Kelly Monaco
Birth nameKelly Marie Monaco
Birth dateMay 23, 1976 (age 50)
Birth placePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
OccupationActress, model
Years active1997–present
PartnerMike Gonzalez (1991–2009)
AwardsSee below
Kelly Monaco
IssueApril 1997
Height5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)[1]
PrecededJennifer Miriam
SucceededLynn Thomas

Kelly Marie Monaco (born May 23, 1976)[1] is an American actress, model, and reality television personality, best known for her portrayal of Sam McCall on the ABC soap opera General Hospital and as the first season winner of the reality TV competition series Dancing with the Stars. Monaco was also Playboy "Playmate of the Month" for April 1997, and portrayed Livvie Locke on the soap opera Port Charles from 2000 through 2003.

Early life and education

Kelly Monaco was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,[2] to Albert "Al" and Carmina Monaco. She is the middle child[3] and has four sisters.[4] The family moved to the Poconos, where she attended Pocono Mountain High School and took her first acting classes.[5] After high school, she worked as a lifeguard at a local resort[5] and attended Northampton Community College for two years.[3]

Career

Early modeling

In 1996, Monaco sent her photo to Playboy.[6] As a result, she became the Playmate of the Month for April 1997.[3][7] Throughout her tenure with Playboy in the 1990s,[3] Monaco was also featured in several Playboy Special Edition publications.[8]

Acting and reality television

Monaco's first television role was in the drama Baywatch[7] from 1997 to 1998.[3] In addition to playing the role of Susan on the show, she was also Carmen Electra's body double at times,[3] as Electra could not swim.[9] Monaco also had minor roles in the late 1990s films BASEketball, Idle Hands, and Mumford.

Monaco played Olivia "Livvie" Locke Morley (1999–2003) in the ABC soap opera Port Charles, as well as Livvie's magically created doppelganger Tess Ramsey (2002–03). When that program ended, she joined the cast of the ABC soap opera General Hospital, of which Port Charles had been a spinoff, as Samantha McCall[10] in October 2003.

In 2003, Monaco was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role on Port Charles. In 2006, she was again nominated for a Daytime Emmy, this time for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Sam McCall on General Hospital.[3] In 2006, Monaco also co-hosted the 33rd Annual Daytime Emmys,[7] with Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron.

In March 2009, Monaco was chosen by Donald Trump and Paula Shugart to be one of the judges for the 2009 Miss USA pageant.[7]

Monaco starred on the E! reality television series Dirty 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 ABC reality-television series Dancing with the Stars, during its first 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 a wardrobe 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 until season 6 when Kristi Yamaguchi won.

Monaco appeared in a Maxim 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 with Peepshow, a burlesque act directed by Tony Award-winning director Jerry Mitchell, that plays at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Monaco starred as Bo Peep, a precocious character who discovers her sexuality throughout the show.[17] Monaco starred alongside singer and fellow Dancing with the Stars contestant Melanie Brown,[18] until June 2009, when Monaco's contract expired and she was replaced by Holly Madison.[19] The same year, Monaco was named Maxim's number one sexiest cover model of the decade.[20]

On July 27, 2012, it was announced that Monaco would be participating in the fifteenth season of Dancing with the Stars for a chance to win a second mirrorball trophy.[21] This time she was partnered with Valentin Chmerkovskiy. After making the finals for a second time, Monaco finished in third place on November 27, 2012.

In November 2017, Monaco returned to twenty fifth season of Dancing with the Stars in week eight,[22] to participate in a trio rumba with Terrell Owens and his professional partner Cheryl Burke.[23]

On August 26, 2024. Soap Opera Network announced Monaco had been fired from General Hospital following a network decision to "terminate her character".[24]

Charity work

In July 2009, Monaco and several other daytime celebrities traveled to Kenya, Africa, as a part of the Feed 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 her General Hospital co-stars volunteered to help beautify a school in Los Angeles.[26]

Personal life

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 attended Northampton 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 the Planet Hollywood Las Vegas was ransacked by burglars.[29]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1998BASEketballSharon[2]
1998Welcome to HollywoodBaywatch Woman Guard
1999Idle HandsTiffany[3]
1999MumfordLandlady's Daughter[3]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1997–1998BaywatchModel flying Kite / Model at Photoshoot / Rookie Lifeguard SusanEpisodes: "The Choice", "Quarantine", "Diabolique"
1999Late Last NightCenterfold ElainaTelevision movie
2000–2003Port CharlesLivvie Locke /
Tess Ramsey		Main role; July 7, 2000 – October 3, 2003
Role: October 1, 2002 – March 25, 2003
2001Spin CityNurseEpisode: "A Shot in the Dark: Part 1"
2003–2024General HospitalSam McCall /
Alicia Montenegro		Series regular; October 1, 2003 – November 1, 2024
Role: July – August 2005
2005, 2012Dancing with the StarsHerselfContestant: Season 1 & 15
2011Dirty SoapHerselfMain cast
2011The Edge of the GardenJulieTelevision movie[30]
2015Baby DaddyKelly MonacoEpisode: "Over My Dead Bonnie"

Awards and nominations

List of acting awards and nominations
YearAwardCategoryTitleResultRef.
2003Daytime Emmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesPort Charles
[31]
2006Daytime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesGeneral Hospital
[32]
2020Soap Hub AwardsFavorite General Hospital ActressGeneral Hospital
[33]
2021Soap Hub AwardsFavorite General Hospital ActressGeneral Hospital
[34]

References

  1. ^ "Playmate Data Sheet". Playboy. April 1997.
  2. ^ "Today's Girl Kelly Monaco". Maxim. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  3. ^ "Kelly Monaco Biography". A+E Television Networks. www.biography.com. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  4. ^ Dirty Soap - "As the Ex Returns" (October 23, 2011) episode.
  5. ^ "Kelly Marie Monaco". Playboy. playboy.com. 1997-04-01. Archived from the original on November 15, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  6. ^ Burton, Alex (November 12, 2012). Star. pp. 48-49.
  7. ^ "Kelly Monaco: Biography". TV Guide. tvguide.com. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  8. ^ DOSTIS, MELANIE. "Where are they now: '90s Playboy playmates - NY Daily News". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2018-09-12.
  9. ^ Kelly Monaco, John Salley (2011-11-17). Dancing with the Stars - Kelly Monaco Interview (Internet). Game On! with John Salley: www.reelz.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-10.
  10. ^ Kroll, Dan J. (2003-08-27). "Monaco stays in PC and joins GH cast". SoapCentral. Archived from the original on 2012-10-03. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  11. ^ "First Look at DIRTY SOAP". SoapOperaDiegst.com. 2011-08-27. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  12. ^ Coleridge, Daniel R. (2005-06-13). "Dancing Queen Sounds Off". TV Guide. tvguide.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  13. ^ "2005's Top 10 Style Moments: 7. Kelly's Wardrobe Malfunction.". People. People. Archived March 4, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  14. ^ Dahl, Oscar (2007-01-02). "Dancing with the Stars and Wardrobe Malfunctions: A Conspiracy Theory". Buddy TV. buddytv.com. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  15. ^ "Kelly Monaco's Maxim Cover Shoot". Maxim. maxim.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  16. ^ "2006 Hot 100". Maxim. maxim.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  17. ^ Playmate News. Playboy magazine. March 2009. Page 114.
  18. ^ Gray, Mark (2008-11-18). "Mel B & Kelly Monaco to Star in Topless Vegas Show". People. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  19. ^ Gray, Mark (2009-05-14). "Holly Madison to Replace Kelly Monaco in Sexy Vegas Show". People. People. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  20. ^ "Maxim's 12 Sexiest Covers of the Decade". Maxim. maxim.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  21. ^ Shira, Dahvi (2012-07-27). "Dancing with the Stars All-Star Cast Revealed". People. People. Archived from the original on 2012-07-29. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  22. ^ Montgomery, Daniel (2 November 2017). "'Dancing with the Stars' trio dances will invite back Kelly Monaco, Alfonso Ribeiro, Laurie Hernandez, Corbin Bleu". goldderby.com. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  23. ^ Brozyna, Emily (2 November 2017). "'Dancing with the Stars' trio dances will invite back Kelly Monaco, Alfonso Ribeiro, Laurie Hernandez, Corbin Bleu". J-14.com. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  24. ^ Lewis, Errol (August 26, 2024). "BREAKING NEWS: Kelly Monaco OUT at General Hospital – EXCLUSIVE". Soap Opera Network. Archived August 27, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  25. ^ Fairman, Michael (2009-06-29). "Susan Lucci, Anthony Geary and Kelly Monaco to Kenya for 'Daytime Gives Back' Daytime Emmy telecast and Feed the Children!". Michael Fairman On Soaps. michaelfairmansoaps.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  26. ^ "Soap Nation: iParticipate Additions!". Soap Net. soapnet.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  27. ^ "Kelly Monaco Negates Dating Rumors; True about Not Having A Boyfriend?". LIVERAMPUP. Retrieved 2018-09-12.
  28. ^ "Kelly Monaco Was Devastated After Break-Up". starpulse.com. 2010-07-21. Archived from the original on 2012-04-27. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  29. ^ Jovie Baclayon (2009-04-27). "DWTS Champ Kelly Monaco Uses Smooth Moves to Avoid Robber". E!. eonline.com. Archived 2011-06-29 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  30. ^ Edge of the Garden Archived 2011-02-24 at the Wayback Machine Hallmark Channel. accessed September 25, 2011.
  31. ^ "Nominees for Daytime Emmys". USA Today. Tysons Corner, Virginia: Gannett Company. Associated Press. March 12, 2003. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  32. ^ "The 33rd Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award Nominations". New York, New York: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. February 8, 2006. Archived from the original on May 19, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  33. ^ Montgomery, Daniel (September 2, 2020). "1st Annual Soap Hub Awards decided by fans honored 'Days of Our Lives,' Steve Burton, Sharon Case and more". Gold Derby. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  34. ^ Montgomery, Daniel (September 2, 2020). "1st Annual Soap Hub Awards decided by fans honored 'Days of Our Lives,' Steve Burton, Sharon Case and more". Gold Derby. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved September 3, 2020.