Kelly McGillis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kelly McGillis
McGillis at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival
Born	(1957-07-09) July 9, 1957 (age 68) Newport Beach, California, U.S.
Education	Allan Hancock College Juilliard School (BFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1976–present
Notable work	Filmography
Spouse(s)	Boyd Black ​ ​ (m. 1979; div. 1981)​ Fred Tillman ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 2002)​
Partner(s)	Melanie Leis (2010–2011)
Children	2

Kelly Ann McGillis (born July 9, 1957) is an American actress. She is famous for her movie roles. These include Rachel Lapp in Witness (1985). For this role, she was nominated for Golden Globe and BAFTA awards. She also played Charlie in Top Gun (1986). Other notable films are Made in Heaven (1987) and The House on Carroll Street (1988). She also starred as Katheryn Murphy in The Accused (1988). Later in her career, she appeared in films like Stake Land (2010) and The Innkeepers (2011).

Early Life and Education

Kelly McGillis was born on July 9, 1957. Her birthplace was Newport Beach, California. She was the oldest of three daughters. Her mother was Virginia Joan, and her father was Donald Manson McGillis, a doctor. Her family background includes Scots-Irish, German, and Welsh roots. She went to Newport Harbor High School.

McGillis studied at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts. This was at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California. She left high school in 1975. Then she earned her GED. After that, she moved to New York City. She wanted to study acting at the Juilliard School. She graduated from Juilliard in 1983.

Acting Career Highlights

Early Film Roles

Kelly McGillis started her film career in 1983. Her first movie was Reuben, Reuben. Her big breakthrough role came in Witness (1985). She played an Amish mother in this film. This role earned her nominations for Golden Globe and BAFTA awards.

Her next very famous role was in Top Gun (1986). She played Charlotte Blackwood, a flight instructor. Her character's call sign was "Charlie." She starred alongside Tom Cruise in this popular fighter-pilot movie.

In 1987, McGillis acted in the romance film Made in Heaven. Alan Rudolph directed this movie. It was produced by Lorimar Productions.

McGillis on the set of Witness in 1984

Notable Film Appearances

McGillis played a caretaker in the 1988 film The House on Carroll Street. She cared for Miss Venable, played by Jessica Tandy. In the movie, she hears a strange conversation. She suspects a plan to bring Nazi war criminals into the United States.

After The Accused in 1988, she appeared in Cat Chaser. She acted with Peter Weller in this film. McGillis appeared in many TV and film roles in the 1990s. She then took a break from acting for a few years.

McGillis played Babe Ruth's second wife, Claire Merritt Ruth, in The Babe (1992). From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, she was in Winter People (1989). She also appeared in North (1994). This was her second role playing an Amish character. She also made several movies for television.

In 1999, McGillis co-starred with Val Kilmer. She played his protective sister in At First Sight. Kilmer played a blind man named Virgil.

She played a suspect in The Monkey's Mask from 2000. This was an international film starring Susie Porter. The movie was based on a book by Australian poet Dorothy Porter.

Television Roles

McGillis had early television roles. She appeared on the daytime soap opera One Life to Live in 1984.

She starred in the 1984 TV movie Sweet Revenge. This film was also known as Bittersweet Revenge. She acted alongside Alec Baldwin in it.

Other TV films in the 1980s included Private Sessions (1985). She also narrated Santabear's First Christmas. In 1995, she narrated the documentary Out of Ireland for PBS.

Stage Performances

While at Juilliard, Kelly McGillis performed in Love for Love. This play was by William Congreve. She also appeared in some off-Broadway and Broadway shows. These were in New York City during the 1980s.

From the late 1980s to the mid-2000s, McGillis was a main actress. She performed at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC. In 2002, she was in "The Duchess of Malfi" at the Shakespeare Theatre.

In 2004, she appeared in the play The Graduate. She played the role of Mrs. Robinson. She toured the United States with this show. In May 2009, McGillis starred in The Little Foxes. This play by Lillian Hellman was at the Pasadena Playhouse. She co-starred with Julia Duffy.

Her stage work includes many plays. Some are Don Juan (1982) and The Sea Gull (1985). Others are The Merchant of Venice (1988) and Twelfth Night (1989). She also performed in Mary Stuart (1990) and Hedda Gabler (1994).

She also appeared in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. This play by Terrence McNally toured the United Kingdom in 2010.

Recent Film and TV Work

McGillis at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival

She started working in television again in 2006. In 2007, she joined the cast of The L Word. This show was on Showtime.

She had a role in the 2010 vampire film Stake Land. Jim Mickle directed this movie. She starred with Nick Damici and Connor Paolo.

McGillis was featured in 1 a Minute, a docu-drama about breast cancer. It was released in 2010.

She starred in Ti West's 2011 thriller The Innkeepers. She also appeared in We Are What We Are and Tio Papi in 2013. Other roles include Grand Street and Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio. This was her third film with an Amish theme. She also appeared in Z Nation and an episode of Sisters of Mercy in 2014. In 2015, she was in Blue.

An Uncommon Grace on Hallmark Channel was her fourth Amish-themed film. She had the main role in Mother of All Secrets in 2017. She played Rose Lewis in that movie.

Personal Life

Kelly McGillis married Boyd Black in 1979. He was also a Juilliard student. They divorced in 1981. She married Fred Tillman in 1989. They have two daughters together. The couple divorced in 2002.

McGillis owned a large boat called The Centurion. It was a 110-foot schooner. This boat was destroyed by fire in April 1996. The fire started on another boat nearby.

McGillis lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina. As of 2013, she has taught acting. She teaches at the New York Studio for Stage and Screen (NYS3). This school is in Asheville, North Carolina.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Kelly McGillis para niños