An American stage and screen actress, Kelly Ann McGillis was born on July 9, 1957, in Los Angeles Country, California. She is the eldest daughter of Virginia Joan, a homemaker, and Dr Donald Manson McGillis, a doctor. Her paternal ancestry is Scots-Irish and her maternal ancestry is German. She also has Welsh ancestry.
While she was raised in Los Angeles and also attended the Newport Harbor High School. She also attended the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California. Next, after getting her GED after dropping out of high school in 1975, she came to New York to study acting at the Juilliard School, where she graduated in 1983.
She made her acting debut with the film Reuben, Reuben in 1983 and then got her breakout role in the 1985 film, Witness for which she also received Golden Globe and BAFTA award nominations. Following this, her next high-profile role was as flight instructor Charlotte Blackwood in the 1986 film, Top Gun. In 1987, she featured in the fantasy-comedy film, Made in Heaven, which was directed by Alan Rudolph, which was produced by Lorimar Productions. Following this, she was next seen in the 1988 film, The House on Carroll Street where she was starred opposite Jeff Daniels. In the same year, she was seen in the film, The Accused. She then appeared in the film, Cat Chaser opposite Peter Weller. However, she then worked in a number of television and film roles throughout the 1990s before taking a break for a few years.
Next, after remaining in a break, she played the role of Babe Ruth’s second wife in the 1992 film, The Babe. From the late-1980s to the mid-1990s, she appeared in films like Winter People which was released in 1989, and then in North which was released in 1994. In 1999, she co-starred with Val Kilmer in the film, At First Sight following which she saw an international lesbian cult film, The Monkey’s Mask.
At the same time, she also made a debut in Television where she was seen in the daytime soap, One Life to Live in 1984. In the same year, she was seen in the television movie, Sweet Revenge alongside Alec Baldwin. Some of her other TV shows are Private Sessions, First Christmas, and many others.
Apart from films and TV, Kelly has also performed in many stage plays. She performed in William Congreve’s Love for Love and then appeared in a couple of off-broadway and Broadway theatre productions during the time. In the late-1980s and mid-2000s, he featured as an actress at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC. At the same time, she worked in many other stage shows. Some of her stage shows include Don Juan (1982), The Sea Gull (1985), Peccadillo (1985), The Merchant of Venice (1988), Twelfth Night (1989), Mary Stuart (1990), The Merry Wives of Windsor (1990), Hedda Gabler (1994), Mourning Becomes Electra (1997), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999) among others.
Talking about her personal life, she got married to fellow Juilliard student Boyd Black in 1979, however, the couple got divorced in 1981. Later, she got married to Fred Tillman in 1989 and have two daughters. The two also got divorced in 2002. In the year 2009, she admitted to being a lesbian and also entered into a civil union with Melanie Leis, a Philadelphia sales executive.
Name | Kelly Ann McGillis |
Nick Name | McGillis |
Known For | Famous for starring in “Rachel Lapp” |
Profession | Actress |
Date of Birth | July 9, 1957 |
Age | 64 years old (in 2022) |
Birth Place | Newport Beach, California, United States |
Nationality | American |
Hometown | Newport Beach, California, United States |
School | Juilliard School |
Collage | Allan Hancock College |
Debut | Drama Film: Reuben, Reuben (1983) |
Religion | Christian |
Zodiac Sign | Cancer |

Kelly Mcgillis Career
- She made her acting debut with the film Reuben, Reuben in 1983 and then got her breakout role in the 1985 film, Witness for which she also received Golden Globe and BAFTA award nominations.
- Following this, her next high-profile role was as flight instructor Charlotte Blackwood in the 1986 film, Top Gun.
- In 1987, she featured in the fantasy-comedy film, Made in Heaven, which was directed by Alan Rudolph, which was produced by Lorimar Productions.
- Following this, she was next seen in the 1988 film, The House on Carroll Street where she was starred opposite Jeff Daniels.
- In the same year, she was seen in the film, The Accused. She then appeared in the film, Cat Chaser opposite Peter Weller.
- At the same time, she also made a debut in Television where she was seen in the daytime soap, One Life to Live in 1984.
- However, she then worked in a number of television and film roles throughout the 1990s before taking a break for a few years.
- Next, after remaining in a break, she played the role of Babe Ruth’s second wife in the 1992 film, The Babe.
- From the late-1980s to the mid-1990s, she appeared in films like Winter People which was released in 1989, and then in North which was released in 1994.
- In 1999, she co-starred with Val Kilmer in the film, At First Sight following which she saw an international lesbian cult film, The Monkey’s Mask.
- In the same year, she was seen in the television movie, Sweet Revenge alongside Alec Baldwin. Some of her other TV shows are Private Sessions, First Christmas, and many others.
- Apart from films and TV, Kelly has also performed in many stage plays.
- She performed in William Congreve’s Love for Love and then appeared in a couple of off-broadway and Broadway theatre productions during the time.
- In the late-1980s and mid-2000s, he featured as an actress at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC.
- At the same time, she worked in many other stage shows.
- Some of her stage shows include Don Juan (1982), The Sea Gull (1985), Peccadillo (1985), The Merchant of Venice (1988), Twelfth Night (1989), Mary Stuart (1990), The Merry Wives of Windsor (1990), Hedda Gabler (1994), Mourning Becomes Electra (1997), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999) among others.
Kelly Mcgillis Family
Father Name | Donald Manson McGillis |
Mother Name | Virgina Joan McGillis |
Brother | None |
Sister | Kathleen McGillis Karen McGillis |
Husband | N/A |
Kelly Mcgillis Relationship / Marital Status & Many More
Marital Status | Divorce |
Affairs / Boyfriend | Fred Tillman (1989 – 2002) Boyd Black (1979 – 1981) Melanie Leis (2000 – 2012) Jodie Foster (1988) Barry Tubb (1986 – 1987) Melanie Leis (m. 2010–2011) |
Husband / Spouse | Melanie Leis (m. 2010–2011), Fred Tillman (m. 1989–2002), Boyd Black (m. 1979–1981) |
Marriage date | N/A |
Marriage Place | N/A |
Children | Daughter(s): Kelsey Tillman,![]() Her daughter Kelsey Tillman Sonora Tillman ![]() Her daughter Sonora Tillman |
Kelly Mcgillis Physical Stats
Height | In Centimeter – 165 cm In Meter – 1.65 m In feet & inches – 5’5 |
Weight | In Kilogram- 54 Kg In Pounds – 119lbs |
Eye Color | Black |
Hair Color | Brown |
Kelly Mcgillis Favorite
Favorite Actor | N/A |
Favorite Actress | N/A |
Favorite Song | N/A |
Favorite Movie | N/A |
Favorite Cuisine | N/A |
Favorite Color | N/A |
Favorite Sport | N/A |
Favorite Destination | N/A |
Kelly Mcgillis Education
School | Juilliard School |
Collage | Allan Hancock College |
Educational Qualification | Graducate |
Kelly Mcgillis Net Worth
Net Worth | N/A |
Salary | N/A |
Income Source | N/A |
Car Collection | N/A |
Some Unknown facts about Kelly Mcgillis
- One of the biggest controversies in her life was that Kelly once began a victim of a home invasion. A woman broke into her house in June 2016 further leaving her bruised and shaken.
- Kelly is very famous among viewers for her work in films, TV shows, and stage plays.
- Kelly had started training her acting skills from a very young age.
- She was listed as one of the twelve “Promising New Actors of 1984” in John Willis’ Screen World, Volume 36.
- She was overweight during her adolescent days.
- She is also a professional counsellor, primarily concerning substance abuse.