Holly Marie Combs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Holly Marie Combs
Combs in July 2023
Born	(1973-12-03) December 3, 1973 (age 51) San Diego, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress producer
Years active	1985–present
Known for	Picket Fences Charmed Pretty Little Liars
Spouse(s)	Bryan Travis Smith ​ ​ (m. 1993; div. 1997)​ David Donoho ​ ​ (m. 2004; div. 2011)​ Mike Ryan ​ (m. 2019)​
Children	3

Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. She is famous for her roles in popular television shows. Her acting career has lasted for more than forty years.

Combs began acting in the 1980s with small parts in TV shows and movies. One of her early films was the drama Born on the Fourth of July (1989). She first became well-known for playing Kimberly Brock in the TV series Picket Fences from 1992 to 1996. This role earned her a Young Artist Award.

Her biggest role was playing Piper Halliwell in the fantasy TV series Charmed from 1998 to 2006. This show made her famous around the world. Later, she played Ella Montgomery in the popular drama series Pretty Little Liars from 2010 to 2017. She has also worked on a travel show with her Charmed co-star Shannen Doherty and hosts a podcast called House of Halliwell.

Early life

Holly Marie Combs was born in San Diego, California. Her parents were very young when she was born; her mother was 15 and her father was 17. They separated after two years.

When Combs was a toddler, she fell and hit her head on a marble table. This left a small, noticeable scar on her right eyebrow. She and her mother moved many times while her mother tried to start an acting career.

When Combs was seven, they moved to New York City. She grew up there and went to the Professional Children's School, which is for young people who are performers. By the time she was 13, she was also a certified scuba diver.

Career

1985–1992: Starting as an actress

Combs at the 1993 Emmy Awards

At age 14, Combs got her first big role in the movie Sweet Hearts Dance (1988). She played the daughter of characters played by Don Johnson and Susan Sarandon. Soon after, she appeared in the movie Born on the Fourth of July (1989), which starred Tom Cruise.

In 1992, she had roles in a few more films. She played Jennifer Campbell in the horror movie Dr. Giggles. This was one of her first leading roles in a film.

1993–2000: Becoming a star

Combs's career took off when she was 18. She was cast in the TV series Picket Fences as Kimberly Brock. She played this character for all four seasons of the show. For her work on Picket Fences, she won a Young Artist Award.

In 1997, Combs acted in two TV movies based on true stories. She played a character in Love's Deadly Triangle: The Texas Cadet Murder and one of the daughters in Daughters.

In 1998, Combs got the role that would make her a huge star. She was cast as Piper Halliwell in the TV series Charmed. The show was about three sisters who discover they are powerful witches. Combs's character, Piper, was the middle sister. After actress Shannen Doherty left the show, Piper became the oldest sister. Combs also became a producer on Charmed starting in its fifth season. The show was very successful and ran for eight seasons.

2001–2017: Life after Charmed

Combs in 2012

While still on Charmed, Combs appeared in the movie Ocean's Eleven (2001) and starred in the TV movie See Jane Date (2003). After Charmed ended, she starred in another TV movie called Point of Entry in 2007.

In 2010, Combs joined the cast of another hit show, Pretty Little Liars. She played Ella Montgomery, the mother of one of the main characters, Aria. She was a main character for the first three seasons and then appeared as a special guest star in later seasons. She returned for the final episode in 2017.

In 2015, Combs and her friend Shannen Doherty from Charmed starred in a reality TV show called Off the Map with Shannen & Holly. In the show, they traveled across the southeastern United States. The next year, she starred in the TV movie Love's Complicated.

Personal life

In 1993, Combs married actor Bryan Travis Smith. They divorced in 1997.

She married David Donoho, who worked on the set of Charmed, in 2004. They have three sons together. Combs filed for divorce in 2011.

In 2019, Combs married a man named Mike Ryan. Through this marriage, she also has a stepdaughter.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Holly Marie Combs para niños