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Multi-talented Jean Louisa Kelly began her career in musical theater before moving to TV and film. Born in March 9, 1972 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Kelly began performing as a child. Though she made her Broadway debut at age 14 in the Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical Into the Woods and her film debut in the John Candy hit Uncle Buck (1989), Kelly opted to go to college rather than diving headfirst into an acting career. After she graduated from Columbia University in 1994 with a degree in English, Kelly returned to acting full-time. Along with acting in a number of TV movies, including Breathing Lessons (1994) with Joanne Woodward, Harvest of Fire (1996), The Day Lincoln Was Shot (1998), and The Cyberstalking (1999), Kelly displayed her singing talents onscreen in Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) and starred in several little-seen independent films, including Origin of the Species (1998). Though Kelly also starred in the feature-film adaptation of the long-running musical The Fantasticks in 1995, the release was delayed until fall 2000. Along with the long-awaited appearance of The Fantasticks, Kelly also tried her luck with series TV again (after the short-lived Cold Feet in 1999) with the fall 2000 debut of the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear.