Kelly Monaco

Kelly Marie Monaco (born May 23, 1976)<ref name="Data">Template:Cite magazine</ref> 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,<ref name="Todays Girl"/> to Albert "Al" and Carmina Monaco. She is the middle child<ref name="bio.com">Template:Cite web</ref> and has four sisters.<ref>Dirty Soap - "As the Ex Returns" (October 23, 2011) episode.</ref> The family moved to the Poconos, where she attended Pocono Mountain High School and took her first acting classes.<ref name="PB Bio">Template:Cite web</ref> After high school, she worked as a lifeguard at a local resort<ref name="PB Bio" /> and attended Northampton Community College for two years.<ref name="bio.com" />

Career

Early modeling

In 1996, Monaco sent her photo to Playboy.<ref name=Star>Burton, Alex (November 12, 2012). Star. pp. 48-49.</ref> As a result, she became the Playmate of the Month for April 1997.<ref name="bio.com" /><ref name="TV Bio"/> Throughout her tenure with Playboy in the 1990s,<ref name="bio.com"/> Monaco was also featured in several Playboy Special Edition publications.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Acting and reality television

Monaco's first television role was in the drama Baywatch<ref name="TV Bio" /> from 1997 to 1998.<ref name="bio.com" /> In addition to playing the role of Susan on the show, she was also Carmen Electra's body double at times,<ref name="bio.com" /> as Electra could not swim.<ref name="Game On">Template:Cite video</ref> 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<ref name="MonacoCastGH">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="bio.com" /> In 2006, Monaco also co-hosted the 33rd Annual Daytime Emmys,<ref name="TV Bio" /> 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.<ref name="TV Bio" />

Monaco starred on the E! reality television series Dirty Soap, which premiered on September 25, 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="Top 10 Style">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Dahl">Template:Cite web</ref> 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,<ref name="Maxim">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and the magazine also placed her at #13 on their annual Hot 100 List in 2006.<ref name="Maxim 100">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

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.<ref>Playmate News. Playboy magazine. March 2009. Page 114.</ref> Monaco starred alongside singer and fellow Dancing with the Stars contestant Melanie Brown,<ref name="Gray1">Template:Cite news</ref> until June 2009, when Monaco's contract expired and she was replaced by Holly Madison.<ref name="Gray2">Template:Cite news</ref> The same year, Monaco was named Maxim's number one sexiest cover model of the decade.<ref name="Maxim Decade">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

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.<ref name="Shira">Template:Cite news</ref> 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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> to participate in a trio rumba with Terrell Owens and his professional partner Cheryl Burke.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On August 26, 2024. Soap Opera Network announced Monaco had been fired from General Hospital following a network decision to "terminate her character".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="TV Bio">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Give Back">Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="iParticipate">Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

When Monaco was a junior in high school, she met Mike Gonzalez and began a relationship with him.<ref name=Star/> They worked together as lifeguards at a local resort and attended Northampton Community College together.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They remained together for 18 years.<ref name=Star/><ref name=starpulse>Template:Cite web</ref> They broke up in 2009.<ref name=starpulse />

On April 25, 2009, Monaco's apartment at the Planet Hollywood Las Vegas was ransacked by burglars.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1998	BASEketball	Sharon	<ref name="Todays Girl">Template:Cite web</ref>
1998	Welcome to Hollywood	Baywatch Woman Guard
1999	Idle Hands	Tiffany	<ref name="bio.com" />
1999	Mumford	Landlady's Daughter	<ref name="bio.com" />

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997–1998	Baywatch	Model flying Kite / Model at Photoshoot / Rookie Lifeguard Susan	Episodes: "The Choice", "Quarantine", "Diabolique"
1999	Late Last Night	Centerfold Elaina	Television movie
2000–2003	Port Charles	Livvie Locke / Tess Ramsey	Main role; July 7, 2000 – October 3, 2003 Role: October 1, 2002 – March 25, 2003
2001	Spin City	Nurse	Episode: "A Shot In The Dark: Part 1"
2003–2024	General Hospital	Sam McCall / Alicia Montenegro	Series regular; October 1, 2003 – November 1, 2024 Role: July – August 2005
2005, 2012	Dancing with the Stars	Herself	Contestant: Season 1 & 15
2011	Dirty Soap	Herself	Main cast
2011	The Edge of the Garden	Julie	Television movie<ref>Edge of the Garden Template:Webarchive Hallmark Channel. accessed September 25, 2011.</ref>
2015	Baby Daddy	Kelly Monaco	Episode: "Over My Dead Bonnie"

Awards and nominations

List of acting awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Title	Result	Template:Abbr
2003	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series	Port Charles	Template:Nom	Template:Center
2006	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series	General Hospital	Template:Nom	Template:Center
2020	Soap Hub Awards	Favorite General Hospital Actress	General Hospital	Template:Nom	Template:Center
2021	Soap Hub Awards	Favorite General Hospital Actress	General Hospital	Template:Nom	Template:Center

External links

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