Paula Kelly (actress)

American actress and dancer (1943–2020)

Paula Alma Kelly (October 21, 1942 – February 8, 2020) was an American dancer, singer, and actress. She appeared on stage and on screen in movies and television. Her first Broadway role was as Mrs. Veloz in the 1964 musical Something More!, sharing the stage with Barbara Cook. Her other Broadway credits include The Dozens (1969), Paul Sills' Story Theatre (1971), Ovid's Metamorphoses (1971) and Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies (1981) with Gregory Hines and Phyllis Hyman.

Paula Alma Kelly
Kelly in c. 1977
Born(1942-10-21)October 21, 1942
DiedFebruary 8, 2020(2020-02-08) (aged 76)
NationalityAmerican
EducationJuilliard School of Music
Occupation(s)Actress, dancer, singer
Years active1964–1999
Spouse
(m. 1985; died 1990)
Children1

Kelly's movie credits include Sweet Charity, Soylent Green, The Spook Who Sat by the Door, The Andromeda Strain, Uptown Saturday Night, Lost in the Stars, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, Drop Squad and Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored. She also had a recurring role as Liz Williams on the first season of the sitcom Night Court. She had an Emmy Award nomination. She was nominated for a second Emmy for her role in The Women of Brewster Place.

Kelly was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She grew up in Harlem, Manhattan, New York. She married British director Don Chaffey in 1985. They had one child together before Chaffey died in 1990. Kelly died on February 8, 2020 at a nursing home in Whittier, California, at the age of 77.[1] The cause of death was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-related problems.[2]

References

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  1. "Broadway and Film Actress Paula Kelly Dies at 76". Broadway World. February 9, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  2. "Paula Kelly, Who Danced From Stage Onto the Screen, Dies at 77". The New York Times. February 13, 2020.

Other websites

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