Paula Kelly (actress) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paula Kelly
Kelly in 1977
Born	Paula Alma Kelly (1942-10-21)October 21, 1942 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Died	February 8, 2020(2020-02-08) (aged 77) Whittier, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Education	Juilliard School of Music
Occupation	Actress dancer singer choreographer
Years active	1964–2008
Spouse(s)	Don Chaffey ​ ​ (m. 1985; died 1990)​
Children	1

Paula Kelly was a talented American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. She performed in movies, TV shows, and on stage.

Her career started in the mid-1960s on Broadway, which is a famous theater district in New York City. Her first Broadway show was Something More! in 1964. She also performed in other Broadway shows like The Dozens (1969) and Sophisticated Ladies (1981). Sophisticated Ladies was a musical based on the music of Duke Ellington, a famous jazz musician.

Early Life and Education

Paula Kelly was born in Jacksonville, Florida. Her father, Lehman Kelly, was a jazz musician. When she was six, her family moved to Harlem in New York City.

She went to the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art for high school, where she studied music. After high school, she continued her studies at the Juilliard School of Music. There, she focused on dance with a famous teacher named Martha Hill.

Paula graduated in 1964 with a master's degree. She then performed as a solo dancer with important modern dance groups. These included companies led by Martha Graham, Donald McKayle, and Alvin Ailey.

A Career in Entertainment

Angie Dickinson and Kelly in an episode of the NBC TV series Police Woman, 1976.

Paula Kelly was a guest artist and sometimes an assistant choreographer for many TV musical specials. She worked on shows like Sammy and Friends with Sammy Davis, Jr.. She also helped choreograph the BBC show Peter Pan, where she played the role of Tiger-Lily.

She performed a dance solo at the 41st Academy Awards in 1968. This was for the song from the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Paula also performed on the London stage in Sweet Charity with Juliet Prowse. For this role, she won the London Variety Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Paula Kelly starred in the very popular show Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope in Los Angeles. She won several awards for this role, including the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award. She also received the first of her three NAACP Image Awards for her work.

Paula Kelly (third from right) in Sweet Charity (1969). Chita Rivera is second from right.

Paula Kelly appeared in many films. Some of her movie roles include Sweet Charity, directed by Bob Fosse. She was also in Soylent Green, The Spook Who Sat by the Door, and Uptown Saturday Night. Other films include Lost in the Stars and Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored.

On television, Paula Kelly had a regular role as Liz Williams on the first season of Night Court. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for this part. She also appeared as a guest star in many TV movies and sitcoms. These include Sanford and Son, Kojak, Police Woman, and Good Times.

She also appeared in The Women of Brewster Place, a TV mini-series produced by Oprah Winfrey. Paula was nominated for another Emmy Award for her role in this series.

Personal Life and Passing

On September 15, 1985, Paula Kelly married British film director Don Chaffey. They had one daughter together. Don Chaffey passed away in November 1990.

Paula Kelly died on February 8, 2020, at the age of 77. She passed away from heart failure. After her death, she was cremated, and her ashes were given to her daughter.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Paula Kelly (actriz) para niños