Kelly Monaco

This petite brunette model and Emmy-nominated actress is most known as a Playboy model, a soap opera star, and for winning the summer 2005 Dancing with the Stars reality T.V. competition. Kelly Monaco was born May 23, 1976 in Philadelphia among a throng of girls—the third of five daughters. As a child and teenager, Monaco was a noted athlete and developed a love for various sports, and even worked as a lifeguard while attending college. 

However, after college she decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue a modeling and acting career, which began with very limited success until she became the Playboy Playmate of the Month for April 1997 after sending in nude photos of herself the year before.

Then she landed the role of Livvie Locke in the popular supernatural soap opera Port Charles in 1999. As Playmate of the Month, Monaco, who was 21 at the time, also received a Playboy centerfold appearance, preceded by model Jennifer Miriam and succeeded by model Lynn Thomas. Monaco continued to enjoy a relationship with Hugh Hefner’s Playboy, being featured in several Playboy Special Edition publications, but then decided to move onto other magazines such as FHM (founded by Chris Astridge) and Maxim, among others. Prior to her acting breakthrough stint on Port Charles, Monaco snagged a role as Susan during the 1997 to 1998 season of Baywatch, a popular, long-running series which has featured actors and models such as David Hasselhoff, Erika Eleniak, Pamela Anderson, and Yasmine Bleeth, among many others.

She also occasionally played Carmen Electra’s body double on the show, considering that Electra couldn’t swim. Monaco actually had two roles on Port Charles: as Livvie Locke Morley from 1999 to 2003, and as Tess Ramsey from 2002 to 2003, after which she moved on from Port Charles (when the series ended) to General Hospital as Sam McCall. Monaco has been twice nominated for an Emmy Award, once for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2003 for PC, and again in 2006 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for General Hospital.  

Monaco is also known for her stint on the hit reality T.V. series Dancing with the Stars as a contestant in 2005, and the ultimate winner, officially “crowned” on July 6, 2005, with John O’Hurley as the runner-up. This upset O’Hurley fans, and there was also a disputed ballot-box stuffing speculation, which was discussed on Larry King’s show. As a result, a “dance-off” was held on September 20 of that year, with O’Hurley and his partner coming out as the winners that time. 

Although having received a number of job and gig offers since then, Monaco reportedly says she wants to stick it out with GH for now.