During the late 1990s, Melanie was handed a part that she shined in. In ‘Another Day in Paradise’, she played an addict who with another junkie spirals into a life of crime. Her work in the independent film brought strong reviews, some critics raved it was the best performance of her career.
It also brought another role, ‘RKO 281’ (1999), which earned her a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress. While her career was on a comeback track, behind the scenes she was developing a dependency on painkillers.
Remarrying Didn’t Bring the Peace She Craved
The birth of her second child brought more stress. Her first child, Alexander Bauer, was four years old when his baby sister was born, and mainstream success was taking its toll. Her substance abuse issues, increasingly hitting the spotlight, had become so problematic that studios stopped offering her work.
After Mike Nichols pushed her into rehab, her efforts for getting cleaned paid off, and she began focusing on her film career. She first took a role in 'Pacific Heights', which saw moderate success. However, most of the films she chose during this period were destined to flop.
Melanie and Don’s Marriage Flops (again)
The Hazelden Treatment Center in Minnesota did Mel a lot of good. She contacted Don Johnson before entering the facility, and he waited for her until she was released. Their love was deep and profound, but they probably have too much in common. “You have to understand that we have a tie, and I love him,” she said. “But just because you love someone doesn’t necessarily mean that you can live with them.”
The couple stayed married until 1996, over six years instead of six months. Apparently, however, Melanie stopped tolerating rumors of his and his substance abuse problems also became untenable. But then she took him back, again, after he sobered up. It didn’t last long.
Another Daughter of Hollywood
Dakota Johnson was born in 1989. Ten years later, hanging out with mom on the set of the dark comedy, 'Crazy in Alabama' - a film directed by Antonio Banderas about an eccentric woman who commits a serious crime and moves to Hollywood - is where Dakota made her movie debut.
Though they allowed her to play the role, her parents encouraged her to finish high school before auditioning for more roles. Once she graduated high school, she landed a small part in 'The Social Network'. By 2016, she earned a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination.
A Debut on Broadway
Getting into the 2000s, with performances in films like 'Shade' (2003) and 'The Night We Called It a Day' (2003) flatlining at the box office, offers for television and film trickled to nothing. Instead of giving up, Mel reinvented herself by turning to the stage.
In 2003, she hit the stage on Broadway and packed the place with her performance as the villainous Roxie Hart in 'Chicago'. One New York Times theater critic raved, “Ms. Griffith is a sensational Roxie, possibly the most convincing I have seen. Vultures who were expecting to see Ms. Griffith stumble . . . will have to look elsewhere.”