Kelly McGillis
Encyclopedia
Kelly Ann McGillis is an American actress. Her films include Top Gun
, The Accused, and Witness
, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination.
's Drama Division, where she performed in William Congreve
's Love for Love, directed by John Blatchley. She graduated in 1983 and began landing acting roles shortly thereafter. Her breakout role was that of an Amish
mother in the film Witness
with Harrison Ford
, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe award.
Her next high profile role was that of flight instructor, Charlie, in the 1986 fighter-pilot film Top Gun
with Tom Cruise
and Val Kilmer
. After 1988's The Accused, she appeared in Cat Chaser
with Peter Weller
, a film she despised and which discouraged her from pursuing an acting career. McGillis appeared in dozens of television and film roles throughout the 1990s before taking a break from acting for a few years.
In 2004, she appeared in the stage play The Graduate
as Mrs. Robinson, touring the United States. She began working in television again in 2006, then in 2007, she joined the cast of Showtime's The L Word
for its fifth season.
McGillis starred in a Pasadena Playhouse
stage production of Little Foxes
by Lillian Hellman
in May 2009, co-starring with Julia Duffy
.
McGillis has a role in the 2010 vampire film Stake Land
, directed by Jim Mickle. She stars alongside Debbie Rochon
and Danielle Harris
.
McGillis will next be featured in UniGlobe Entertainment's breast cancer docu-drama titled 1 a Minute scheduled for release in 2010. The docu-drama is being made by actress Namrata Singh Gujral
and will feature Olivia Newton-John
, Melissa Etheridge
, Namrata Singh Gujral
, Mumtaz
and Jaclyn Smith
, Diahann Carroll as well as William Baldwin
, Daniel Baldwin
and Priya Dutt
. The film will also star Bárbara Mori
, Lisa Ray
, Deepak Chopra
and Morgan Brittany
.
McGillis will also be appearing in a production of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune by Terrence McNally
, touring the United Kingdom in 2010. She stars in the upcoming Ti West
thriller film The Innkeepers
.
, the daughter of Virgina Joan (née
Snell), a homemaker, and Donald Manson McGillis, a general practitioner
of medicine. She married Boyd Black in 1979, divorcing in 1981. She married Fred Tillman in 1989, and they had two daughters: Kelsey and Sonora. The couple divorced in 2002.
In 1982, McGillis was assault
ed and rape
d in her own home by Leroy Johnson. This experience encouraged the actress to pursue her film role as the lawyer who supports Jodie Foster
's character in The Accused.
McGillis once owned Kelly's, a restaurant
in Key West, Florida
, that she and her ex-husband founded. Although the restaurant is still open, she says she is "no longer a part of that restaurant at all" since her second divorce, according to a 2006 TV interview on Good Day Sacramento.
McGillis came out as a lesbian in April 2009 during an interview with SheWired.com, an LGBT-oriented web site. She said that coming to terms with her sexual orientation has been an ongoing process since age 12, and she was long convinced that God was punishing her for being gay. In 2010, Kelly McGillis entered into a civil union at a ceremony in Collingswood, New Jersey
with Melanie Leis, a Philadelphia based sales executive; she and McGillis met in 2000 when Leis was a bartender at Kelly's. The couple live in Collingswood.
McGillis works full-time with drug addicts and alcoholics at Seabrook House Drug Alcohol Rehab Center, a rehabilitation center in Bridgeton, New Jersey
.
Top Gun
Top Gun may refer to:* Top Gun is a 1986 film starring Tom Cruise.**Top Gun , soundtrack to the movie**Top Gun , a number of games based on the movie...
, The Accused, and Witness
Witness (1985 film)
Witness is a 1985 American thriller film directed by Peter Weir and starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. The screenplay by William Kelley, Pamela Wallace, and Earl W...
, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination.
Career
McGillis attended the Juilliard SchoolJuilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
's Drama Division, where she performed in William Congreve
William Congreve
William Congreve was an English playwright and poet.-Early life:Congreve was born in Bardsey, West Yorkshire, England . His parents were William Congreve and his wife, Mary ; a sister was buried in London in 1672...
's Love for Love, directed by John Blatchley. She graduated in 1983 and began landing acting roles shortly thereafter. Her breakout role was that of an Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
mother in the film Witness
Witness (1985 film)
Witness is a 1985 American thriller film directed by Peter Weir and starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. The screenplay by William Kelley, Pamela Wallace, and Earl W...
with Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe award.
Her next high profile role was that of flight instructor, Charlie, in the 1986 fighter-pilot film Top Gun
Top Gun
Top Gun may refer to:* Top Gun is a 1986 film starring Tom Cruise.**Top Gun , soundtrack to the movie**Top Gun , a number of games based on the movie...
with Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
and Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a...
. After 1988's The Accused, she appeared in Cat Chaser
Cat Chaser
Cat Chaser is a 1989 film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Peter Weller and Kelly McGillis, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was adapted from the novel by Leonard and James Borelli....
with Peter Weller
Peter Weller
Peter Frederick Weller is an American film and stage actor, director and lecturer.He is best known for his roles as the title character in the first two RoboCop films and Buckaroo Banzai in the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension...
, a film she despised and which discouraged her from pursuing an acting career. McGillis appeared in dozens of television and film roles throughout the 1990s before taking a break from acting for a few years.
In 2004, she appeared in the stage play The Graduate
The Graduate
The Graduate is a 1967 American comedy-drama motion picture directed by Mike Nichols. It is based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The screenplay was by Buck Henry, who makes a cameo appearance as a hotel clerk, and Calder...
as Mrs. Robinson, touring the United States. She began working in television again in 2006, then in 2007, she joined the cast of Showtime's The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
for its fifth season.
McGillis starred in a Pasadena Playhouse
Pasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engagements each year.-History:...
stage production of Little Foxes
Little Foxes
Little Foxes is a book written by Michael Morpurgo in 1984.-Plot:Billy Bunch is an orphan who has had many foster families, but none of them have worked out. He is currently living with a foster mother in the suburbs of a city. They don't get on well, and at school Billy is not good at subjects,...
by Lillian Hellman
Lillian Hellman
Lillian Florence "Lily" Hellman was an American playwright, linked throughout her life with many left-wing causes...
in May 2009, co-starring with Julia Duffy
Julia Duffy
Julia Duffy is an American actress from Minneapolis, Minnesota, specializing in character roles, best known as the spoiled rich girl and Dick Loudon's inn maid, Stephanie Vanderkellen, on the 1980s sitcom, Newhart.-Career:Duffy's early caeer included parts in soap operas such as One Life to Live,...
.
McGillis has a role in the 2010 vampire film Stake Land
Stake Land
Stake Land is a 2010 American post-apocalyptic film directed by Jim Mickle. The plot depicts an orphaned young man being taken under the wing of a vampire hunter known as "Mister".-Cast:*Connor Paolo as Martin*Nick Damici as Mister...
, directed by Jim Mickle. She stars alongside Debbie Rochon
Debbie Rochon
Debbie Rochon is a Canadian B-movie actress and former stage performer, best known for her work in Troma films.-Biography:...
and Danielle Harris
Danielle Harris
Danielle Andrea Harris is an American film and television actress, best known as a scream queen for her roles in several horror films, four of them in the Halloween series: in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers as Jamie Lloyd and in Halloween and...
.
McGillis will next be featured in UniGlobe Entertainment's breast cancer docu-drama titled 1 a Minute scheduled for release in 2010. The docu-drama is being made by actress Namrata Singh Gujral
Namrata Singh Gujral
Namrata Singh Gujral born 26 February 1976 is an American actress.She is of Sikh faith and Indian as well as Tibetan descent. She was born in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh and is a 1998 graduate from the University of West Florida.-Roles:...
and will feature Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
, Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
, Namrata Singh Gujral
Namrata Singh Gujral
Namrata Singh Gujral born 26 February 1976 is an American actress.She is of Sikh faith and Indian as well as Tibetan descent. She was born in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh and is a 1998 graduate from the University of West Florida.-Roles:...
, Mumtaz
Mumtaz (actress)
Mumtaz , fondly called Mumu, is a famous Bollywood actress, best remembered for her roles in Tere Mere Sapne and Khilona . Her performance in Khilona got her the Filmfare Best Actress Award, while the film itself won the Filmfare Best Movie Award...
and Jaclyn Smith
Jaclyn Smith
Jacquelyn Ellen "Jaclyn" Smith is an American actress and businesswoman. She is best-known for the role of Kelly Garrett in the television series Charlie's Angels, and was the only original female lead to remain with the series for its complete run...
, Diahann Carroll as well as William Baldwin
William Baldwin
William Joseph "Billy" Baldwin is an American actor, producer, and writer, known for his starring roles in such films as Flatliners , Backdraft , Sliver , Fair Game , Virus , Double Bang , as Johnny 13 in Danny Phantom , Art Heist , The Squid and the Whale , as himself...
, Daniel Baldwin
Daniel Baldwin
Daniel Leroy Baldwin is an American actor, producer and director. He is the second oldest of the four Baldwin brothers, all of whom are actors. Daniel Baldwin is known for his role as Detective Beau Felton in the popular NBC TV series Homicide: Life on the Street...
and Priya Dutt
Priya Dutt
Priya Dutt Roncon is an Indian politician. She was first time elected to the 14th Lok Sabha from Mumbai North West constituency in Maharashtra on 22 November 2005, representing the Indian National Congress party...
. The film will also star Bárbara Mori
Bárbara Mori
Bárbara Mori Ochoa is a Mexican actress and model. She became famous for being the female lead in the Bollywood film, Kites....
, Lisa Ray
Lisa Ray
Lisa Ray , born 4 April 1972, is a Canadian actress and former model.-Early life:Lisa Ray was born in Toronto to a Bengali Indian father and a Polish mother and grew up in the suburb of Etobicoke...
, Deepak Chopra
Deepak Chopra
Deepak Chopra is an Indian medical doctor, public speaker, and writer on subjects such as spirituality, Ayurveda and mind-body medicine. Chopra began his career as an endocrinologist and later shifted his focus to alternative medicine. Chopra now runs his own medical center, with a focus on...
and Morgan Brittany
Morgan Brittany
Morgan Brittany is an American film and television actress. She is possibly best known for her role in the 1980s primetime soap opera Dallas, where she portrayed Katherine Wentworth, the scheming younger half-sister of Pamela Ewing and Cliff Barnes.-Early career:Under her birth name, Brittany...
.
McGillis will also be appearing in a production of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune by Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally is an American playwright who has received four Tony Awards, an Emmy, two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, the Lucille Lortel Award, the Hull-Warriner Award, and a citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been a member of the Council of the...
, touring the United Kingdom in 2010. She stars in the upcoming Ti West
Ti West
Ti West is an American film director, best known for his work in horror films.- Early life:West was born in Wilmington, Delaware. He was featured in a 2001 Fall issue of Teen People Magazine...
thriller film The Innkeepers
The Innkeepers (film)
The Innkeepers is a 2011 horror film written, directed, and edited by Ti West, starring Kelly McGillis, Pat Healy and Sara Paxton.-Cast:* Sara Paxton as Claire* Pat Healy as Luke* Kelly McGillis as Leanne Rease-Jones* George Riddle-Production:...
.
Personal life
McGillis was born in Newport Beach, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the daughter of Virgina Joan (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Snell), a homemaker, and Donald Manson McGillis, a general practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
of medicine. She married Boyd Black in 1979, divorcing in 1981. She married Fred Tillman in 1989, and they had two daughters: Kelsey and Sonora. The couple divorced in 2002.
In 1982, McGillis was assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
ed and rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d in her own home by Leroy Johnson. This experience encouraged the actress to pursue her film role as the lawyer who supports Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
's character in The Accused.
McGillis once owned Kelly's, a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
in Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, that she and her ex-husband founded. Although the restaurant is still open, she says she is "no longer a part of that restaurant at all" since her second divorce, according to a 2006 TV interview on Good Day Sacramento.
McGillis came out as a lesbian in April 2009 during an interview with SheWired.com, an LGBT-oriented web site. She said that coming to terms with her sexual orientation has been an ongoing process since age 12, and she was long convinced that God was punishing her for being gay. In 2010, Kelly McGillis entered into a civil union at a ceremony in Collingswood, New Jersey
Collingswood, New Jersey
Collingswood is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 13,926....
with Melanie Leis, a Philadelphia based sales executive; she and McGillis met in 2000 when Leis was a bartender at Kelly's. The couple live in Collingswood.
McGillis works full-time with drug addicts and alcoholics at Seabrook House Drug Alcohol Rehab Center, a rehabilitation center in Bridgeton, New Jersey
Bridgeton, New Jersey
Bridgeton is a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States, in the south part of the state, on the Cohansey River, near Delaware Bay. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 25,349. It is the county seat of Cumberland County...
.
Filmography
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reuben, Reuben Reuben, Reuben Reuben, Reuben is a 1983 comedy drama film. It stars Tom Conti, Kelly McGillis, Roberts Blossom, Cynthia Harris, and Joel Fabiani.The film was adapted by Julius J. Epstein from the play Spofford by Herman Shumlin, which in turn was adapted from the novel Reuben, Reuben by Peter De Vries. It was... |
1983 | Geneva Spofford | |
| Sweet Revenge | 1984 | Katherine Dennison Breen | Television film |
| One Life to Live One Life to Live One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social... |
1984 | Glenda Lingston #1 | |
| Witness Witness (1985 film) Witness is a 1985 American thriller film directed by Peter Weir and starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. The screenplay by William Kelley, Pamela Wallace, and Earl W... |
1985 | Rachel | |
| Private Sessions | 1985 | Jennifer Coles | |
| Top Gun Top Gun Top Gun may refer to:* Top Gun is a 1986 film starring Tom Cruise.**Top Gun , soundtrack to the movie**Top Gun , a number of games based on the movie... |
1986 | Charlie | |
| Santabear's First Christmas | 1986 | Narrator | Television film |
| Ha-Holmim | 1987 | Anda | |
| Made in Heaven Made in Heaven (film) Made in Heaven is a 1987 feature film directed by Alan Rudolph, script from Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon, and produced by Lorimar Productions. The film stars Timothy Hutton and Kelly McGillis and has cameos by Tom Petty, Ric Ocasek, Ellen Barkin and Neil Young... |
1987 | Annie Packert / Ally Chandler | |
| Santabear's High Flying Adventure | 1987 | Missy Bear | Television short |
| 1988 | Emily | ||
| 1988 | Kathryn Murphy | ||
| Rabbit Ears: Thumbelina | 1989 | Storyteller | Release direct-to-video |
| Winter People Winter People Winter People is a 1989 romantic drama film directed by Ted Kotcheff. It stars Kurt Russell and Kelly McGillis.The film is based on the novel by John Ehle. Wayland Jackson, a widower with a young daughter, moves to a small, impoverished mountain village in North Carolina, circa 1934... |
1989 | Collie Wright | |
| Cat Chaser Cat Chaser Cat Chaser is a 1989 film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Peter Weller and Kelly McGillis, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was adapted from the novel by Leonard and James Borelli.... |
1989 | Mary Deboya | |
| Grand Isle Grand Isle (film) Grand Isle is a 1991 film directed by Mary Lambert. It is based on the early feminist novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin, first published in 1899. It starred Kelly McGillis as Edna Pontellier, Jon DeVries as Léonce Pontellier and Adrian Pasdar as Robert Lebrun.... |
1991 | Edna Pontellier | |
| Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing | 1992 | Mrs. Winston Hope | Television film, uncredited |
| 1992 | Claire Hodgson Ruth | ||
| Bonds of Love | 1993 | Rose Parks | Television film |
| In the Best of Families: Marriage, Pride & Madness | 1994 | Susie Lynch | Television film |
| North North (film) North is an American 1994 comedy film directed by Rob Reiner, and starring Elijah Wood, Bruce Willis, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dan Aykroyd, Reba McEntire, and Alan Arkin... |
1994 | Amish mom | |
| Dark Eyes | 1995 | Mila McGann | Television pilot |
| Remember Me | 1995 | Menly Nichols | Television film |
| We the Jury | 1996 | Alyce Bell | Television film |
| 1997 | Dr. Jean Ferrami | Television film | |
| Painted Angels Painted Angels Painted Angels is a film by Jon Sanders starring Brenda Fricker, Kelly McGillis, Meret Becker, Bronagh Gallagher, Lisa Jakub and Anna Mottram.... |
1998 | Nettie | |
| Storm Chasers: Revenge of the Twister | 1998 | Jamie Marshall | Television film |
| Perfect Prey | 1998 | Audrey Macleah | Television film |
| Ground Control Ground Control (film) Ground Control is a 1998 disaster thriller film starring Kiefer Sutherland.-Synopsis:Chicago air traffic controller Jack Harris, though cleared of responsibility for a major Transair crash, killing all 174 aboard, gives up the job and designs air control software. Five years later, his... |
1998 | Susan Stratton | |
| At First Sight At First Sight At First Sight is a 1999 American film starring Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino, based on the essay To See and Not to See in neurologist Oliver Sacks' book An Anthropologist on Mars and inspired by the true life story of Shirl Jennings.-Plot:... |
1999 | Jennie Adamson | |
| 1999 | Fake Barbara/Ellie | ||
| 2000 | Winema | Episode: "Pack of Thornberrys" | |
| 2000 | Nicole Whitley | Episode: "Final Appeal" | |
| 2000 | Professor Diana Maitland | ||
| Buzz Lightyear of Star Command Buzz Lightyear of Star Command Buzz Lightyear of Star Command is an American animated science fiction/adventure/comedy series produced by Walt Disney Television. The character is from the planet Zurtron. The series originally aired on UPN and ABC from October 2000 to January 2001 as part of Disney's One Saturday Morning... |
2000 | Gorgeous woman | Episode: "Planet of the Lost" |
| Morgan's Ferry Morgan's Ferry Morgan's Ferry is a 2001 American film starring Billy Zane, Henry Rollins, Kelly McGillis, Roscoe Lee Browne, Johnny Galecki, Muse Watson and directed by Sam Pillsbury.... |
2001 | Vonnie Carpenter | |
| No One Can Hear You | 2001 | Trish Burchall | |
| Cold Shoulder | 2006 | Television film | |
| Black Widower | 2006 | Nancy Westveld | Television film |
| Supergator Supergator Supergator is a 2007 horror film from Roger Corman starring Brad Johnson and Kelly McGillis. The music was by Damon Ebner.-Background:After Corman produced Dinocroc in 2004, he wanted to creat a sequel to be named Dinocroc 2. However, Sci-Fi Channel turned down the project after claiming that... |
2007 | Kim Taft | Released direct-to-video |
| 2008 | Colonel Gillian Davis | Episodes: "Lay Down the Law" and "Lesbians Gone Wild" | |
| Stake Land Stake Land Stake Land is a 2010 American post-apocalyptic film directed by Jim Mickle. The plot depicts an orphaned young man being taken under the wing of a vampire hunter known as "Mister".-Cast:*Connor Paolo as Martin*Nick Damici as Mister... |
2010 | Sister | |
| 1 a Minute | 2010 | Narrator | |
| 2011 | Leanne Rease-Jones | ||
| What Could Have Been | 2011 | Catherine | post-production |
| Tio Papi | 2012 | Elizabeth Warden | post-production |