Roma Downey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roma Downey OBE
Downey in 2015
Born	(1960-05-06) 6 May 1960 (age 65) Derry, Northern Ireland
Alma mater	Brighton College of Art (BA) Drama Studio London
Occupation	Actress producer author
Years active	1988–present
Known for	Touched by an Angel A Woman Named Jackie
Spouse(s)	Leland Orser ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 1989)​ David Anspaugh ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 1998)​ Mark Burnett ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	1

Roma Downey (born May 6, 1960) is an actress, producer, and author from Northern Ireland. She is well-known for playing the angel Monica in the TV show Touched by an Angel. This popular CBS series ran for nine seasons.

Roma also played Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the TV miniseries A Woman Named Jackie. This show won an Emmy Award. More recently, she stars in and produces The Baxters TV series.

Beyond acting, Roma Downey is a successful producer. With her husband, Mark Burnett, she produced the miniseries The Bible, where she also played Mary, mother of Jesus. They have also produced movies like Son of God and Ben-Hur.

Roma is also a published author. Her book Box of Butterflies was a New York Times best-seller. She helps others as an ambassador for Operation Smile, a charity that helps children with cleft lip and palate. In 2016, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was also honored with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her work in arts and community.

Early life and education

Roma Downey was born and grew up in Derry, Northern Ireland. She lived in the Bogside area. Her name, Roma, comes from her two grandmothers, Rose and Mary.

She went to Thornhill College, a Catholic school for girls. When Roma was 10, her mother passed away. Her father, a mortgage broker, died when she was 20.

Roma first wanted to be a painter. She earned a degree in Expressive Arts from Brighton College of Art. Later, she studied acting at The Drama Studio in London.

Career highlights

After finishing her studies, Roma moved to New York City. She worked different jobs before getting roles in Broadway shows.

She was nominated for the Helen Hayes Best Actress Award in 1991 for her work on Broadway. She also performed in plays like The Circle with Sir Rex Harrison.

Playing Jackie Kennedy

In 1991, Roma Downey played Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the TV miniseries A Woman Named Jackie. The show won an Emmy Award for being an outstanding miniseries.

Touched by an Angel

Downey in 1998

Her role as Jacqueline Kennedy led to her most famous part. She became the angel Monica in the CBS series Touched by an Angel. She starred alongside Della Reese and John Dye. The show was very popular and ran from 1994 to 2003.

Roma received awards and nominations for her role, including two Emmy Award nominations. She often spoke about her close friendship with Della Reese. Roma said Della was like a mother to her and a special gift from the show.

The Bible miniseries

In 2011, Roma Downey and her husband, Mark Burnett, announced a big project. They were producing a 10-hour TV series called The Bible for the History channel. It aired in 2013.

They wanted the series to be true to the Bible stories. So, they worked with many pastors and experts to review the script. The show was a huge success, watched by over 100 million people in the United States. It was also a top downloaded series on iTunes.

In the series, Roma Downey played Mary, mother of Jesus. A movie version of the series, called Son of God, was released in theaters in 2014. After The Bible, Roma and Mark produced a sequel called A.D. for NBC. This series showed what happened after Jesus's death.

Other projects

Roma Downey has also produced and starred in other TV movies. These include Borrowed Hearts and Second Honeymoon. She recorded a spoken-word album called Healing Angel. She also wrote a children's book, Love Is A Family.

She co-authored a book with her husband, A Story of God and All of Us. Roma has been a spokesperson for Operation Smile. This group provides surgeries for children with cleft lip and palate around the world. She has traveled to places like Honduras and Vietnam to help.

In 2014, MGM bought a large part of their production companies. Roma became the president of LightWorkers Media. This company focuses on faith and family entertainment. She executive produced a new version of Ben-Hur, released in 2016.

Recently, she executive produced and starred in The Baxters. This family drama series came out in 2024 on Amazon Prime Video.

Personal life

Roma Downey is married to TV producer Mark Burnett. They got married in 2007. She has a daughter named Reilly Marie from a previous marriage. Reilly is named after Roma's grandmother.

Roma is very involved with charity work. She is a "Smile Ambassador" for Operation Smile. She has traveled on missions to help children in need.

She was raised as a Roman Catholic. In 2014, Roma and Mark received an award from the Anti-Defamation League. They also started the Cradle Fund to help people in the Middle East who were forced to leave their homes.

In 2016, Roma and Mark gave the main speech at the National Prayer Breakfast. This event was held in Washington D.C. and attended by President Obama. Roma has also received honorary degrees from several universities for her work in acting and helping others. In 2021, she was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Filmography

Television

Film

Producer

Discography

In 1999, Roma Downey released a CD called Healing Angel.

Stage

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Roma Downey para niños