Kelly McCreary facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kelly McCreary
McCreary in August 2015
Born	Kelly McCreary (1981-09-29) September 29, 1981 (age 43) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Alma mater	Barnard College
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2004–present
Spouse(s)	Pete Chatmon ​ (m. 2019)​
Children	1

Kelly J. McCreary (born September 29, 1981) is an American actress. She is most famous for playing Dr. Maggie Pierce on the TV show Grey's Anatomy. In the show, Maggie is the half-sister of the main character, Meredith Grey. Kelly first appeared as a guest star in the tenth season of Grey's Anatomy. She became a regular cast member in the eleventh season. She has also appeared in the spin-off show Station 19.

Before her big TV roles, Kelly started her acting career in theater. She even performed on Broadway. She also did voice work for children's educational shows. Later, she made guest appearances on TV series like Rubicon and Castle. She had longer roles on White Collar and Scandal. Kelly also acted in movies such as Being Flynn (2011) and Life (2015).

Early Life and School

Kelly McCreary was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on September 29, 1981. Her parents are Mary and Geoffrey McCreary. She has two sisters and one brother. Kelly became interested in acting when she was in fourth grade. She went to special middle and high schools for the arts. Her first time on stage was in a musical when she was in sixth grade.

At 17, Kelly moved to New York City to study acting. She attended Barnard College, which is a women's college connected to Columbia University. While there, she acted in many plays. She also spent a semester studying drama in London. Kelly appeared in several commercials before she graduated from Barnard in 2003. She also trained at other acting schools in New York.

Acting Career Highlights

After graduating from college, Kelly lived in Harlem. She worked part-time while going to auditions and performing in plays. At one point, she felt frustrated with her acting career. She even moved to Spain to work on a farm. But she returned to acting when a play she had worked on, Follow Me to Nellie's, was going to be performed. Kelly was very happy to be back on stage.

In 2005, Kelly first appeared on screen in the PBS animated series Cyberchase. She later appeared on another PBS show called The Electric Company. Her first time on Broadway was in the 2008 musical Passing Strange. She also had a repeating role on the TV show White Collar. In 2010, she got a main role in the musical comedy Perfect Harmony.

Kelly's first movie role was a small part in Being Flynn in 2011. In 2012, she got her first big TV role on Emily Owens, M.D.. She played Tyra Dupre, a first-year surgical intern. However, that show only lasted for one season. Kelly also played Eartha Kitt in the movie Life.

Joining Grey's Anatomy

In 2014, Kelly joined the popular ABC drama Grey's Anatomy. She had previously guest-starred on another show by the same creator, Scandal. Kelly first appeared in the tenth season of Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Maggie Pierce. Maggie is the half-sister of the show's main character, Meredith Grey. Kelly continued to appear on the show. After being in four episodes of the eleventh season, she became a regular cast member on October 23, 2014.

Kelly has also played Dr. Maggie Pierce in the spin-off series Station 19. She appeared in several special crossover episodes that connected the two shows.

Other Projects

In 2017, Kelly acted in the play Intimate Apparel. In 2018, she got a main voice role in the Netflix animated series Harvey Street Kids. She voiced the character Dot. The show later changed its name to Harvey Girls Forever!. In 2018, Kelly also helped produce a short film.

On March 17, 2023, it was announced that Kelly McCreary would be leaving Grey's Anatomy as a regular cast member. Her last regular appearance was in the fourteenth episode of the nineteenth season, which aired on April 13, 2023. She also appeared in the final episode of that season.

Personal Life

Kelly McCreary lives in Los Angeles, California.

She helped start the Jaradoa Theater Company in New York City. This group works to help the community through theater. Kelly is also involved with other theater groups that create new plays. In 2015, she joined the board of directors for the Equal Justice Society. This group works for fairness and equality.

In 2018, Kelly became an ambassador for former First Lady Michelle Obama's When We All Vote campaign. This campaign encouraged people to register and vote in elections.

In January 2019, Kelly shared that she was engaged to director Pete Chatmon. They had met two years earlier on the set of Grey's Anatomy. They got married on May 4, 2019. On August 16, 2021, Kelly and Pete announced they were expecting their first child. Their daughter was born a few weeks later on October 3, 2021.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Kelly McCreary para niños