Kelly Monaco | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kelly Marie Monaco (1976-05-23)May 23, 1976 (age 49) Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, model |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Partner | Mike Gonzalez (1991–2009) |
| Awards | See below |
| Playboycenterfold appearance | |
| April 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Jennifer Miriam |
| Succeeded by | Lynn Thomas |
| Personal details | |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)[1] |
| Signature | |
 | |
Kelly Marie Monaco (born May 23, 1976)[1] is an American actress, model, andreality television personality, best known for her portrayal ofSam McCall on theABCsoap operaGeneral Hospital and as thefirst season winner of the reality TV competition seriesDancing with the Stars. Monaco was alsoPlayboy "Playmate of the Month" for April 1997, and portrayedLivvie Locke on the soap operaPort Charles from 2000 through 2003.
Kelly Monaco was born inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania,[2] to Albert "Al" and Carmina Monaco. She is the middle child[3] and has four sisters.[4] The family moved to thePoconos, where she attendedPocono Mountain High School and took her first acting classes.[5] After high school, she worked as a lifeguard at a local resort[5] and attendedNorthampton Community College for two years.[3]
In 1996, Monaco sent her photo toPlayboy.[6] As a result, she became thePlaymate of the Month for April 1997.[3][7] Throughout her tenure withPlayboy in the 1990s,[3] Monaco was also featured in severalPlayboy Special Edition publications.[8]
Monaco's first television role was in the dramaBaywatch[7] from 1997 to 1998.[3] In addition to playing the role of Susan on the show, she was alsoCarmen Electra'sbody double at times,[3] as Electra could not swim.[9] Monaco also had minor roles in the late 1990s filmsBASEketball,Idle Hands, andMumford.
Monaco playedOlivia "Livvie" Locke Morley (1999–2003) in theABC soap operaPort Charles, as well as Livvie's magically created doppelgangerTess Ramsey (2002–03). When that program ended, she joined the cast of the ABC soap operaGeneral Hospital, of whichPort Charles had been a spinoff, asSamantha McCall[10] in October 2003.
In 2003, Monaco was nominated for aDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role onPort Charles. In 2006, she was again nominated for a Daytime Emmy, this time forOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Sam McCall onGeneral Hospital.[3] In 2006, Monaco also co-hosted the 33rd Annual Daytime Emmys,[7] withDancing with the Stars hostTom Bergeron.
In March 2009, Monaco was chosen byDonald Trump and Paula Shugart to be one of the judges for the2009 Miss USA pageant.[7]
Monaco starred on theE! reality television seriesDirty Soap, which premiered on September 25, 2011.[11]
She was a cast member, and the season winner along with her professional partner,Alec Mazo, on the ABCreality-television seriesDancing with the Stars, during itsfirst season in 2005. Although she initially faced tough criticism from the judges, she maintained a positive outlook throughout the series.[12] Among the events she experienced before her victory was awardrobe malfunction in which the skimpy strap on her dress came apart during a Latin dance number.[13][14] Monaco remained the only female to win the competition untilseason 6 whenKristi Yamaguchi won.
Monaco appeared in aMaxim cover feature in 2005,[15] and the magazine also placed her at #13 on their annual Hot 100 List in 2006.[16]
In February 2009, Monaco expanded her dancing résumé withPeepshow, aburlesque act directed byTony Award-winning directorJerry Mitchell, that plays at thePlanet Hollywood Resort and Casino inLas Vegas. Monaco starred as Bo Peep, a precocious character who discovers her sexuality throughout the show.[17] Monaco starred alongside singer and fellowDancing with the Stars contestantMelanie Brown,[18] until June 2009, when Monaco's contract expired and she was replaced byHolly Madison.[19] The same year, Monaco was namedMaxim's number one sexiest cover model of the decade.[20]
On July 27, 2012, it was announced that Monaco would be participating in thefifteenth season ofDancing with the Stars for a chance to win a second mirrorball trophy.[21] This time she was partnered withValentin Chmerkovskiy. After making the finals for a second time, Monaco finished in third place on November 27, 2012.
In November 2017, Monaco returned totwenty fifth season ofDancing with the Stars in week eight,[22] to participate in a triorumba withTerrell Owens and his professional partnerCheryl Burke.[23]
On August 26, 2024.Soap Opera Network announced Monaco had been fired fromGeneral Hospital following a network decision to "terminate her character".[24]
In July 2009, Monaco and several other daytime celebrities traveled toKenya, Africa, as a part of theFeed the Children program, delivering food and other supplies and visiting schools and orphanages built by Feed the Children.[7][25]
On October 24, 2009, as part of the iParticipate campaign, Monaco and several of herGeneral Hospital co-stars volunteered to help beautify a school in Los Angeles.[26]
When Monaco was a junior in high school, she met Mike Gonzalez and began a relationship with him.[6] They worked together as lifeguards at a local resort and attendedNorthampton Community College together.[27] They remained together for 18 years.[6][28] They broke up in 2009.[28]
On April 25, 2009, Monaco's apartment at thePlanet Hollywood Las Vegas was ransacked by burglars.[29]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | BASEketball | Sharon | [2] |
| 1998 | Welcome to Hollywood | Baywatch Woman Guard | |
| 1999 | Idle Hands | Tiffany | [3] |
| 1999 | Mumford | Landlady's Daughter | [3] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–1998 | Baywatch | Model flying Kite / Model at Photoshoot / Rookie Lifeguard Susan | Episodes: "The Choice", "Quarantine", "Diabolique" |
| 1999 | Late Last Night | Centerfold Elaina | Television movie |
| 2000–2003 | Port Charles | Livvie Locke / Tess Ramsey | Main role; July 7, 2000 – October 3, 2003 Role: October 1, 2002 – March 25, 2003 |
| 2001 | Spin City | Nurse | Episode: "A Shot In The Dark: Part 1" |
| 2003–2024 | General Hospital | Sam McCall / Alicia Montenegro | Series regular; October 1, 2003 – November 1, 2024 Role: July – August 2005 |
| 2005, 2012 | Dancing with the Stars | Herself | Contestant:Season 1 &15 |
| 2011 | Dirty Soap | Herself | Main cast |
| 2011 | The Edge of the Garden | Julie | Television movie[30] |
| 2015 | Baby Daddy | Kelly Monaco | Episode: "Over My Dead Bonnie" |
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Port Charles | Nominated | |
| 2006 | Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | General Hospital | Nominated | |
| 2020 | Soap Hub Awards | Favorite General Hospital Actress | General Hospital | Nominated | |
| 2021 | Soap Hub Awards | Favorite General Hospital Actress | General Hospital | Nominated |
