Fans of the CW drama One Tree Hill are sure to be familiar with actress Moira Kelly. She played the role of a single mother, Karen Roe, the mother of Lucas Scott – the half-brother of Nathan Scott who, unlike Nathan, could not benefit from the wealth of his father, the owner of a car dealership company, Dan Scott. After OTH drew its curtains, Kelly went on to take on other roles on the big and small screens. Here’s a look at his life and career so far.
Moira Kelly – Organic
Moira Kelly was born and raised in a large family of 6 children of which she is the third-born. Her parents, Peter and Anne Kelly, welcomed her into the world on March 6, 1968, in Queens, New York. His parents had both immigrated from Ireland to the United States. Kelly therefore has Irish roots. Although born in Queens, Kelly would spend most of her early years in Ronkonkoma, Long Island.
It could rightly be said that Moira Kelly got her artistic genes from her father Peter, who was adept at playing the violin and did so at many concerts. His mother, on the other hand, has a taste for science and works as a nurse.
For her secondary education, Moira Kelly chose Connetquot High School in Bohemia, Long Island. She graduated from school in 1986 before continuing her studies at Marymount Manhattan College, a private college in New York with a higher percentage of women (up to 75%).
Raised in a devout Catholic family, Moira Kelly originally aspired to be a nun, but fate had other plans for her. His first attempt at acting was somewhat fortuitous. It was a small role in the production of her high school play Annie. Another girl had been cast as Miss Hannigan. However, she was unable to do so due to health issues, thus forcing Moira Kelly to replace the cast.
Kelly had to kiss her dreams of becoming a nun goodbye while she was in love with acting, so much so that she decided to pursue it as a career. Then, in 1991, Kelly began her professional career as an actress in Hollywood.
Her nun dreams behind her, Moira Kelly not only chose a different career path, but also decided to fall in love and get married – which she was originally ready to give up. She is married to one Stephen Eric Hewitt and has been since August 5, 2000, when they tied the knot. Kelly’s husband, originally from Texas, is not in show business, but runs a different kind of business. Together the couple have two children: a daughter, Ella, who arrived in 2001 and a son, Eamon, who joined the family two years later, in 2003.
Moira Kelly boycotted the glitzy and glamorous lifestyle of Hollywood and instead chose to settle with her family in Flower Mound, a small town in Texas.
Movies and TV series
Moira Kelly began her career by simultaneously starring in movies and TV shows. Her debut was in an episode of the television miniseries, Love, Lies and Murder and in the same year 1991 she had a role in the independent film, The Boy Who Cried Bitch. Kelly appeared in two other movies and TV shows before getting a role in 1992. Twin Peaks: Walk the Fire With Me, the movie included an explicit sex scene and Kelly had to get permission from her priest before accepting the role.
This isn’t the only time Kelly has had to seek permission from her priest before taking on a role. For her role in the 1993 film, Dawn, where she was forced to engage in premarital activities regarding sex, Kelly again consulted her priest who gave her his fire, as long as her artistic intent was pure and that she was not playing this role for the sole purpose of becoming famous.
Moira Kelly starred alongside Robert Downey, Jr. Chaplin and also had a role in the rom-com, Razor’s Edge, both released in 1992. Kelly had her first starring role on the small screen with the CBS drama, Have and Hold. She then scored a regular role on The West Wing, made a few guest appearances before her role as Karen Roe in One Tree Hill came in 2003. She played the role until 2009.
Kelly scored her first role as Nala in The Lion King (1994). She reprized the role in the next two sequels. During her time on OTH, Moira Kelly was very dedicated to the show and didn’t start taking on other roles until 2006. She appeared in Law & Order and acted in the films; Two Tickets to Paradise (2006) and Remember the Daze (2007).
Other films Kelly had previously appeared in include: Love Has Entered, Fatal Beauty, The Safety of Things. Since OTH pulled back its curtains, Moira Kelly has focused more on the small screen. She had parts on the shows Heroes, Numb3rs, and Drop Dead Diva. She’s also appeared in a handful of TV movies, including: A Smile Big as the Moon (2012), Deadly Sorority (2017), and Girl in the Bunker (2018). Kelly directed a few episodes of the series, Solve
Professional Achievements
The greatest achievement of Moira Kelly’s career would be her consistency. Over the years, she has managed to maintain a consistent level of activity. Screen World by John Willis, Vol. 44 cited Kelly in their 1992 Promising New Actors, which contained 11 other names. Although Moira Kelly hasn’t won any major awards in her career, she is still very successful.
