Jean Louisa Kelly

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Jean Louisa Kelly

Born	Jean Louisa Kelly March 9, 1972 (1972-03-09) (age 36) Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.

Jean Louisa Kelly (born March 9, 1972) is an American actress and singer. She was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S..

Her father was a high school English teacher and her mother taught piano [1]. Kelly graduated in 1994 from Columbia University's Columbia College with a B.A. in English.

[edit] Career

Before attending college she already had roles in the original Broadway cast of Sondheim's Into the Woods and in the film Uncle Buck with John Candy. She also took roles in college productions, including with the Barnard Gilbert and Sullivan Society. After graduation, she starred in the musical film The Fantasticks with Joey McIntyre and Joel Grey, although the film was shelved until 2000. After The Fantasticks, she appeared in her most prominent role as Rowena Morgan, the muse for the title character of Mr. Holland's Opus. She also became well known in the mid-1990s for a series of television commercials she did for MCI long distance, in which she played a telephone operator who challenged AT&T.

Kelly appeared Off-Broadway at the York Theatre as 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 "Mufti" series as Lois Lane in It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman.

Her broadest exposure comes from her recent 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 and as Kim Warner on the more successful Yes, Dear. On April 30, 2006, she guest starred in the ABC drama Grey's Anatomy.

As of 2008, Kelly resides in Los Angeles. She is close friends with Jennifer Garner and was the host of her baby shower for daughter Violet Anne Affleck. She also interviewed Garner for Self magazine in 2005.