Kelly Preston
A luminous screen presence who brought warmth and charm to comedies and dramas across four decades, often lighting up scenes opposite Hollywood's biggest stars.
1962–2020 (age 58)·American actress·Birthday: October 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Hawaii, Kelly Preston brought a sun-kissed, effervescent quality to every role she inhabited. Her career began in the 1980s with a mix of teen comedies like 'Mischief' and the aspirational adventure 'SpaceCamp.' She possessed a rare versatility, moving seamlessly from the sharp, career-focused Avery Bishop in 'Jerry Maguire' to the whimsical mother in 'The Cat in the Hat.' Her personal life became a pillar of Hollywood stability when she married John Travolta in 1991, their partnership enduring as one of the industry's most steadfast. Beyond the glamour, Preston was a dedicated advocate for children's health and wellness, channeling her personal experiences into philanthropy. Her later work, including a raw performance in 'Gotti,' showed a depth that went beyond her classic girl-next-door appeal, cementing her legacy as a resilient and beloved figure.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Kelly was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kelly Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Kelly's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2020Died at 58
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
Key Achievements
- Starred as Avery Bishop, the formidable sports agent, in the Oscar-nominated film 'Jerry Maguire.'
- Appeared in over 60 film and television productions across a career spanning from 1980 to 2019.
- Played the lead role of Daphne Reynolds in the popular family comedy 'What a Girl Wants.'
- Portrayed Victoria Gotti in the biographical crime film 'Gotti,' alongside her husband John Travolta.
Did You Know?
Her middle name, Kamalelehua, is Hawaiian and means 'the garden of lehua flowers.'
She was a certified practitioner of Scientology.
She studied drama at the University of Southern California and also attended UCLA.
“I think the most important thing in life is self-love, because if you don't have self-love, and respect for everything about your own body, your own mind, your own soul, you can't have an authentic relationship with anyone else.”
