In the mid-1990s, after graduating from
Columbia University, Kelly became well known for a series of television commercials for
MCI long distance in which she played a
telephone operator who challenged
AT&T. Other films followed, including "Origin of the Species," "The Day Lincoln was Shot" and
Landfall (2001). Kelly appeared
off-Broadway at the
York Theatre in the title role in Paul McKibbins and B. T. McNicholl's
The It Girl, based on the 1927 movie
It. She also appeared in the York's "Musicals in Mufti" series as
Lois Lane in ''
It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman. In 1996, Kelly voiced the title role in the second season of the animated series Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders''. After several made-for-TV movies, Kelly's broadest exposure came from her roles in
situation comedies, first guest starring in such shows as
Mad About You, and then as a cast member of the short-lived
NBC version of
Cold Feet. From 2000 to 2006, she starred as Kim Warner on the long-running sitcom
Yes, Dear. In 2006 she guest starred in the ABC drama ''
Grey's Anatomy. After her series ended, she guest starred on numerous television shows and starred in movies of the week. She recurred as Bernice Pope in the Yahoo production of Sin City Saints''. She played opposite William Fichtner in the movie "The Neighbor" and opposite John Diehl in "Out of the Wild" in 2015. In 2019 she played opposite Bradley Whitford in "Call of the Wild," and played Jane Doe/Serena May in the James Wan movie "Malignant." Kelly appeared as Sarah Kazansky, the wife of Val Kilmer's character Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, in the 2022 film
Top Gun: Maverick. ==Music==