Kelly Lynch

Kelly Lynch was an American actress who enjoyed a highly diverse career, from action blockbusters to independent film landmarks. Born on January 31, 1959 in Golden Valley, Minnesota, Lynch was a college dropout who briefly worked as a flight attendant. Luckily, she was noticed by a modeling agent, and scored a contract with the Elite modeling agency. After a few years in the modeling game, Lynch decided to become serious about acting, and studied with the legendary instructor Sanford Meisner. Though Lynch got her big break with a role in the charming Tom Cruise vehicle "Cocktail" (1988), it would prove to be 1989 during which Lynch would make an indelible mark on cinema. That year, she appeared in the lovably absurd Patrick Swayze action film "Road House" (1989), as well as Gus Van Sant's crime drama "Drugstore Cowboy," which earned Lynch an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. After appearing in John Hughes' final directorial effort, "Curly Sue" (1992), and notoriously turning down what would become Sharon Stone's most iconic role in "Basic Instinct" (1992), Lynch got married to producer/director Mitch Glazer. She earned another Independent Spirit Award nomination for her role in "The Beans of Egypt, Maine" (1994), before embarking on an impressive and consistent run of film roles in such releases as "Virtuosity" (1995), "Heaven's Prisoners" (1996), "Mr. Magoo" (1997), "Charlie's Angels" (2000), "Joe Somebody" (2001), and "The Jacket" (2005). Soon, television beckoned: from 2004 until 2009, Lynch portrayed Ivan Aycock on the lesbian-themed dramedy "The L Word" (Showtime, 2004-2009), before joining the cast of the rebooted "Beverly Hills, 90210" (The CW, 2008-2013) in 2010. Lynch was finally able to collaborate with her husband, Mitch Glazer, in 2012, on the 1950s-set gangster drama series "Magic City" (Starz, 2012-13). In 2017, Lynch took on perhaps her darkest role yet, playing an agoraphobic widow in an incestuous relationship with her son, in "Mr. Mercedes" (AT&T Audience Network, 2017-), a series created by David E. Kelley, based on a novel by Stephen King.