Melora Walters (born October 21, 1959) is an American actress and filmmaker, best known for her starring roles as Wanda Henrickson on HBO's Big Love (2006–2010) and Kathy Kone on Hulu's PEN15 (2019–2021). She frequently collaborates with Paul Thomas Anderson, earning two Screen Actors Guild nominations for her work in Boogie Nights (1997) and Magnolia (1999), respectively. Her other film credits include Dead Poets Society (1989), Eraser (1996), Matchstick Men, Cold Mountain (both 2003), The Butterfly Effect (2004), Short Term 12 (2013), Cam, Venom (both 2018), and Offseason (2021). Walters' directorial credits include Waterlily Jaguar (2018) and Drowning (2019), both of which she wrote and co-produced.

Walters made her screen debut with a small part in the 1988 film Underground, which she followed with the more substantial role of Gloria, a school student, in Peter Weir's critically acclaimed Dead Poets Society (1989).^[2] Following roles in various features throughout the early-mid 1990s, such as Beethoven (1992), Tim Burton's Ed Wood (1994), and the commercially successful Eraser (1996),^[3] Walters began a professional partnership with Paul Thomas Anderson when she appeared in his directorial debut, the 1996 crime drama Hard Eight. She earned praise for her work in his subsequent films Boogie Nights (1997) and Magnolia (1999), with Variety critic Emanuel Levy describing her portrayal of drug addict Claudia in the latter as "superlative".^[4] For her performance in Doubting Thomas (2018), Walters was named Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Door Film Festival.^[5]

On television, Walters has appeared in guest roles on series such as Roseanne, Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, CSI, Desperate Housewives, Californication, The Mentalist, NCIS, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and American Gigolo. She also starred as Felicity on L.A. Doctors (1998–1999), Wanda Henrickson on Big Love (2006–2010), and Kathy Kone on PEN15 (2019–2021).

Walters has two children from her marriage to Dylan Walsh; they divorced in 2003.^[6] She was previously married to actor Christopher Scotellaro between 1990 and 1994.^[7] Walters married cinematographer Alex Vendler on June 21, 2008. She filed for divorce from Vendler in 2010, citing irreconcilable differences.^[7]