Jean Louisa Kelly

Last updated

Jean Louisa Kelly
Jeanlouisakelly.jpg
Kelly in October 2009
BornMarch 9, 1972 (1972-03-09) (age 51) [1] [2]
Education Columbia University (BA)
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Years active1989–present
Notable work Uncle Buck (1989)
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Yes, Dear (200006)
Spouse
(m. 1997)
Children2
Website jeanlouisakelly.com

Jean Louisa Kelly (born March 9, 1972) is an American actress and singer. After making her film debut as Tia Russell in Uncle Buck (1989) alongside John Candy, she appeared in a wide range of other films including The Fantasticks (1995) and Mr. Holland's Opus (1995). From 2000 to 2006, she portrayed Kim Warner on the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear . [3]

Contents

Career

Her first professional paying job was as a kid, starring in "Annie" at the Theater by the Sea in Mantunuck, Rhode Island. She reprised her "Annie" role the following summer at the Candlewood Playhouse in Fairfield, Connecticut. [4] Before attending college, she already had roles in the original Broadway cast of Sondheim's Into the Woods (as Snow White) at the age of 15 [4] and understudy to Rapunzel and Little Red Ridinghood, and as Tia Russell in the film Uncle Buck with John Candy. She also took roles in college productions, including with the Barnard College Gilbert and Sullivan Society. [5]

In the mid-1990s, after graduating from Columbia University, Kelly became well known for a series of television commercials she did for MCI long distance, [6] in which she played a telephone operator who challenged AT&T. In 1995, she starred as Luisa in the musical film The Fantasticks with Joey McIntyre and Joel Grey, although the film was shelved until 2000. The same year, she appeared as Rowena Morgan, the muse for the title character of Mr. Holland's Opus . In the 1990s, other films followed, including "Origin of the Species," "The Day Lincoln was Shot" and Landfall (2001). Kelly appeared Off Broadway at the York Theatre in the title role in Paul McKibbins and B.T. McNicholl's The It Girl, based on the 1927 movie It. She also appeared in the York's "Musicals in Mufti" series as Lois Lane in It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman .

In 1996, Kelly voiced the title role in the second season of the animated series Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders . After several made-for-TV movies, Kelly's broadest exposure came from her roles in situation comedies, first guest starring in such shows as Mad About You , and then as a cast member of the short-lived NBC version of Cold Feet . From 2000 to 2006, she starred as Kim Warner on the long-running sitcom Yes, Dear . In 2006 she guest starred in the ABC drama Grey's Anatomy . After her series ended, she guest starred on numerous television shows and starred in movies of the week. She recurred as Bernice Pope in the Yahoo production of Sin City Saints .

She played opposite William Fichtner in the movie "The Neighbor" and opposite John Diehl in "Out of the Wild" in 2015. In 2019 she played opposite Bradley Whitford in "Call of the Wild," and played Jane Doe/Serena May in the James Wan movie "Malignant." [7]

She released an album of children's music called Color of Your Heart in 2013. [8] [9] In 2015, she released a five-song EP called Willing, [10] and in 2017 she released an album titled "For My Folks", which features a collection of standards. [11]

Kelly appears as Sarah Kazansky - wife of Val Kilmer's character Tom "Iceman" Kazansky - in the 2022 action drama movie Top Gun: Maverick . [12]

Personal life

Kelly was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, the daughter of J. Joseph Kelly III and Wendy Kelly. [5] [13] Her father was a high school English teacher, and her mother taught piano. She grew up on Linden Street, off Central Street, in Boylston, MA, [4] eventually moving to Maryland when she was a junior in high school, [14] and attended Easton High School in Easton, Maryland. [6] In 1994, Kelly graduated from Columbia University's Columbia College with a Bachelor of Arts in English. [5]

In 1997, she married James Pitaro. [13] They have two children.

She is close friends with Jennifer Garner, [15] having hosted the baby shower for Garner's daughter and interviewed Garner for Self magazine in 2005. [16] [17]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1989 Uncle Buck Tia Russell
1992 American Shaolin Maria
1995 The Fantasticks Luisa Bellamy
1995 Mr. Holland's Opus Rowena Morgan
1998Origin of the SpeciesLaura
1999 A Stranger in the Kingdom Athena Allen
2001LandfallMarguerite Harris
2003Little Red LightAmanda MeyerShort film
2010Locked AwayChloe
2010Public AccessNancyShort film
2011Lego Hero Factory: Savage PlanetWaspixVoice
2014 1000 to 1: The Cory Weissman Story Tina WeissmanVideo
2014Zoe GoneDetective Patricia Henderson
2015 Ant-Man Buyer
2017 The Neighbor Lisa
2017The BachelorsBarbara Weston
2019Out of the WildJessie KingDrama, Western Movie
2020 The Call of the Wild Katie Miller
2021 Malignant Serena May / Jane Doe
2022 Top Gun: Maverick Sarah Kazansky

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1994 Breathing Lessons DaisyMovie
1994One More MountainMary GravesMovie
1995TadJulia TaftMovie
1996 Harvest of Fire RachelMovie
1996 Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders Princess Gwenevere (voice)Main role (10 episodes)
1997 Homicide: Life on the Street Sarah LangdonEpisode: "Kaddish"
1997 Stolen Women: Captured Hearts Sarah WhiteMovie
1998 Ruby Bridges Jane ColesMovie
1998 The Day Lincoln Was Shot Lucy Lambert Hale Movie
1998 Law & Order Coral GalvinEpisode: "Scrambled"
1998/99 Mad About You Diane3 episodes
1999The CyberstalkingHolly MoonMovie
1999 Cold Feet Shelley SullivanMain role (8 episodes)
2000–06 Yes, Dear Kim WarnerMain role (122 episodes)
2001 Ally McBeal LisaEpisode: "The Ex-Files"
2006 Grey's Anatomy Rose WardEpisode: "Blues for Sister Someone"
2008 Ghost Whisperer Jennifer Quinlan / Nora SutherlandEpisode: "First Do No Harm"
2008 Eli Stone Julie LazerEpisode: "Heal the Pain"
2008 Gary Unmarried BethEpisode: "Gary and Allison Brooks"
2009 Surviving Suburbia Melissa MannEpisode: "Desperate Housewife"
2009The Three GiftsCherie GreenMovie
2010 The Glades BeckyEpisode: "A Perfect Storm"
2010 Burn Notice EmilyEpisode: "Blind Spot"
2010–13 Hero Factory Natalie Breez / OperatorRecurring role; 6 episodes
2011Paul the Male MatchmakerDarla2 episodes
2011 CSI: Miami Amy WellsEpisode: "Stoned Cold"
2012 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Sheila DeMarcusEpisode: "Code Blue Plate Special"
2013Chance at RomanceRoz Hallmark Channel TV movie
2013 The Good Mother RachelTelevision movie
2014Zoe GoneDet. Patricia Henderson Lifetime television movie
2015 Sin City Saints Bernice Pope Yahoo Studios
2015 Scream Queens Delight UlrichEpisode:"The Final Girl(s)"
2017Can't Buy My LoveVeronicaMovie
2017 Major Crimes Tori DuncanEpisode;"Bad Blood"
2017 Outcast Therapist2 episodes
2017 Law & Order True Crime Marzi EisenbergEpisode: "The Menendez Murders: Episode 1"
2018 Wisdom of the Crowd Mrs. BullockEpisode: "The Tipping Point"
2018 The Fosters Pastor Nicole2 episodes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Garner</span> American actor (1928–2014)

James Scott Garner was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, which included The Great Escape (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Chayefsky's The Americanization of Emily (1964) with Julie Andrews; Cash McCall (1960) with Natalie Wood; The Wheeler Dealers (1963) with Lee Remick; Darby's Rangers (1958) with Stuart Whitman; Roald Dahl's 36 Hours (1965) with Eva Marie Saint; as a Formula 1 racing star in Grand Prix (1966); Raymond Chandler's Marlowe (1969) with Bruce Lee; Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) with Walter Brennan; Blake Edwards's Victor/Victoria (1982) with Julie Andrews; and Murphy's Romance (1985) with Sally Field, for which he received an Academy Award nomination; One Special Night 1999 with Julie Andrews; He also starred in several television series, including popular roles such as Bret Maverick in the ABC 1950s Western series Maverick and as Jim Rockford in the NBC 1970s private detective show, The Rockford Files.

<i>Top Gun</i> 1986 film directed by Tony Scott

Top Gun is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by an article titled "Top Guns", written by Ehud Yonay and published in California magazine three years earlier. It stars Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a young naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. He and his radar intercept officer, Lieutenant Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, are given the chance to train at the United States Navy's Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer and Tom Skerritt also appear in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Kelly</span> American actress (1921–1995)

Nancy Kelly was an American actress in film, theater, and television. A child actress and model, she was a repertory cast member of CBS Radio's The March of Time, and appeared in several films in the late 1920s. She became a leading lady upon returning to the screen in the late 1930s, while still in her teens, and made two dozen movies between 1938 and 1946, including portraying Tyrone Power's love interest in the classic Jesse James (1939), which also featured Henry Fonda, and playing opposite Spencer Tracy in Stanley and Livingstone, later that same year. After turning to the stage in the late 1940s, she had her greatest success in a character role, the distraught mother in The Bad Seed, receiving a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the 1955 stage production and an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress for the 1956 film adaptation, her last film role. Kelly then worked regularly in television until 1963, then took over the role of Martha in the original Broadway production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? for several months. She returned to television for a handful of appearances in the mid-1970s.

<i>Yes, Dear</i> American TV sitcom (2000–2006)

Yes, Dear is an American television sitcom created by Alan Kirschenbaum and Gregory Garcia, that aired on CBS from October 2, 2000, to February 15, 2006, with the total of six seasons and 122 episodes. It starred Anthony Clark, Jean Louisa Kelly, Mike O'Malley, and Liza Snyder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Seyfried</span> American actress (born 1985)

Amanda Michelle Seyfried is an American actress. She began acting at 15, with recurring roles as Lucy Montgomery in the CBS soap opera As the World Turns (1999–2001) and Joni Stafford in the ABC soap opera All My Children (2003). She came to prominence for her feature film debut in the teen comedy Mean Girls (2004), and for her roles as Lilly Kane in the UPN mystery drama series Veronica Mars (2004–2006) and Sarah Henrickson in the HBO drama series Big Love (2006–2011).

Anthony Clark is an American actor and comedian who starred in the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear, in which he played the character Greg Warner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beth Grant</span> American actress (born 1949)

Beth Grant is an American character actress. Between 2012 and 2017, she was a series regular on the television comedy The Mindy Project in the role of Beverly Janoszewski. She is also known for her role as Gracie Leigh in the CBS post-apocalyptic drama Jericho and as Marianne Marie Beetle in Wonderfalls. She has also appeared on Pushing Daisies, and Mockingbird Lane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Kelly (actor)</span> American actor

John Augustus Kelly Jr., known professionally as Jack Kelly, was an American film and television actor most noted for the role of Bart Maverick in the television series Maverick, which ran on ABC from 1957 to 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diane Brewster</span> American actress (1931–1991)

Diane Brewster was an American television actress most noted for playing three distinctively different roles in television series of the 1950s and 1960s: confidence trickster Samantha Crawford in the Western Maverick with James Garner; pretty young second-grade teacher Miss Canfield in Leave It to Beaver; and doomed wife Helen Kimble in The Fugitive. Brewster was a direct descendant of William Brewster, a Pilgrim and Governor of the Plymouth Colony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Crowley</span> American actress (1929–2017)

Kathleen Crowley was an American actress. She appeared more than 100 times in movies and television series in the 1950s and 1960s, almost always as a leading lady.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Crowley</span> American actress

Patricia Crowley is an American actress. She was also frequently billed as Pat Crowley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adele Mara</span> American actress (1923–2010)

Adele Mara was an American actress, singer, and dancer, who appeared in films during the 1940s and 1950s and on television in the 1950s and 1960s.

Tammy Blanchard is an American actress. She rose to prominence for her role as teenage Judy Garland in the critically acclaimed television film Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001), for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination and a Primetime Emmy Award. Her other notable film roles were in The Good Shepherd (2006), Sybil (2007), Into the Woods (2014) and The Invitation (2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirsten Prout</span> Canadian actress (born 1990)

Kirsten Prout Zien is a Canadian actress. She is known for her lead roles in the ABC Family television shows, portraying Amanda Bloom in Kyle XY and Char Chamberlin in The Lying Game. Her first sizable break in film came in 2005, when she was cast as Abby Miller, a lead role opposite Jennifer Garner in Elektra. In 2007, Prout was nominated for Best Performance in a TV Series by the Young Artists Awards for Kyle XY. In 2010, Prout portrayed the vampire "Lucy" in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. She has guest starred in notable series including NCIS, Psych, Devious Maids,Ties That Bind and Dear White People. Prout is also known for her lead roles in the horror genre, as Alex Bell in the MTV film series My Super Psycho Sweet 16, Jewel McCaul in Joy Ride 3: Roadkill, and Sloane in the 2015 horror indie Even Lambs Have Teeth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisa Krause</span> American actress

Louisa Noel Krause is an American actress. After studying drama in college, she appeared in numerous off-Broadway productions while also appearing in episodes of New York-based network television series. Her first film role was in The Babysitters (2007). In 2017, she appeared in the lead role of Anna Garner in the television series The Girlfriend Experience.

Kelly Fu Ka Lei is a Hong Kong-German actress and model. She is currently managed under the Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB).

James Pitaro is an American media executive and attorney. On March 5, 2018, The Walt Disney Company announced he would become president of ESPN Inc. Pitaro graduated in 1987 from Edgemont High School in Scarsdale, New York. In 1991, Pitaro graduated from Cornell's College of Human Ecology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Consumer Economics And Housing. He was a player on the Cornell Big Red football team. He earned his Juris Doctor from St. John's University Law School in 1994. He previously worked for Yahoo's Media division, Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker and Disney Interactive. Since 1997, he has been married to actress Jean Louisa Kelly. On October 12, 2020, his position changed to Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content.

Mallory Bechtel is an American musical theatre actress based in New York City. She has performed as lead and understudy in several musicals including the Tony Award-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. She has also appeared in multiple television shows and films. In 2022, she starred as twins Karen and Kelly Beasley on Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holly O'Brien</span> American actress and singer

Holly O’Brien is an American actress and singer. She played the role of Goldie in Tony Award Winner Martin Charnin’s World Premiere of his new production of Two by Two and performed the role of Belle multiple times in Disney’s musical Beauty and the Beast. She played Loretta in the original Off-Broadway cast of the concert revival of Love from Judy with the Obie Award winning company Musicals Tonight! in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisa Connolly-Burnham</span> English actress

Louisa Sarah Anne Connolly-Burnham is an English actress, filmmaker, and musician. She gained prominence through her roles in the CBBC series Wolfblood (2012–2014) and the Nickelodeon series House of Anubis (2013).

References

  1. "Jean Louisa Kelly". www.encyclopedia.com. Editors, www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  2. "Jean Louisa Kelly". www.tcm.com. Editors, www.tcm.com. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  3. "Yes Woman". people.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Boylston native Jean Louisa Kelly takes Iceman's breath away in 'Top Gun: Maverick'". www.worcestermag.com. Craig S. Semon, Worcester Magazine. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "About Me". jeanlouisakelly.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "College Grad Is Someone to Watch", Columbia University Record, Vol. 21, No. 19, March 8, 1996. archived March 21, 2007
  7. "A Life of Song: Jean Louisa Kelly on Her Career, Inspirations and New EP!". Icon vs. Icon. April 13, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  8. "iTunes - Music - Color of Your Heart by Jean Louisa Kelly". iTunes. May 21, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  9. "'Yes, Dear' Actress Jean Louisa Kelly Branches Into Music With Charming Children's Collection". yahoo.com. November 22, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  10. "iTunes - Music - Willing EP by Jean Louisa Kelly". iTunes. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  11. "iTunes Store for album". apple.com. October 27, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  12. D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 2, 2018). "'Top Gun: Maverick' Sets Final Seven For Cast, Including Kara Wang As A Pilot". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  13. 1 2 "Jean Louisa Kelly, James A. Pitaro". New York Times. May 25, 1997. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  14. "Interview with Actress Jean Louisa Kelly from 'Uncle Buck'". www.rediscoverthe80s.com. editors, www.rediscoverthe80s.com. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  15. Laura. "Actress Jean Louisa Kelly gives birth to second child – a daughter". People. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  16. "Jennifer Garner's Baby Shower" (PDF). US Weekly. November 7, 2005.
  17. "Jennifer Garner". Self Magazine. No. July 2005.