Holly Marie Combs
Encyclopedia
Holly Marie Combs is an American
film and television actress and producer whose roles have included a portrayal in Charmed
as Piper Halliwell
and another in Picket Fences
, where she received a Young Artist Award
for her role, as Kimberly Brock. She now stars in the ABC Family
original series Pretty Little Liars
as Ella Montgomery.
. At the time of her birth, her mother, Lauralei Combs (née Berckhem), was sixteen years old and her father was seventeen. Combs' biological parents married, but the two split up after two years, feeling they were too young to make a marriage work. While Combs was learning to walk, she hit her head on a marble table, resulting in a scar over her right eyebrow. She went through many different homes with her mother, often having very little privacy, while her mother attempted to pursue an acting career. When Combs was seven, she and her mother moved to New York City. She was 12 when her mother married her stepfather. In New York City, Combs attended Beekman Hill Elementary and then the Professional Children's School
.
's Born on the Fourth of July
, Combs' major acting debut arrived in the 1992 TV drama series Picket Fences
. She auditioned for the role of Kimberly while she was in New York. The casting agent told her that she wasn't right for the part because she "didn't have a big enough heart." Combs retorted, "If you're looking for someone with a big heart, what the hell are you doing in New York?" She was later called back and offered the job. Picket Fences ran for four years, winning Combs critical acclaim and a Young Artist award.
In 1992, Combs made her appearance in Simple Men
, Chain of Desire, and Dr. Giggles
, in which she plays its protagonist, the 19-year-old daughter of Cliff De Young's character and girlfriend of Glenn Quinn's
character, Jennifer Campbell.
In 1996, she starred alongside Alyson Hannigan
and Tangi Miller
in a pilot called Friends for Life
. The pilot wasn't picked up.
In 1997, she played real-life convicted murderess Diane Zamora
in the television movie Swearing Allegiance
, a far cry from her other good-girl roles. Combs was with her friend Shannen Doherty
when Doherty was given the pilot script for Charmed. Doherty took Combs along to the audition when Combs said she wanted to take part in the audition. Combs auditioned for the role of Prue Halliwell
and Doherty for Piper Halliwell
, but they ended up switching roles. Alyssa Milano
and Combs both became producers for Charmed
in the fourth season. For the first three seasons of Charmed (which debuted in 1998 and was a hit TV series, ending in May 2006), Combs played the second oldest of the three sisters. When the eldest, Doherty, left after the third season and Rose McGowan
joined the cast for the fourth season, Combs played the eldest sister for the remaining five seasons of the show. All the while she was the youngest of all four actresses.
In 2008, Combs signed a contract with Lifetime Television
to produce and star in a new TV series, Mistresses
which was originally scheduled to air in January 2009, but was not picked up.
Combs made her television comeback in June 2010 on ABC Family
's new show Pretty Little Liars
. Combs plays Ella Montgomery, the mother of main character Aria Montgomery (played by Lucy Hale
). The new series premiered on ABC Family June 8, 2010. Pretty Little Liars has been extended for another 12 episodes, making Season 1 a total of 22 episodes.
Combs attended Anaheim Comic Con with former Charmed co-stars Shannen Doherty
(Prue) and Victor Webster
(Coop) on April 17, 2010.
Combs smoked from the age of fifteen until giving up when she was pregnant with her first child.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and television actress and producer whose roles have included a portrayal in Charmed
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
as Piper Halliwell
Piper Halliwell
Piper Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Piper is introduced in the series as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Holly Marie Combs throughout the...
and another in Picket Fences
Picket Fences
Picket Fences is a 60-minute American television drama about the residents of the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS television network in the United States...
, where she received a Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
for her role, as Kimberly Brock. She now stars in the ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
original series Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars (TV series)
Pretty Little Liars is an American mystery-thriller teen drama television series created by Marlene King. Based on the popular series of novels written by Sara Shepard, the show premiered on June 8, 2010 on ABC Family...
as Ella Montgomery.
Early life
Combs was born in San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. At the time of her birth, her mother, Lauralei Combs (née Berckhem), was sixteen years old and her father was seventeen. Combs' biological parents married, but the two split up after two years, feeling they were too young to make a marriage work. While Combs was learning to walk, she hit her head on a marble table, resulting in a scar over her right eyebrow. She went through many different homes with her mother, often having very little privacy, while her mother attempted to pursue an acting career. When Combs was seven, she and her mother moved to New York City. She was 12 when her mother married her stepfather. In New York City, Combs attended Beekman Hill Elementary and then the Professional Children's School
Professional Children's School
Professional Children's School is a not for profit, college preparatory school that was founded in New York City in 1914 to provide an education to young people working on the New York stage, in Vaudeville, or "on the road."-History:...
.
Career
Although she had a number of minor roles in the late 1980s, including a brief speaking part in Oliver StoneOliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
's Born on the Fourth of July
Born on the Fourth of July (film)
Born on the Fourth of July is a 1989 American film adaptation of the best selling autobiography of the same name by Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic. Tom Cruise plays Kovic, in a performance that earned him his first Academy Award nomination. Oliver Stone co-wrote the screenplay with Kovic, and also...
, Combs' major acting debut arrived in the 1992 TV drama series Picket Fences
Picket Fences
Picket Fences is a 60-minute American television drama about the residents of the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS television network in the United States...
. She auditioned for the role of Kimberly while she was in New York. The casting agent told her that she wasn't right for the part because she "didn't have a big enough heart." Combs retorted, "If you're looking for someone with a big heart, what the hell are you doing in New York?" She was later called back and offered the job. Picket Fences ran for four years, winning Combs critical acclaim and a Young Artist award.
In 1992, Combs made her appearance in Simple Men
Simple Men
Simple Men is a 1992 American film written and directed by Hal Hartley, starring Robert John Burke, Bill Sage, Karen Sillas and Martin Donovan. It was the debut film of actress Holly Marie Combs in a supporting role...
, Chain of Desire, and Dr. Giggles
Dr. Giggles
Dr. Giggles is a 1992 slasher film directed by Manny Coto, and starring Larry Drake as the titular antagonist and Holly Marie Combs as the protagonist. The film co-stars Cliff De Young and Glenn Quinn. It was released on October 23, 1992.-Plot summary:...
, in which she plays its protagonist, the 19-year-old daughter of Cliff De Young's character and girlfriend of Glenn Quinn's
Glenn Quinn
Glenn Martin Christopher Francis Quinn was an Irish actor in television and film, known for playing Mark Healy in the American sitcom Roseanne, and Doyle, a half-demon, on the 1999–2004 television series Angel, a spin-off series of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Early life:Quinn...
character, Jennifer Campbell.
In 1996, she starred alongside Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Lee Hannigan is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg in the cult classic television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Michelle Flaherty in three American Pie films, and Lily Aldrin on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.-Early life:Hannigan was born in...
and Tangi Miller
Tangi Miller
Tangi Miller is an American actress, model and dancer. As an actress she is known for the role of Elena Tyler on the popular television drama Felicity. In 2001 she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.-Early life:...
in a pilot called Friends for Life
Friends for Life (TV Pilot)
Friends for Life was a 1996 television pilot written and produced by Gary Janetti. It starred Holly Marie Combs, Alyson Hannigan and Tangi Miller as three best friends who have known each other since school.-External links:...
. The pilot wasn't picked up.
In 1997, she played real-life convicted murderess Diane Zamora
Diane Zamora
Diane Michelle Zamora , is a former United States Naval Academy midshipman who is serving a life sentence for her role in the December 4, 1995 murder of Adrianne Jones, a girl Zamora believed was a romantic rival for her boyfriend, David Graham..-Relationship with Graham:Friends and family of the...
in the television movie Swearing Allegiance
Swearing Allegiance
Swearing Allegiance is a 1997 American drama genre film based on real life incident of Diane Zamora in Texas...
, a far cry from her other good-girl roles. Combs was with her friend Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
when Doherty was given the pilot script for Charmed. Doherty took Combs along to the audition when Combs said she wanted to take part in the audition. Combs auditioned for the role of Prue Halliwell
Prue Halliwell
Prudence "Prue" Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. Prue is depicted as one of the featured leads as she fulfills her role as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time...
and Doherty for Piper Halliwell
Piper Halliwell
Piper Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Piper is introduced in the series as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Holly Marie Combs throughout the...
, but they ended up switching roles. Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
and Combs both became producers for Charmed
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
in the fourth season. For the first three seasons of Charmed (which debuted in 1998 and was a hit TV series, ending in May 2006), Combs played the second oldest of the three sisters. When the eldest, Doherty, left after the third season and Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan
Rose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
joined the cast for the fourth season, Combs played the eldest sister for the remaining five seasons of the show. All the while she was the youngest of all four actresses.
In 2008, Combs signed a contract with Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
to produce and star in a new TV series, Mistresses
Mistresses (2009 US TV series)
Mistresses is a Canadian TV series, based upon the original British show with the same name. It was shelved but was scheduled to be broadcast in January 2009 on Lifetime Television network and stars Holly Marie Combs, Brooke Burns, Rochelle Aytes, Sarah Glendening and Camille Sullivan. The story is...
which was originally scheduled to air in January 2009, but was not picked up.
Combs made her television comeback in June 2010 on ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
's new show Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars (TV series)
Pretty Little Liars is an American mystery-thriller teen drama television series created by Marlene King. Based on the popular series of novels written by Sara Shepard, the show premiered on June 8, 2010 on ABC Family...
. Combs plays Ella Montgomery, the mother of main character Aria Montgomery (played by Lucy Hale
Lucy Hale
Karen Lucille "Lucy" Hale is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Becca Sommers in Bionic Woman, Rose Baker in Privileged, Sherrie in the horror film Scream 4, and as Aria Montgomery on the hit ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars...
). The new series premiered on ABC Family June 8, 2010. Pretty Little Liars has been extended for another 12 episodes, making Season 1 a total of 22 episodes.
Combs attended Anaheim Comic Con with former Charmed co-stars Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
(Prue) and Victor Webster
Victor Webster
Victor Webster is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles as Brennan Mulwray in Mutant X and "Coop" on Charmed.-Life and career:...
(Coop) on April 17, 2010.
Personal life
In 1993, Combs married Bryan Travis Smith, they divorced in 1997. She then went on to marry former Charmed key-grip and long-time boyfriend David Donoho on February 14, 2004. They are the parents of three sons: Finley Arthur Donoho, (born April 26, 2004), Riley Edward Donoho, (born October 26, 2006) and Kelley James Donoho, (born May 26, 2009), all born by caesarian section (with Kelley being an emergency C-section). Combs kept her third pregnancy a secret due to it being high risk with a delivery at 35 weeks. Holly Marie Combs filed for divorce for her second marriage on November 11, 2011 blaming irreconcilable differences.Combs smoked from the age of fifteen until giving up when she was pregnant with her first child.
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Walls of Glass Walls of Glass Walls of Glass, also known as Flanagan is a 1985 comedy - romance film directed by Scott D. Goldstein, and starring Philip Bosco as the protagonist James Flanagan. The film was released on October 30, 1985.-Plot:... |
Abby Hall | Classmate |
| 1988 | Sweet Hearts Dance Sweet Hearts Dance Sweet Hearts Dance is a 1988 American comedy drama film directed by Robert Greenwald. The screenplay by Ernest Thompson centers on two small town couples, one married for several years and the other at the beginning of their relationship.... |
Dens Boon | |
| 1989 | New York Stories New York Stories New York Stories is a 1989 anthology film; it consists of three shorts with the central theme being New York City.The first is Life Lessons, directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Richard Price and starring Nick Nolte. The second is Life Without Zoë, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by... |
Helena, Costume Party Girl | |
| 1989 | Born on the Fourth of July Born on the Fourth of July (film) Born on the Fourth of July is a 1989 American film adaptation of the best selling autobiography of the same name by Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic. Tom Cruise plays Kovic, in a performance that earned him his first Academy Award nomination. Oliver Stone co-wrote the screenplay with Kovic, and also... |
Jenny Turner | |
| 1990 | Hotel Terror | Kristen Vast | Unreleased |
| 1991 | Nobody Can Hear You Scream | Melinda Ashwood | |
| 1992 | Simple Men Simple Men Simple Men is a 1992 American film written and directed by Hal Hartley, starring Robert John Burke, Bill Sage, Karen Sillas and Martin Donovan. It was the debut film of actress Holly Marie Combs in a supporting role... |
Kim Fields | |
| 1992 | Dr. Giggles Dr. Giggles Dr. Giggles is a 1992 slasher film directed by Manny Coto, and starring Larry Drake as the titular antagonist and Holly Marie Combs as the protagonist. The film co-stars Cliff De Young and Glenn Quinn. It was released on October 23, 1992.-Plot summary:... |
Jennifer Campbell | |
| 1992 | Chain Of Desire Chain of Desire Chain of Desire is an American 1992 drama - romance film directed by Temístocles López. The film was presented at the Turin Film Festival in November 1992 and was released in the USA on June 25, 1993.-Cast:* Mickey Cottrell - Procurer... |
Diana Richards | |
| 1994 | A Perfect Stranger Danielle Steel's A Perfect Stranger Danielle Steel's A Perfect Stranger, also known as A Perfect Stranger is a 1994 American romantic-drama film directed by Michael Miller, whose most important element is the love triangle which characterizes it. The special effects were created by Brock Jolliffe... |
Amanda Hale | |
| 1994 | Island City Island City (film) Island City is a science fiction television pilot movie that was aired by Prime Time Entertainment Network in 1994. The film was produced by Lee Rich Productions in association with Lorimar Television.... |
Erin Sloan | |
| 1995 | A Reason To Believe A Reason to Believe A Reason to Believe is an American 1995 drama independent film directed by Douglas Tirola. The film is set in Cincinnati, Ohio and was released on October 27, 1995.-Plot:... |
Sharon Digby | |
| 1995 | Speed Dating | Pam Thomas | Unreleased |
| 1995 | Evil in the Basement | Karen Ford | |
| 1996 | Sins of Silence Sins of Silence Sins of Silence, is an American 1997 drama - horror TV film directed by Sam Pillsbury, and starring Holly Marie Combs and Lindsay Wagner. The film is set in San Diego, California and was released on February 20, 1996 in the USA.-Plot:... |
Sophie DiMattio | |
| 1997 | Our Mother's Murder | Alex Morell | |
| 1997 | Love's Deadly Triangle: The Texas Cadet Murder | Diane Zamora | |
| 2001 | Ocean's Eleven Ocean's Eleven (2001 film) Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was... |
Herself | (Uncredited) |
| 2002 | Search For Odysseus | Bethany Campbell | (Non Release) |
| 2003 | See Jane Date See Jane Date See Jane Date is a romantic comedy film released on August 16, 2003 by ABC Family. It is based on the book of the same name, written by Melissa Senate.- Synopsis :... |
Natasha Nutley | |
| 2007 | Panic Button | Katherine Alden | aka Point of Entry |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Guiding Light Guiding Light Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009... |
Louisa Young | 2 episodes |
| 1991, 1994 | As the World Turns As the World Turns As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light... |
Denise Jones | 5 episodes |
| 1991 | Rockenwagner | Emma Jacobs-Smith | Unaired TV Pilot |
| 1992 | Mr Right | Penny Lenz | Unaired TV Pilot |
| 1992–1996 | Picket Fences Picket Fences Picket Fences is a 60-minute American television drama about the residents of the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS television network in the United States... |
Kimberly Brock | Received Young Actor's Award for role |
| 1996 | Friends for Life Friends for Life (TV Pilot) Friends for Life was a 1996 television pilot written and produced by Gary Janetti. It starred Holly Marie Combs, Alyson Hannigan and Tangi Miller as three best friends who have known each other since school.-External links:... |
Claire Webber | Unaired TV Pilot |
| 1997 | Relativity Relativity (TV series) Relativity is an American drama television series which followed a twenty-something couple, Isabel Lukens and Leo Roth , and the lives and loves of their friends and siblings... |
Anne Pryce | Guest star: Season 1, Episode 14 |
| 1998–2006 | Charmed Charmed Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M... |
Piper Halliwell Piper Halliwell Piper Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Piper is introduced in the series as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Holly Marie Combs throughout the... |
Main Role; Became series Producer in Season 5 |
| 2009 | Mistresses | Janey Satterfield | Unaired pilot |
| 2010–present | Pretty Little Liars Pretty Little Liars (TV series) Pretty Little Liars is an American mystery-thriller teen drama television series created by Marlene King. Based on the popular series of novels written by Sara Shepard, the show premiered on June 8, 2010 on ABC Family... |
Ella Montgomery | Aria's Mother |
Producer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–2006 | Charmed | Seasons 5–8 |
| 2009 | Mistresses | Co-Producer |
Writer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Mistress | Idea |