Mary Elizabeth Winstead, an American actress and singer, was born on November 28, 1984. Her acting career began with a significant role as Jessica Bennett on the NBC soap opera Passions from 1999 to 2000. She then appeared in various television series, including Tru Calling in 2004, and films such as the superhero movie Sky High in 2005.
Winstead gained widespread recognition for her roles in the horror genre, starring in the series Wolf Lake from 2001 to 2002, the monster movie Monster Island in 2004, the supernatural horror film Final Destination 3 in 2006, the slasher film Black Christmas in 2006, and the exploitation horror film Death Proof in 2007.
Her success continued with her portrayal of Lucy Gennero-McClane, the daughter of John McClane, in the action movie Live Free or Die Hard in 2007. She also played the role of Ramona Flowers in the comedy film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in 2010. Winstead's critically acclaimed performance as an alcoholic struggling with sobriety in the drama film Smashed in 2012 was followed by roles in several well-received independent films, including The Beauty Inside in 2012, The Spectacular Now in 2013, Faults in 2014, Alex of Venice in 2014, and Swiss Army Man in 2016.
Winstead continued to establish herself as a scream queen with roles in the sci-fi horror film The Thing in 2011, the fantasy horror film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter in 2012, and the psychological horror thriller film 10 Cloverfield Lane in 2016. She reprised her role as Lucy Gennero-McClane in the action movie A Good Day to Die Hard in 2013 and returned to television with roles in the supernatural drama series The Returned in 2015, the political satire science fiction comedy series BrainDead in 2016, the period medical drama series Mercy Street from 2016 to 2017, and the black comedy crime drama anthology series Fargo in 2017.
Winstead's other notable roles include the comedy drama All About Nina in 2018, the action thriller Gemini Man in 2019, and the superhero film Birds of Prey in 2020, in which she played the Huntress.
