Melanie Lynskey Is Sick of People Thinking She Was in ‘Fargo’

The massive success of “Yellowjackets” has turned Melanie Lynskey into a household name. The Showtime series about the lifelong ripple effects of a plane crash that strands a women’s soccer team in the wilderness was an instant cultural phenomenon when it premiered in 2021, prompting Lynskey to receive more recognition for her talents after years of being typecast.

But despite all the accolades Lynskey picked up — including a 2022 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series — some people still aren’t aware of the work she’s doing. Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast to promote Season 2 of “Yellowjackets,” Lynskey was asked about other actors that she gets mistaken for. She revealed that fans frequently confuse her with “Fargo” star Allison Tolman — and that she doesn’t quite see the resemblance.

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“It happens all the time, and I don’t really think we’re that alike,” Lynskey said. “I think there’s two kind of curvy ladies with brown hair in Hollywood. I’m just like, ‘Okay, guys.’ But the number of people who are like, ‘I wondered where you went after ‘Fargo.’”

Lynskey explained that the assumption that she was Allison Tolman and hadn’t worked since “Fargo” was incorrect for multiple reasons. Tolman played police deputy Molly Solverson in Season 1 of Noah Hawley’s FX series. Her performance in the limited series received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. While it’s arguably Tolman’s most notable role to date, she didn’t exactly disappear.  

“She did plenty of stuff after ‘Fargo,’” Lynskey said of Tolman. “And I did plenty of stuff after ‘Fargo,’ but I was not in ‘Fargo.’

Lynskey made it clear that she has no issues with being compared to Tolman — if anything, she’s flattered by the comparison. But at this point, both actresses are established enough for their own work that there’s no reason for any serious person to confuse them.

“She was incredible [in ‘Fargo’],” Lynskey said. “It’s a good person to be mistaken for. She’s wonderful and she’s beautiful, I just don’t think we look very similar.”

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