Kelly Preston facts for kids

Kelly Kamalelehua Smith (October 13, 1962 – July 12, 2020), known professionally as Kelly Preston, was an American actress and model. She appeared in over 60 movies and TV shows. Some of her well-known films include Mischief (1985), Twins (1988), Jerry Maguire (1996), and For Love of the Game (1999). She also starred in SpaceCamp (1986), The Cat in the Hat (2003), What a Girl Wants (2003), Sky High (2005), and Old Dogs (2009). Kelly Preston married actor John Travolta in 1991. They worked together in the movies The Experts (1989) and Gotti (2018).

Early Life and Education

Kelly Kamalelehua Smith was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her middle name, "Kamalelehua," means "garden of lehuas" in the Hawaiian language. Her mother, Linda, worked as an administrator at a mental health center. When Kelly was three years old, her father passed away. Later, her mother married Peter Palzis, who adopted Kelly. She used his last name, Palzis, when she first started acting. Kelly also had a younger half-brother named Chris Palzis.

As a child, Kelly lived in different countries, including Iraq and Australia. In Australia, she attended Pembroke School, Adelaide. She then returned to Honolulu and graduated from Punahou School in 1980. After high school, she studied drama and theater at the University of Southern California.

Acting Career Highlights

When Kelly Preston was 16 and living in Australia, a fashion photographer discovered her. He helped her get jobs in commercials and small acting parts. She even had her first movie audition for a role in The Blue Lagoon (1980), but the part went to Brooke Shields. Around this time, she changed her last name to Preston.

Her first major movie roles came in 1985. She played Marilyn McCauley in the romantic comedy Mischief. She also appeared as Deborah Ann Fimple in another teen romantic comedy called Secret Admirer.

Kelly Preston starred in many other movies throughout her career. These include SpaceCamp (1986) and Twins (1988), where she acted alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito. She played Avery Bishop in Jerry Maguire (1996) with Tom Cruise, and Jane Aubrey in For Love of the Game with Kevin Costner. She also appeared in Holy Man (1998) with Eddie Murphy and Jeff Goldblum, and Nothing to Lose (1997) with Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence. In 1998, she was in the movie Jack Frost.

In 2000, she played Chirk in the film Battlefield Earth. She later appeared as a flying superhero mother named Josie Stronghold, also known as Jetstream, in the movie Sky High (2005).

Preston in 2005

In 2004, Kelly Preston was featured in the Maroon 5 music video for their song "She Will Be Loved." She played a socialite in the video. She also appeared in the crime thriller Death Sentence (2007), playing Helen Hume, the wife of Kevin Bacon's character. In 2008, she had a recurring role in the TV series Medium.

She starred in the Lifetime television movie The Tenth Circle (2008), which was filmed in Nova Scotia. Kelly Preston was also a spokeswoman for the beauty brand Neutrogena, appearing in their advertisements.

Her last public appearance on a red carpet was in 2018 for the premiere of her husband's movie Gotti in New York City. Her final movie role was in the comedy-drama Off the Rails, which was released after her passing in July 2021.

Personal Life and Family

Kelly Preston was married to actor Kevin Gage from 1985 to 1987. She met John Travolta in 1987 while they were filming The Experts. They got married in 1991 in Paris. They had three children together: a son named Jett, a daughter named Ella Bleu, and another son named Benjamin. Kelly Preston was a member of the Church of Scientology throughout her life.

Jett Travolta's Passing

Kelly Preston and John Travolta's son, Jett Travolta, had a history of seizures. On January 2, 2009, Jett passed away while the family was on vacation in the Bahamas. His death was caused by a seizure. In September 2009, his parents shared that Jett had autism and experienced regular seizures.

Passing Away

On July 12, 2020, Kelly Preston passed away at her home in Clearwater, Florida, at the age of 57. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer two years earlier, but this information was not widely known to the public. She had received treatment at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, as well as other medical centers. Her passing was announced by John Travolta and Ella Bleu on social media.

Filmography

Film

Television

Web

Music videos

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Kelly Preston para niños