Early life

Kelly Monaco was born to Albert "Al" and Carmina Monaco. She is the middle child and has four sisters: Christine, Marissa, Carmina and Amber. The family moved to the Poconos before Monaco attended Pocono Mountain East High School, where she first started with acting classes. After high school she worked as a lifeguard at a local resort and attended Northampton Community College for two years.

Career

Early modeling

Kelly Monaco
Playboy centerfold appearance
April 1997
Preceded by	Jennifer Miriam
Succeeded by	Lynn Thomas
Personal details
Born	(1976-05-23) May 23, 1976 (age 40) (age 20 at Playboy appearance) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Measurements	Bust: 34D Waist: 21½ Hips: 31½
Height	5 ft 1 in (1.55 m)
Weight	95 lb (43 kg; 6.8 st)

In 1996, Monaco, who had been thinking of a career in modeling, sent her photo to Playboy. As a result, she became the Playmate of the Month for April 1997. Throughout her tenure with Playboy in the 1990s, Monaco was also featured in many Playboy Special Edition publications.

Acting and reality television

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

Monaco had two roles in the ABC soap opera Port Charles: Olivia "Livvie" Locke Morley (1999-2003) and Tess Ramsey (2002-03). When that program ended, she joined the cast of the ABC soap opera General Hospital as Samantha McCall in September 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, Monaco 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. In 2006, Monaco also co-hosted the 33rd Annual Daytime Emmys, 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.

Monaco starred on the E! reality television series Dirty Soap, which premiered on September 25, 2011.

Monaco 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. 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.

Monaco appeared in a Maxim cover feature in 2005, and the magazine also placed her at #13 on their annual Hot 100 List in 2006.

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. Monaco starred alongside singer and fellow Dancing with the Stars contestant Melanie Brown, until June 2009, when Monaco's contract expired and she was replaced by Holly Madison. The same year, Monaco was named Maxim's number one sexiest cover model of the decade.

On July 27, 2012 it was announced that Monaco would be participating in the 15th season of Dancing with the Stars for a chance to win a second mirrorball trophy. 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.

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.

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.

Personal life

When Monaco was a junior in high school, she met Mike Gonzalez, and began a relationship with him. They worked together as lifeguards at a local resort and attended community college together. They remained together for 18 years. They broke up in 2009, but as seen in the premiere episode of the reality television series Dirty Soap in 2011, she was still mourning the loss of this relationship. Monaco's General Hospital costar Kirsten Storms counseled her through her feelings on that episode by convincing her to burn her prom dress.

On April 25, 2009, Monaco's apartment at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino was ransacked by burglars.

Filmography

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997-98	Baywatch	Model flying Kite / Model at Photoshoot / Rookie Lifeguard Susan	Episode: "The Choice" Episode: "Quarantine" Episode: "Diabolique"
1999	Late Last Night	Centerfold Elaina	TV movie
2000-03	Port Charles	Livvie Locke Tess Ramsey	Main role; July 7, 2000-October 3, 2003 Role held: October 1, 2002-March 25, 2003
2001	Spin City	Nurse	Episode: "A Shot In The Dark: Part 1"
2003-present	General Hospital	Sam McCall Alicia Montenegro	Series regular; October 1, 2003-present Role held: July 2005-August 2005 Episode Count: 2,130 Episodes
2005, 2012	Dancing with the Stars	Herself / Contestant	Season 1 & 15
2011	Dirty Soap	Herself	Season 1
2011	The Edge of the Garden	Julie	TV movie
2015	Baby Daddy	Kelly Monaco	Episode: "Over My Dead Bonnie"

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1998	BASEketball	Sharon
1998	Welcome To Hollywood	Baywatch Woman Guard
1999	Idle Hands	Tiffany
1999	Mumford	Landlady's Daughter

Awards and nominations

List of acting awards and nominations

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

[ Source: Wikipedia ]