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Roma Downey

Highest Rated: 79% Woodlawn (2015)

Lowest Rated: 11% Redeeming Love (2022)

Birthday: May 6, 1960

Birthplace: Derry, Northern Ireland, UK

This dark-haired actress from war-torn Northern Ireland studied art and acting in England before coming to the US in 1986. Shortly after arriving, Downey made her off-Broadway debut in the environmental theater piece, "Tamara" (1987), and her TV debut in a recurring role on the ABC soap "One Life to Live." She played the ingenue in the 1989 Broadway revival of Somerset Maugham's "The Circle" in the eminent company of Rex Harrison, Glynis Johns and Stewart Granger. Downey received notice portraying Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis from age 16 to 60 in the 1991 NBC mini-series "A Woman Named Jackie." Although criticized by Kennedy loyalists, the miniseries did well in the ratings and Downey spent the next two years starring in a variety of TV-movies made for both cable and the broadcast networks, as well as in the syndicated "Hercules and the Amazon Women" (1994). Among Downey's more notable TV-movies were "Devlin" (Showtime, 1992) in which she portrayed a compassionate girlfriend, and "Getting Up and Going Home" (Lifetime, 1992) in which she was again the girlfriend; this time to a married man simultaneously involved with three women. Such non-virginal roles did not keep Downey from being cast in "Touched By an Angel," a 1994 CBS pilot. Downey portrayed Monica, an apprentice angel just promoted to caseworker, with Tess (Della Reese) as her advisor. While the pilot had dark elements, when CBS put the project on its fall 1994 schedule, the tenor of the series became more spiritually motivated. At first, "Touched By an Angel" was practically overlooked by critics and was near death on CBS' Wednesday night schedule. But the network moved the show behind "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" on Saturday nights in February 1995 and by the fall, it was winning its time period. The show was one of the few network series to openly affirm the existence of a deity, and to speak of God "having a plan" for the characters whose lives Downey's angel affected. Her lilting, yet not overbearing, Irish accent helped give the series a charming edge. The success of the series helped lift Downey's profile, and she starred in "The Last Word" (Showtime, 1995) and "A Child is Missing" (CBS, 1995).

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Highest rated movies

79% 80% Woodlawn Watchlist 26% 78% Little Boy Watchlist 25% 52% Ben-Hur Watchlist 17% 73% Son of God Watchlist
16% 58% On a Wing and a Prayer
Watchlist
11% 95% Redeeming Love Watchlist
48% Funky Monkey
Watchlist
Lost Lives
Watchlist
62% Come Dance at My Wedding
Watchlist
Devlin
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
16% 58% On a Wing and a Prayer Producer - 2023
11% 95% Redeeming Love Executive Producer $9.2M 2022
No Score Yet 100% Resurrection Producer - 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lost Lives Narrator - 2019
No Score Yet 40% Buttons: A Christmas Tale Mother Genevieve (Character) - 2018
25% 52% Ben-Hur Executive Producer $26.4M 2016
79% 80% Woodlawn Executive Producer $14.4M 2015
26% 78% Little Boy Executive Producer $6.5M 2015
17% 73% Son of God Mother Mary (Character),
Producer
$59.7M 2014
No Score Yet 25% Keeping Up With the Randalls Barb (Character) - 2011
No Score Yet 88% At Jesus' Side Petra (Voice) - 2010
No Score Yet 62% Come Dance at My Wedding Laura Williams (Character) - 2009
No Score Yet 48% Funky Monkey Megan (Character),
Executive Producer
- 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Survivor's Club Jillian Hayes (Character),
Executive Producer
- 2004
No Score Yet 77% The Sons of Mistletoe Helen Radke (Character),
Executive Producer
- 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Second Honeymoon Maggie Weston (Character),
Executive Producer
- 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Test of Love Cassie Whitman (Character),
Executive Producer
- 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Journey to a Hate Free Millennium Narrator - 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Monday After the Miracle Annie Sullivan (Character),
Executive Producer
- 1998
No Score Yet 77% Borrowed Hearts: A Holiday Romance Kathleen Russell (Character),
Executive Producer
- 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Child Is Missing Samantha Hallihan (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet 11% The Last Word Roxy (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet 58% Hercules and the Amazon Women Hippolyta (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Getting Up and Going Home Kimberly Stevens (Character) - 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet Devlin Eileen (Character) - 1992

TV

Credit
No Score Yet 88% The Baxters Elizabeth Baxter (Character),
Executive Producer
2024
45% 88% Messiah Executive Producer 2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Dr. Oz Show Guest 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet Harry Guest 2017
58% 85% A.D. The Bible Continues Executive Producer 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dateline NBC Guest 2015
33% No Score Yet The Dovekeepers Executive Producer 2015
No Score Yet 44% The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Guest 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rachael Ray Guest 2013 2015
No Score Yet 88% The Bible Unknown (Character),
Executive Producer
2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet It's a Miracle Host 1998-2001 2003-2004 2006
No Score Yet No Score Yet Touched by an Angel Unknown (Character) 1994-2003
No Score Yet 57% Saturday Night Live Host 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Promised Land Unknown (Guest Star) 1996