Career

Before attending college, she already had roles in the original Broadway cast of Sondheim's Into the Woods (as Snow White and understudy to Red Riding Hood) and as Tia Russell in the film Uncle Buck with John Candy. She also took roles in college productions, including with the Barnard College Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

After graduation from college, Kelly became well known in the mid-1990s for a series of television commercials she did for MCI long distance, in which she played a telephone operator who challenged AT&T. In 1995, she starred as Louisa in the musical film The Fantasticks with Joey McIntyre and Joel Grey, although the film was shelved until 2000. The same year, she appeared in her most prominent role since Tia, as Rowena Morgan, the muse for the title character of Mr. Holland's Opus. Other films followed in the 1990s. Later starring roles in films have included Landfall (2001) and Little Red Light (2003). Kelly appeared Off Broadway at the York Theatre as the title role in Paul McKibbins and B.T. McNicholl's The It Girl, based on the 1927 movie It. She also appeared in the York's "Mufti" series as Lois Lane in It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman.

In 1996, Kelly voiced the title role in the second season of the animated series Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders. After several made-for-TV movies, Kelly's broadest exposure came from her roles in situation comedies, first guest starring in such shows as Mad About You, and then as a cast member of the short-lived NBC version of Cold Feet. From 2000 to 2006, she starred as Kim Warner on the long-running sitcom Yes, Dear. On April 30, 2006, she guest starred in the ABC drama Grey's Anatomy and has continued to guest star in television dramas.

In 2010, she was cast in a guest starring role in an episode of the television spy drama Burn Notice—playing a widow who had been swindled out of her life savings by a con man.

She currently appears as Bernice Pope in the Yahoo production of Sin City Saints.

She released an album of children's music called "Color of Your Heart" in 2013. On April 14, 2015 Jean released a collection of original songs in a five-song EP called "Willing".

Personal life

Kelly was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, the daughter of Wendy I., a piano teacher, and J. Joseph Kelly III, a business owner.

Her father was a high school English teacher and her mother taught piano. Jean attended Easton High School, located in Easton, Maryland. Kelly graduated in 1994 from Columbia University's Columbia College with a B.A. in English.

She married James Pitaro in 1997.

As of 2010, Kelly resides in Los Angeles. She is close friends with Jennifer Garner, and was the host of the baby shower for Garner's daughter Violet Anne Affleck. She also interviewed Garner for Self magazine in 2005.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1989	Uncle Buck	Tia Russell
1992	American Shaolin	Maria
1995	Fantasticks, TheThe Fantasticks	Luisa Bellamy
1995	Mr. Holland's Opus	Rowena Morgan
1998	Origin of the Species	Laura
1999	Stranger in the Kingdom, AA Stranger in the Kingdom	Athena Allen
2001	Landfall	Marguerite Harris
2003	Little Red Light	Amanda Meyer	Short film
2010	Locked Away	Chloe
2010	Public Access	Nancy	Short film
2014	1000 to 1: The Cory Weissman Story	Tina Weissman	Video

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994	Breathing Lessons	Daisy	Movie
1994	One More Mountain	Mary Graves	Movie
1995	Tad	Julia Taft	Movie
1996	Harvest of Fire	Rachel	Movie
1996	Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders	Princess Gwenevere (voice)	Main role (10 episodes)
1997	Homicide: Life on the Street	Sarah Langdon	Episode: "Kaddish"
1997	Stolen Women: Captured Hearts	Sarah White	Movie
1998	Ruby Bridges	Jane Coles	Movie
1998	Day Lincoln Was Shot, TheThe Day Lincoln Was Shot	Lucy Lambert Hale	Movie
1998	Law & Order	Coral Galvin	Episode: "Scrambled"
1998/99	Mad About You	Diane	3 episodes
1999	Cyberstalking, TheThe Cyberstalking	Holly Moon	Movie
1999	Cold Feet	Shelley Sullivan	Main role (8 episodes)
2000-06	Yes, Dear	Kim Warner	Main role (122 episodes)
2001	Ally McBeal	Lisa	Episode: "The Ex-Files"
2006	Grey's Anatomy	Rose Ward	Episode: "Blues for Sister Someone"
2008	Ghost Whisperer	Jennifer Quinlan / Nora Sutherland	Episode: "First Do No Harm"
2008	Eli Stone	Julie Lazer	Episode: "Heal the Pain"
2008	Gary Unmarried	Beth	Episode: "Gary and Allison Brooks"
2009	Surviving Suburbia	Melissa Mann	Episode: "Desperate Housewife"
2009	Three Gifts, TheThe Three Gifts	Cherie Green	Movie
2010	Glades, TheThe Glades	Becky	Episode: "A Perfect Storm"
2010	Burn Notice	Emily	Episode: "Blind Spot"
2010-13	Hero Factory	Natalie Breez / Operator	Recurring role; 6 episodes
2011	Paul the Male Matchmaker	Darla	2 episodes
2011	CSI: Miami	Amy Wells	Episode: "Stoned Cold"
2012	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Sheila DeMarcus	Episode: "Code Blue Plate Special"
2013	Chance at Romance	Roz	Hallmark Channel TV movie
2013	The Good Mother	Rachel	Lifetime TV Movie
2014	Zoe Gone	Det. Patricia Henderson	Lifetime movie
2015	Sin City Saints	Bernice Pope	Yahoo Studios

[ Source: Wikipedia ]