Roma Downey

Roma Downey
Downey with husband Mark Burnett and children in July 2009
Born	6 May 1960 (1960-05-06) (age 49) Derry, Northern Ireland
Years active	1968–2009
Spouse(s)	Mark Burnett (2007-Present) David Anspaugh (1995-1998) Leland Orser (1987-1989) Daniel Grant (unknown)

Roma Downey (born 6 May 1960) is an Irish actress and producer, best known as Della Reese's angel/employee, Monica, the main character of the TV series Touched by an Angel.

Early life

Downey was born and raised in a Catholic environment in Derry. She attended grammar school at Thornhill College. Originally, Downey thought she would be a painter and earned a BA at Brighton College of Art, England. But she turned her attention to acting and had a classical training attending Drama Studio London, where she performed in the plays of Shakespeare, Shaw, and Chekhov.

Career

She joined the Abbey Players in Dublin, and toured the United States in a production of The Playboy of the Western World. The production led to a nomination during the Broadway run for the Helen Hayes Best Actress Award in 1991.Roma also starred on Broadway in "The Circle" with Sir Rex Harrison and also at the Roundabout theater and the Public Theater in NYC

With her growing popularity, Downey gained the role of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis in the 1991 U.S. TV 6 hour mini series A Woman Named Jackie which went on to win the emmy award that year. Eventually, this led to her most famous role, as the Angel "Monica" on the CBS hit Touched by an Angel, which ran from 1994 to 2003, which starred opposite Della Reese. For her work on TBAA, Roma has been nominated for Emmys and Golden Globe awards. She was awarded the TV Guide award for favorite actress. She has produced and starred in many TV movies among them "Borrowed Hearts" and "Second Honeymoon" She has recorded a spoken word album "Healing Angel" and written a children's book "Love Is A Family". She hosted "It's a Miracle" on the Pax Network and most recently starred again on stage in "A Picasso" at the Geffen Theatre in LA. She has hosted SNL, was one of People Magazine's most beautiful people and is a spokesperson for the volunteer group "Operation Smile". For her nine seasons on-air, she developed a wonderful on- and off-screen chemistry with Reese, which translated into their personal lives, off-camera. Today, she's still friends with Della.

On 18 April 2009, Downey and her husband Mark Burnett, delivered the keynote address and accepted an honorary doctorate of law at Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business and Management commencement ceremony.

Personal life

Downey has been married four times. Her first marriage was to Daniel Grant, a teacher from Derry. She then married fellow actor Leland Orser, with whom she eloped in 1987 to Rome, Italy. They divorced in 1989. In 1995, she married American director, David Anspaugh. Downey's Touched by an Angel co-star, Della Reese, officiated at the wedding. During her marriage to Anspaugh, she gave birth to her daughter, Reilly Marie Anspaugh (b. 1996). Della Reese was given the honor of being her godmother. In 1998, she and Anspaugh ended their three-year marriage.

She is currently married to television producer/entrepreneur Mark Burnett. On Thanksgiving Day 2006, Burnett proposed to Downey during a family vacation in Zihuatanejo Mexico. ^[1] They wed on 28 April 2007 in their Malibu home.^[2] Her Touched By An Angel co-star, Della Reese, officiated at the wedding.

Filmography

Films

Television

Awards and nominations

Emmy Award

• 1997: Nominated, "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" — Touched By an Angel
• 1998: Nominated, "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" — Touched By an Angel

Gemini Award

• 1998: Nominated, "Best TV Movie or Mini-Series" — Borrowed Hearts (shared w/co-stars)

Golden Globe Award

• 1998: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Drama" — Touched By an Angel
• 1999: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Drama" — Touched By an Angel

TV Guide Award

• 1999: Won, "Favorite Actress in a Drama" — Touched By an Angel
• 2000: Nominated, "Favorite Actress in a Drama" — Touched By an Angel

References

External links

[1]

• Roma Downey at the Internet Movie Database