmy Award for the latter Her highestgrossing releases came with the thriller Shutter Island 2010 the fantasy film Oz the Great and Powerful 2013 the musical The Greatest Showman 2017 and the superhero films Venom 2018 and Venom Let There Be Carnage 2021 Williams has also led major studio films such as Ridley Scotts crime thriller All the Money in the World 2017 and Steven Spielbergs drama The Fabelmans 2022 On Broadway Williams starred in revivals of the musical Cabaret in 2014 and the drama Blackbird in 2016 for which she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play She is an advocate for equal pay in the workplace Consistently private about her personal life Williams has a daughter from her relationship with actor Heath Ledger and was briefly married to musician Phil Elverum She has two children with her second husband theater director Thomas Kail