Kellie
Martin
A native of Riverside,
California, Kellie
Martin started acting at age seven, thanks mainly to
her Aunt Rhonda, who was nanny to the late Michael Landon's children.
'I was a real ham, and being the center of attention made me happy,'
says the actress, who wangled an audition for Landon's 'Father Murphy'
series. A small role on that show touched off her career.
Steady work continued
throughout her childhood, which, she says, remained normal. 'I don't
think the child actor syndrome will hurt me because my family is
so grounded,' maintains the daughter of a department store buyer
father and a kindergarten teacher-turned-producer mother. Yet her
life changed when, at 13, she landed the role of Becca Thatcher
on the series 'Life Goes On' and began on-set schooling. 'It was
hard. I was treated a little differently when I went back to school
to visit old friends,' she admits.
Happily, college
is an equalizer. 'What I do is no big deal,' says Martin, who deferred
her studies twice before, as a freshman, when she starred in the
title role on the series 'Christy' as a young schoolteacher, and
as a sophomore, when she starred as psychology student/intern Kathy
Goodman on NBC's 'Crisis Center.' While she had to do so again,
she affirms, 'I'm in school for the love of it, and I feel no pressure
to get straight A's. Show business is such a roller-coaster life.
I'd like to have my degree and a lot of options.'
Kellie Martin
television movie credits include 'Her Hidden Truth,' 'A Daughter's
Courage,' 'If Someone Had Known,' 'Breaking Free,' 'The Face on
the Milk Carton,' 'Her Last Chance,' 'Secret Witness,' 'A Friend
to Die For,' 'Hidden in Silence,' 'Blue Heaven' and 'About Sarah.'
She guest-starred on such series as 'thirtysomething' and 'The Tracy
Ullman Show' and had a recurring role on 'The Hogan Family.' Her
feature film credits include 'Jumpin' Jack Flash,' 'Troop Beverly
Hills,' 'Matinee' and the animated 'The Goofy Movie' (as the voice
of Goofy's girlfriend).
Kellie Martin
recently wed Columbia University law student Keith Christian. In
her off-hours, Kellie Martin, who someday hopes
to open a photo gallery in New York, hones her photographic skills.
She also enjoys frequenting museums, watching Saturday morning cartoons,
dancing and traveling. Her birthday is October 16.
