Moira Kelly facts for kids

Moira Kelly (born March 6, 1968) is an American actress. She is well-known for her roles in popular movies and TV shows.

You might know her voice as Nala from Disney's The Lion King movies. She also played Kate Moseley in the film The Cutting Edge. On TV, she was the single mom Karen Roe in the teen drama One Tree Hill.

Moira Kelly has also appeared in other famous roles. These include Donna Hayward in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and Mandy Hampton in The West Wing. She has had a long and successful career in acting.

Early Life and Education

Moira Kelly was born in Queens, New York. Her parents were immigrants from Ireland. Her father, Peter, was a trained concert violinist. Her mother, Anne, worked as a nurse.

Moira was the third of six children in her family. She grew up in Ronkonkoma. She went to Connetquot Senior High School. After high school, she studied at Marymount Manhattan College.

When she was young, Moira had a small part in her high school play, Annie. A change in the cast made her think about acting as a career. She had to choose between acting and her childhood dream of becoming a nun.

Acting Career

Moira Kelly started her professional acting career in a TV movie called Love, Lies and Murder. She played a teenager named Cinnamon Brown.

She later had small parts in films like Billy Bathgate. In 1992, she became well-known for two big roles. She played Donna Hayward in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. That same year, she starred in The Cutting Edge as Kate Moseley. She also played two characters, Hetty Kelly and Oona O'Neill, in the movie Chaplin.

Voice Acting and Other Films

Moira Kelly is famous for being the voice of Nala in Disney's The Lion King. She also voiced Nala in the sequels, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Lion King 1½.

She has appeared in many other movies. These include With Honors, Little Odessa, and Dangerous Beauty. She also played the real-life activist Dorothy Day in Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story. In 1998, she played Helen Keller in the TV movie Monday After the Miracle.

Television Roles

Moira Kelly has had several important roles on television. She played Mandy Hampton in the first season of The West Wing.

From 2003 to 2009, she starred as Karen Roe in the teen drama One Tree Hill. She even directed two episodes of the show. After being a main cast member, she made guest appearances in later seasons.

She has also appeared in other TV shows. These include Heroes, Law & Order, and Numb3rs. More recently, she appeared in the TV series Panic and Citadel.

Video Games

In 2023, Moira Kelly returned to voice Nala for the video game Disney Dreamlight Valley. This character was added to the game in an update.

Personal Life

Moira Kelly is married to Steve Hewitt, a businessman from Texas. They got married on August 5, 2000. They have two children together, a daughter named Ella and a son named Eamon.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

As a Director

See also

In Spanish: Moira Kelly para niños