Minka Dumont Kelly (born June 24, 1980) is an American actress. She starred in the NBC series Friday Night Lights as Lyla Garrity from 2006 to 2009. At 19, after graduating from Valley High School in Albuquerque NM, Kelly returned to Los Angeles. While on a test shoot for a modeling agency, she was approached by a former Playboy Playmate interested in managing her, and who placed Kelly as a receptionist at a surgeon's office who would provide Kelly breast augmentation in exchange for hours worked. She ultimately chose against the procedure, leading to her being fired. However, the exposure to the medical field prompted her to attend school for a year to become a surgeon's assistant; afterward, she worked as a scrub tech. She spent four years in that vocation while also auditioning as an actress before landing the new NBC television drama Friday Night Lights, based on the high school football movie of that name. In the interim, she had small roles in movies and shows, including the film State's Evidence, and a recurring guest role on the TV sitcom What I Like About You. In preparation for her role as cheerleader Lyla Garrity on Friday Night Lights, she trained with the Pflugerville High School cheerleading squad. Kelly received praise for her acting on the series, with the The New York Times calling her performance "heartbreaking". She shot a cameo for The Kingdom, alongside Jamie Foxx. Peter Berg, the creator and pilot director of Friday Night Lights, directed the film. Kelly was the lead actor on the The CW's 2009 pilot Body Politic, which did not go to series. Kelly was a member of the ensemble quartet that starred in the CBS comedy pilot True Love, playing Kate, a Midwestern girl who falls in love with Henry at the top of the Empire State Building, but was replaced by Sarah Chalke. Kelly appeared with Alyson Hannigan, Jaime King, Emily Deschanel, and Katharine McPhee in a video slumber party featured on FunnyorDie.com to promote regular breast cancer screenings for the organization Stand Up 2 Cancer.
The Roommate is an upcoming 2011 thriller film, directed by Christian E. Christiansen and starring Minka Kelly, Danneel Harris, Leighton Meester, Cam Gigandet and Alyson Michalka.A college freshman, Sara (Minka Kelly), is randomly assigned to a dorm with a stranger named Rebecca (Leighton Meester). They start off as friends, but things turn deadly as Rebecca begins to obsess over Sara's life including her friends and family.The film was shot on location at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Leighton Meester was originally set to play Sara but was replaced by Minka Kelly, then Meester took the role of Rebecca. Cam Gigandet and Alyson Michalka previously starred alongside each other in another Screen Gems film, Easy A. Nina Dobrev confirmed via Twitter that she filmed a scene in the movie, coincidentally not alongside her The Vampire Diaries cast mate and friend, Katerina Graham.[The release was planned for September 17, 2010, but was moved to a theatrical release of February 4, 2011. The trailer can be seen with Devil and Burlesque.Some of the promotional posters and displays for the film used as its backdrop the Christy Administration Building from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. The college administration voiced concern that permission to use the photograph of the building was not properly obtained and is currently investigating the legality of its use. Primary concerns hinge that the image of the college—particularly the image of the building—could be damaged. Other concerns are that the college's primary iconic image is being used for promotion of an unrelated business venture.The Roommate (Film) Trailer