Minka Kelly
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| Minka Kelly | |
 Minka Kelly, May 2007 |
|
| Born | June 24, 1980 Los Angeles, California |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2003–present |
Minka Dumont Kelly (born June 24, 1980) is an American actress. She currently stars in the NBC series Friday Night Lights as Lyla Garrity.
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[edit] Early life
Minka Kelly was born in Los Angeles, California.[1] She is an only child and the daughter of former Aerosmith guitarist Rick Dufay.[2] and the late Maureen Kelly, a former Vegas Showgirl. According to Kelly, her childhood was "pretty rough", and she held a resentment for Dufay, as he had abandoned her and her mother. However, at seventeen, she decided to try and reconcile by inviting him out to New Mexico.[3]
[edit] Career
After graduating from high school, Kelly returned to Los Angeles with her father to pursue acting as a hobby while she went to school to become a surgical technician. However, after her first acting class she got "hooked" and began pursuing acting as a career.[3] Success came slowly, and she began her career with small roles in various movies and shows, including the film State's Evidence, and a recurring-guest role on the TV program What I Like About You.[2]
In the spring she was cast as Lyla Garrity on the show Friday Night Lights. In preparation for the role, she trained with the Pflugerville High School cheerleading squad.[1] Kelly has received praise for her acting on Friday Night Lights, with the New York Times calling her performance "heartbreaking".[4]
She shot a cameo for The Kingdom, alongside Jamie Foxx. Peter Berg, the creator and pilot director of Friday Night Lights, directed the film.[5] Minka Kelly is the lead actor on the CW's new pilot Body Politic.
[edit] Personal life
Kelly dated Donald Faison in 2005,[6] and had a relationship with actor Chris Evans, as well. In September 2007, she began dating musician John Mayer. Their break-up was reported by People.com on January 9, 2008. She has recently been seen with New York Yankee shortstop, Derek Jeter.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Turbo-Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious | uncredited | |
| 2005 | Devil's Highway | River | |
| 2006 | The Pumpkin Karver | Tammy | |
| State's Evidence | - | ||
| 2007 | The Kingdom | Ms. Ross | |
| 2009 | 500 Days of Summer | Autumn | |
| 2010 | The Roommate | Sara |
[edit] Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Cracking Up | Monica | one episode |
| Drake & Josh | Stacey | one episode | |
| 2005 | American Dreams | Bonnie | one episode |
| What I Like About You | Ricki | three episodes | |
| 2006-present | Friday Night Lights | Lyla Garrity | major role |
| 2009-present | Body Politic | Frankie | CW pilot |
[edit] References
- ^ a b No byline (2007). "Minka Kelly" AskMen.com. Retrieved October 2, 2007
- ^ a b Sturtz, Rachel (November 2006), "FUNNY JOKE FROM A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN". Esquire. 146 (5):41
- ^ a b Dalton, Kyle (October 2006), "Getting a Second Chance". Capital City Sports Report (18):12-14
- ^ No byline (2006). "Full Biography" NYTimes.com. Retrieved October 2, 2007
- ^ Hefferan, Virginia (December 29, 2006), "You Can Find 'Friday Night Light' on Monday, Tuesday … Even Friday Night". New York Times. 156 (53808):E37
- ^ Savvy staff writers (2006). "Minka Kelly" Savvy.com. Retrieved October 2, 2007
