Minka Kelly
Kelly in 2020
Born	Minka Dumont Kelly (1980-06-24) June 24, 1980 (age 43) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2002–present
Notable work	Friday Night Lights Parenthood Titans

Minka Dumont Kelly (born June 24, 1980)^[1] is an American actress. She rose to fame for her role as Lyla Garrity on the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights (2006–2009). In 2011, Kelly starred in the films The Roommate and Searching for Sonny, had a recurring role as Gaby on NBC's family drama series Parenthood (2010–2011) and a main role as Eve French in the revival of ABC's action series Charlie's Angels (2011).^[2] Kelly portrayed Dawn Granger / Dove on the first three seasons of the DC Universe/Max superhero series Titans (2018–2021).

Kelly is also the author of her memoir Tell Me Everything: A Memoir (2023), which became a New York Times Best Seller.^[3][4] Since 2015, she has designed numerous charity jewelry products for Able.^[5]

Early life

Kelly was born in Los Angeles.^[6] She is the only child of Maureen Dumont Kelly and former Aerosmith guitarist Rick Dufay.^[1][7] She has French, Irish, and Dutch-Indonesian ancestry.^[8][9] She was raised primarily by her mother and her mother's on-and-off boyfriend David Gonzalez.^[10][11]

Her mother worked various jobs, including as a stripper and bartender, and often struggled to make ends meet throughout Kelly's childhood.^[12][13][14] At one point they lived in a storage shed at an apartment complex after losing their apartment unit.^[14] To earn extra money her mother tried to smuggle drugs across the US-Mexico border, but was caught and jailed for a period of time. While her mother was incarcerated, Kelly was sent to live in the homes of various friends and acquaintances of her mother.^[15] In one home, Kelly was physically abused.^[16]

Before Kelly began junior high school, she and her mother relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico to be near her father figure, David Gonzalez's, extended family.^[15][17] When she was 16 her mother and Gonzalez fled New Mexico in an attempt to escape drug charges.^[18] Kelly moved in with a boyfriend who was five years her senior, and had an abortion at 17 when she became pregnant with his child.^[16]

She attended two high schools, before graduating from Valley High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico.^[19] After graduation, Kelly reconnected with her biological father and moved back to Los Angeles.^[17] Kelly's mother Maureen died in 2008, at age 51, from colon cancer.^[20]

Career

2002–2005: Career beginnings

While on a test shoot for a modeling agency in Los Angeles, she was approached by a former Playboy Playmate who was interested in managing her. She helped Kelly find work as a receptionist at a surgeon's office who would provide Kelly breast augmentation in exchange for hours worked. Kelly decided against getting the surgery and was fired.^[17] Her exposure to the medical field spurred her to attend school for a year studying to become a surgeon's assistant; afterwards she worked as a scrub nurse. During the four years she spent in the vocation she continued auditioning for film and television roles and appeared in commercials for Old Navy and Clearasil.^[17]

In 2003, Kelly made her acting debut as an extra in the short film The Turbo Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious, a six-minute introduction to the action film 2 Fast 2 Furious. This was followed by a special guest appearance on Cracking Up. She has since appeared in a number of television shows such as Entourage, Drake & Josh, and American Dreams. In 2005, Kelly landed a three-episode recurring role in The WB comedy series What I Like About You.

2006–2010: Breakthrough with Friday Night Lights

In April 2006, Kelly was cast as a series regular on the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights. The show was based on the high school football film of the same name; it follows a high school football team in the fictional small town of Dillon. Kelly played the role of high school student and cheerleader Lyla Garrity. In preparation for her role as a cheerleader she trained with the Pflugerville High School cheerleading squad. The series premiered on October 3, 2006, with Kelly receiving praise for her performance with The New York Times calling her performance "heartbreaking." At the end of the show's third season Kelly left the series as her character left for college.^[21]

In 2006, Kelly starred in the horror slasher film The Pumpkin Karver as Tammy Boyles, and had a bit role in State's Evidence. In 2007, she reunited with Friday Night Lights creator Peter Berg in the film The Kingdom in a cameo role as Ms. Ross alongside Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner.^[22] In 2009, she also appeared in the final scene of the film 500 Days of Summer as Autumn, a potential new love interest to Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character.

In August 2008, Kelly had been cast as the protagonist in The CW pilot series Body Politic. She played the role of Francesca "Frankie" Foster, who moves to Washington, D.C. to work for a senator and befriends a group of eager up-and-comers. Despite acclaim from critics who viewed the pilot,^[23] The CW did not pick up the series. Kelly also appeared in the pilot for the short-lived CBS comedy series Mad Love playing the role of Kate, a Midwestern girl who falls in love with Henry at the top of the Empire State Building. When the series was picked up, Kelly was replaced by Sarah Chalke.^[24]

In April 2010, Kelly appeared on the NBC drama series Parenthood.^[25] She played the role of a behavioral aide to the child character Max who is diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.^[26] Kelly went on to appear in nine episodes of the show before making her final appearance in the episode "Taking the Leap" which aired on March 29, 2011.

2011–2020: Charlie's Angels, Titans and success with films

In December 2010, ABC announced that Kelly was cast in the planned reboot of the crime drama series Charlie's Angels. She played the role of street racer Eve French. The pilot was filmed in March 2011 and the series was picked up on May 13, 2011. Charlie's Angels premiered on September 22, 2011, to over 8.76 million viewers. The series received unanimously negative reviews from critics. Despite a planned 13 episodes, ABC cancelled the series after the premiere of the fourth episode due to low ratings.^[27] The series concluded on November 10, 2011.

Kelly starred in the thriller film The Roommate (2011) as a college freshman whose roommate, portrayed by Leighton Meester, has an obsession with her that turns violent. Although released to generally negative reviews, the film went on to make over $15.6 million in its opening weekend and over $40 million worldwide. She accepted a role in the Off Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore for an April 27–May 29, 2011,^[28] run with Conchata Ferrell, AnnaLynne McCord, Anne Meara, and B. Smith.^[29] Variety announced that Kelly was cast as the lead in the mystery comedy film Searching for Sonny (2011). The film follows two reunited friends who are suspects in a murder mystery that is similar to a play in which they appeared during high school. Production took place in May and June 2010 in Fort Worth, Texas. The film won the "Best Narrative Feature" Award at the Festivus Film Festival. In February 2012, she was one of the celebrities who modeled in red dresses for The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection show, part of New York Fashion Week. She wore a Diane von Fürstenberg dress.^[30] In June 2012, she appeared in the music video for "One More Night" by Maroon 5.^[31] In 2013, she appeared in the film The Butler as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.^[32]

In September 2017, it was announced that Kelly had been cast on the DC Universe series Titans in a recurring role as Dawn Granger / Dove.^[33] The series premiered on October 12, 2018. Kelly was promoted to a series regular for the second season in September 2019. In May 2018, Kelly appeared in the video game Detroit: Become Human as North, the right-hand woman and potential love interest of protagonist Markus.^[34]

2021–present: Television roles and memoir

Euphoria's show creator Sam Levinson specifically wrote the role of Samantha for Kelly, offering her the part in 2021.^[35] She played Samantha, a rich young mom, in four episodes of Euphoria’s second season.^[35] On October 13, 2022, Deadline announced that Kelly will co-star alongside Maggie Grace and Dermot Mulroney in the upcoming psychological thriller Blackwater Lane, an adaptation of the 2017 novel The Breakdown by B.A. Paris.^[36]

Kelly's book entitled Tell Me Everything: A Memoir was released on May 2, 2023 by Henry Holt and Company.^[37] Her memoir is a tribute to her mother and all working-class single mothers "who were dealt a bad hand."^[37] Publishers Weekly called it "an immensely moving story of one woman’s unconquerable spirit."^[38] Kirkus Review wrote in a favorable book review: "The author is not shy about discussing difficult topics, and this candid text will appeal to Kelly’s fans and to readers seeking a courageous story of self-acceptance. A generous and humane memoir."^[39] Actress Drew Barrymore called it "incredible and "powerful."^[40] The book was a major best-seller, debuting at number 12 on The New York Times non-fiction best-seller list for the week ending May 21, 2023.^[4] The book appeared on numerous lists as one of the best memoirs of 2023 such as Elle and The Washington Post.^[41][42]

On December 5, 2023, Forbes announced that Kelly will play concert pianist Quinn, opposite Josh Duhamel, in Netflix's upcoming drama series Ransom Canyon.^[43] Created and executive produced by April Blair, the show follows the lives of three ranching families in rural Texas.^[44]

In the media

Public image

Kelly has been included in various magazine lists of the world's most beautiful women.^[17][45] She appeared on People magazine's annual list of 100 Most Beautiful People in 2008.^[45] In 2011, Kelly was named "Sexiest Woman Alive" in the annual Esquire magazine feature.^[17] She has been a regular on Maxim's Hot 100 list since 2007, ranking at number 42 in 2007,^[46] at number 54 in 2008,^[47] at number 84 in 2009^[48] and at number 51 in 2011.^[49] Kelly was chosen as the fittest woman at the Gold's Gym 2nd Annual Hollywood’s Hottest Bodies Awards.^[50][51]

Kelly has appeared in print ads and commercials throughout her career. She has been a brand ambassador for Dove chocolate,^[52] and modeled in ads for Madge Cosmetics.^[53] She has appeared in commercials for Johnson & Johnson,^[53] Mucinex.^[54] and Bud Light's Super Bowl commercial.^[55] In 2016, Kelly became a spokesperson for online real estate marketplace Trulia to launch their "Best Neighborhoods in America" tool.^[56][57][58] She has graced the cover of numerous fashion and lifestyle magazines, including Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Self and Health.^[59]

Philanthropy

She teamed up with Emily Deschanel, Jaime King, Alyson Hannigan, and Katharine McPhee in a "video slumber party" featured on FunnyorDie.com to promote regular breast cancer screenings for the organization Stand Up 2 Cancer.^[60] Kelly joined an eight-day, four-country United Service Organizations tour in December 2011 with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey, Robert Horry, Jordin Sparks, Thomas Miles, and Sergeant Major Bryan Battaglia.^[61][62]

Since 2009, Kelly has worked with retailer ABLE, which is dedicated to creating sustainable jobs for vulnerable women in Africa.^[63] ABLE started by employing and training women in Ethiopia who were former sex workers.^[64] In 2015, Kelly teamed up with ABLE to create a pouch in honor of International Women's Day.^[64] Kelly designed the clutch herself, including leather, color, stitching, size and color of the zipper.^[65] "I was affected on such a deep and profound level when I heard that one woman chose to go into the sex industry because she had to pay for sister's breast cancer treatment," Kelly said in a 2015 People interview.^[66] In 2019, she designed a jewelry collection "The Barbara Collection" for ABLE, which was named after one of ABLE's first jewelry designers, Barbara.^[64] The collection features rings, necklaces and hoop earrings, priced between $28 and $88.^[64]

Personal life

Kelly has been friends with actress Mandy Moore since 2007.^[69][70] She was previously in a relationship with comedian Trevor Noah, but the two split in 2022.^[71]

Interests

Kelly enjoys cooking and baking.^[72] She graduated from the New School of Cooking in Culver City, California, in June 2015.^[72][73] She has expressed an interest in launching a traveling cooking television show.^[74] In 2016, she appeared in Food Network's cooking show Star Plates, in which celebrities work as line cooks alongside top chefs in a restaurant kitchen.^[75][76][77]

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Video games

Theatre

Awards and nominations