Kellie Martin

A child star of likable 1980s fluff such as "Troop Beverly Hills" (1989), Kellie Martin proved she had top-tier acting chops with her ferociously intelligent and searching portrayal of awkward daughter Becca Thatcher on "Life Goes On" (ABC, 1989-1993), a family drama that explored formerly taboo topics like Down syndrome and HIV/AIDS. Emmy-nominated for her wise-beyond-her-years work, Martin went on to star in a string of made-for-TV movies including "A Friend to Die For" (NBC, 1994) opposite Tori Spelling and "The Face on the Milk Carton" (CBS, 1995), and continued in this vein throughout her entire career, working steadily on the TV film format. She returned to episodic TV as an early 1900s schoolteacher in the uplifting Appalachian drama "Christy" (CBS, 1994-95) and as ultimately doomed med student Lucy Knight on "ER" (NBC, 1994-2009). After graduating Yale, she resumed accruing high-profile television credits, most notably starring in the long-running "Mystery Woman" (Hallmark Channel, 2003) franchise, several installments of which she also directed. While her career never blossomed into full-fledged superstardom, Kellie Martin achieved an enviable work/life balance while becoming one of the most accomplished and prolific television actresses of her generation.