Kelly McGillis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kelly McGillis
KellyMcGillisSept10TIFF.jpg
McGillis at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival
Born (1957-07-09) July 9, 1957 (age 64)
Newport Beach, California, U.S.
EducationAllan Hancock College
Juilliard School (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1976–present
Notable work
Filmography
Spouse(s)
Boyd Black
​
​
(m. 1979; div. 1981)​

Fred Tillman
​
​
(m. 1989; div. 2002)​

Melanie Leis
​
​
(m. 2010; dissolution 2011)​
Children2

Kelly McGillis (born July 9, 1957) is an American stage and screen actress widely known for her film roles, such as Rachel Lapp in Witness (1985) with Harrison Ford, for which she received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations; Charlie in Top Gun (1986) with Tom Cruise; Made in Heaven (1987) with Timothy Hutton; The House on Carroll Street (1988) with Jeff Daniels and Jessica Tandy; and as Kathryn Murphy in The Accused (1988) with Jodie Foster.[1]

Early life[]

McGillis was born on July 9, 1957, in Newport Beach, California, the daughter of Virginia Joan (née Snell), a homemaker, and Dr. Donald Manson McGillis, a doctor.[2][3] McGillis is of Scots-Irish descent from her father's side, and German from her mother, and Welsh also.[4] She attended Newport Harbor High School.

McGillis was raised in Los Angeles, and attended the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California.[5] After getting her GED after dropping out of high school in 1975, she moved to New York City to study acting at the Juilliard School,[6] where she graduated in 1983, Group 12.[5][7]

Career[]

Film[]

After making her film debut in Reuben, Reuben[8] in 1983, McGillis' breakout role was that of an Amish mother in Witness (1985) for which she received Golden Globe and BAFTA award nominations. Her next high-profile role was that of flight instructor Charlotte Blackwood (call sign "Charlie") in the 1986 fighter-pilot film Top Gun.[9]

In 1987, McGillis acted in the fantasy-comedy film Made in Heaven, directed by Alan Rudolph, which was produced by Lorimar Productions.[10]

McGillis played the part of caretaker for Miss Venable (Jessica Tandy) in 1988's The House on Carroll Street, which also starred Jeff Daniels. She overhears a suspicious conversation in the house next door and suspects that she's stumbled on a conspiracy to smuggle Nazi war criminals into the United States.

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.[11][12] McGillis appeared in dozens of television and film roles throughout the 1990s before taking a break from acting for a few years.

McGillis played the part of Babe Ruth's second wife, Claire Merritt Ruth, in The Babe (1992). From the late-1980s to the mid-1990s, McGillis appeared in Winter People (1989), and North (1994), her second Amish part in television or film, as well as several made-for-TV films.

In 1999, McGillis co-starred with Val Kilmer (who plays Virgil, a blind man), for a second time as his over protective sister in At First Sight.[13]

She played the suspect in the disappearance of a young woman starring Susie Porter in The Monkey's Mask, an international lesbian cult film from 2000. The film is based on the verse novel of the same name by Australian poet Dorothy Porter.[14]

Television[]

McGillis' early television roles included a part on the daytime soap One Life to Live in 1984.

She starred in the 1984 television movie Sweet Revenge (also known as Bittersweet Revenge) with Alec Baldwin.[15]

Other television films during the 1980s included Private Sessions in 1985, and as a narrator in Santabear's First Christmas. She also narrated the documentary Out of Ireland for PBS in 1995.

Stage[]

While at Juilliard she performed in William Congreve's Love for Love, directed by John Bletchley.[16] She appeared in a couple of off-broadway and Broadway theater productions during the 1980s in New York City.

During the late-1980s[17] and through the mid-2000s, McGillis was a featured actress at the prestigious Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC.[18] In 2002, she appeared in production of John Webber's play "The Duchess of Malfi" at the Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, DC.

In 2004, she appeared in the stage play The Graduate as Mrs. Robinson, touring the United States.[19] McGillis starred in a Pasadena Playhouse stage production of The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman in May 2009, co-starring with Julia Duffy.[20]

Her stage work includes: Don Juan (1982), The Sea Gull (1985), Peccadillo (1985), The Merchant of Venice (1988), Twelfth Night (1989), Mary Stuart (1990), The Merry Wives of Windsor (1990), Hedda Gabler (1994), Mourning Becomes Electra (1997), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), Measure for Measure (1999) and The Graduate (2004), together with additional roles in Love for Love, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Three Sisters and The Winter's Tale.

She also appeared in a production of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune by Terrence McNally, which toured the United Kingdom in 2010.[21]

Return to film and TV[]

She began working in television again in 2006, then in 2007 joined the cast of Showtime's The L Word for its fifth season.[22]

She had a role in the 2010 vampire film Stake Land,[23] directed by Jim Mickle,[24] starring alongside Nick Damici, Connor Paolo and Danielle Harris.[25]

McGillis was featured in a breast cancer docu-drama titled 1 a Minute, released in 2010.[26]

She starred in Ti West's 2011 thriller The Innkeepers[27], We Are What We Are and Tio Papi in 2013, Grand Street, Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio (which was McGillis' third Amish-themed film), Z Nation, and an episode of Sisters of Mercy in 2014, and Blue in 2015.

An Uncommon Grace on Hallmark Channel was McGillis' fourth Amish themed film.[28] and she had the lead role in Mother of All Secrets (filmed in Bermuda) in 2017 as Rose Lewis.[29][30][31]

Forthcoming[]

McGillis has been cast in the lead role in the biographical film Annie Cook.[32]

Personal life[]

McGillis married fellow Juilliard student Boyd Black in 1979, but the couple divorced in 1981.[33] She married Fred Tillman in 1989, and they have two daughters, Kelsey and Sonora.[34] The couple divorced in 2002.

In 1982, McGillis was raped by two men in her New York apartment. Leroy Johnson who was 15 years old at the time was sentenced to three years in prison, but the other assailant had all charges dropped due to a lack of corroborative evidence.[35]

McGillis came out as a lesbian in 2009 during an interview with SheWired.[36][37] In 2010, McGillis entered into a civil union with Melanie Leis, a Philadelphia sales executive; she and McGillis met in 2000 when Leis was a bartender at Kelly's Caribbean Bar Grill & Brewery[38] in Key West, Florida,[39] which McGillis owned with her then-husband Fred Tillman.[40] They sold the restaurant in June 2017. Leis and McGillis broke up in 2011.[citation needed]

McGillis worked full-time with drug addicts and alcoholics at Seabrook House Drug Alcohol Rehab Center, a rehabilitation center in Bridgeton, New Jersey, when she and Leis shared a home in Collingswood.[41]

McGillis currently lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina. As of 2013, she taught acting at the New York Studio for Stage and Screen NYS3 in Asheville, North Carolina.[42]

June 2016 home invasion[]

McGillis was left scratched and bruised after being reportedly assaulted by a woman who broke into her North Carolina home on June 17, 2016.[43] She said the attack, as well as others she has experienced in the past, led her to apply for a concealed carry gun permit to protect herself. Following the incident, a 38-year-old woman, Laurence Marie Dorn, was charged with second-degree burglary, misdemeanor larceny, misdemeanor stalking, assault and battery, and interfering with emergency communication.[43] Dorn was later convicted of misdemeanor breaking and entering.[44]

Filmography[]

Main article: Kelly McGillis filmography

References[]

  1. ^ "Cover Story: Memoir of a Brief Time in Hell – Vol. 30 No. 20". People. November 14, 1988. Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  2. ^ "Kelly McGillis Biography (1957-)". filmreference.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
  3. ^ "Miss Snell Picks Date". Los Angeles Times. December 10, 1955. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  4. ^ Kelly McGillis 'Out Of Ireland' - PBS
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Stark, John (February 18, 1985). "Kelly McGillis Plays the Amish Love of Harrison Ford in Witness—and Kisses Waitressing Goodbye". People. Archived from the original on November 20, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  6. ^ McGillis, Kelly (November 14, 1988). "Memoir of a Brief Time in Hell". People. Archived from the original on April 23, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  7. ^ Cruz, Alicia (May 23, 2011). "'Top Gun' actress Kelly McGillis working for N.J. rehab, enjoying life". NewJerseyNewsRoom.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2013.
  8. ^ Simpson, Paul (May 26, 2011). Movie Lists: 397 Ways to Pick a DVD. Profile Books. ISBN 978-1847653550. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ "Lesser-known facts about 'Top Gun' that will take your breath away". NY Daily News. Archived from the original on May 21, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  10. ^ Ebert, Roger. "Made in Heaven Movie Review & Film Summary (1987) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  11. ^ Hasted, Nick (March 29, 2001). "Kelly McGillis: The star who threw herself to earth". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 24, 2011.
  12. ^ Davis, Steven Paul (2001). The A-Z of Cult Films and Film-makers. Batsford. ISBN 978-0-7134-8704-6.
  13. ^ "Val Kilmer - At First Sight - Interview with Mr. Showbiz". December 21, 2005. Archived from the original on December 21, 2005. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  14. ^ Scott, A. O. (July 27, 2001). "FILM IN REVIEW; 'The Monkey's Mask'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  15. ^ "Sweet Revenge (1984 TV Movie) Release Info". IMDb. Amazon.com. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  16. ^ Stotsky 2000, p. 262.
  17. ^ Rich, Frank (October 4, 1989). "Review/Theater; Kelly McGillis Stars In 'Twelfth Night'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  18. ^ "Patrick Page and Kelly McGillis Are Mr. and Mrs. Macbeth at DC's Shakespeare Theatre Aug. 31 | Playbill". Playbill. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  19. ^ "What Does This 'Top Gun' Bombshell Look Like Now?author=Shana Honig". The Huffington Post. July 9, 2012. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  20. ^ "McGillis, Duffy, Lee, Pierson Are Greedy Brood in Pasadena Little Foxes, Opening May 29". Playbill. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  21. ^ "Kelly McGillis Net Worth". Archived from the original on August 23, 2016.
  22. ^ Greg Archer (May 29, 2014). "Kelly McGillis: 'I Have to Be True to Myself'". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  23. ^ "Kelly McGillis a Top Gun in Stake Land". Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  24. ^ "Massive Set Visit Report: A Trip to 'Stake Land' - Bloody Disgusting!". April 14, 2010. Archived from the original on April 17, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  25. ^ "IFC Infected by Cronenberg's Antiviral - Dread Central". June 6, 2012. Archived from the original on November 8, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
  26. ^ "Indian Star Rallies Celebrity Support For Cancer Movie". October 8, 2009. Archived from the original on October 30, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
  27. ^ "Awaken to Another American Horror Story: Asylum Promo Teaser - Dread Central". September 14, 2012. Archived from the original on May 14, 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  28. ^ "An Uncommon Grace | Hallmark Movies and Mysteries". Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  29. ^ "McGillis in Mother Of All Secrets". royalgazette.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  30. ^ "Mother Of All Secrets Trailer". Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  31. ^ "Trailer For New Thriller Features Bermuda - Bernews.com". Bernews.com. June 26, 2017. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  32. ^ Mitchell, Robert (May 12, 2017). "Cannes: 'Top Gun' Star Kelly McGillis to Play Midwest Crime Queen in 'Annie Cook' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  33. ^ Mottram, James (February 21, 2014). "Kelly McGillis: 'I would cameo in Top Gun 2'". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2016. McGillis moved to New York in 1979 to study acting at the prestigious Juilliard drama school, the same year she married fellow student Boyd Black. It was short-lived, the couple divorcing in 1981
  34. ^ "McGillis leaves Hollywood for Key West". DeseretNews.com. May 4, 1993. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  35. ^ "How Top Gun Star Kelly McGillis Survived Sexual Assaults and Emotional Struggles to Live a 'Quiet, Normal Life'". People.
  36. ^ Jarchow, Boo (April 30, 2009). "Kelly McGillis Says She's Gay on SheWired's 'Girl Rock'". SheWired. Here Media. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  37. ^ Broverman, Neal (April 30, 2009). "Top Gun Star Comes Out: Not Tom". The Advocate. Archived from the original on May 2, 2009.
  38. ^ "Pan Am's First Office". Atlas Obscura. Archived from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  39. ^ "Kelly's Caribbean Bar, Grill and Brewery (Key West, FL): Top Tips Before You Go - TripAdvisor". Tripadvisor. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  40. ^ Schwartz, Paula (September 15, 2010). "Kelly McGillis, Melanie Leis". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  41. ^ Nutt, Amy Ellis (April 18, 2011). "Kelly McGillis traded Hollywood for Collingswood - and a contented existence". The Star-Ledger. pp. 23, 25. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  42. ^ Doty, Meriah (February 9, 2013). "Kelly McGillis recalls 'Top Gun' love scene and 'a lot of partying' while filming". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  43. ^ Jump up to: a b Puente, Maria (June 24, 2016). "'Top Gun' actress Kelly McGillis attacked at her North Carolina home". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  44. ^ LaVorgna, Brandon (May 17, 2017). "Jury convicts woman for breaking into Top Gun actress's home". Fox Carolina. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2018.

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