Jean Louisa Kelly

Career

Before attending college, she already had roles in the original Broadway cast of Sondheim's Into the Woods (as Snow White and understudy to Red Riding Hood) 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.

After graduation from college, Kelly 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. In 1995, she starred as Louisa in the musical film The Fantasticks with Joey McIntyre and Joel Grey, although the film was shelved until 2000. The same year, she appeared in her most prominent role since Tia, as Rowena Morgan, the muse for the title character of Mr. Holland's Opus. Other films followed in the 1990s. Later starring roles in films have included Landfall (2001) and Little Red Light (2003). 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.

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. On April 30, 2006, she guest starred in the ABC drama Grey's Anatomy and has continued to guest star in television dramas.

In 2010, she was cast in a guest starring role in an episode of the television spy drama Burn Notice—playing a widow who had been swindled out of her life savings by a con man.

She currently appears as Bernice Pope in the Yahoo production of Sin City Saints.

She released an album of children's music called Color of Your Heart in 2013. On April 14, 2015 she released a collection of original songs in a five-song EP called Willing.

Personal life

Kelly was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, the daughter of Wendy I and J. Joseph Kelly III. Her father was a high school English teacher and her mother taught piano. She attended Easton High School, located in Easton, Maryland. Kelly graduated in 1994 from Columbia University's Columbia College with a B.A. in English.

She married James Pitaro in 1997.

As of 2010, Kelly resides in Los Angeles. She is close friends with Jennifer Garner, having hosted the baby shower for Garner's daughter Violet Anne Affleck and interviewed Garner for Self magazine in 2005.