{{short description|Canadian actor and activist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}} {{Infobox person | name = Kelly McCormack | image = Fan Expo_Kelly McCormack.jpg | image_size = 230px | caption = McCormack in 2018 | birth_name = | birth_place = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | occupation = Actor, writer, producer | years_active = 2000s–present }} '''Kelly McCormack''' is a Canadian actress, writer, director, musician and producer. As an actress she is best known for playing Jess McCready in the Amazon Prime Video series ''A League of Their Own'', Zeph Vos in the Space/Syfy series ''Killjoys'', and Betty-Anne in the Crave series ''Letterkenny''. McCormack has worked in film, television, and on stage, and runs the production company Floyder Films.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=http://montecristomagazine.com/arts/kelly-mccormack|title=Kelly McCormack by Jim Tobler|date=10 September 2017|work=MONTECRISTO|access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref>
McCormack has written and starred in several independent feature films that have screened at film festivals around the world, including ''Play the Film'' (2013), ''Barn Wedding'' (2015), and ''Sugar Daddy'' (2020).<ref name=":6" /><ref name="whistler" /> She also starred in and produced the award-winning CBC mockumentary ''The Neddeaus of Duqesne Island.<ref name=":3" />''
== Early life == McCormack was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia.<ref name=":0" /> She began performing on-stage at the age of seven, training in classical music, opera, and musical theatre. As a teenager, she studied at the Lyric School of Acting, Vancouver, before attending university first in England at Herstmonceux International Study Centre, where she studied literature, and later at the University of British Columbia, where she received a bachelor's degree in literature. Kelly then moved to New York to study musical theatre.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://occhimagazine.com/actress-kelly-mccormack-talks-the-neddeaus-of-duqesne-island-and-syfys-killjoys/|title=Actress Kelly McCormack Talks 'The Neddeaus of Duqesne Island' and SyFy's "Killjoys"|work=Occhi Magazine|access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref>
== Career == After graduating from university, McCormack moved to New York City to study acting, musical theatre and experimental theatre and performed with The Flea Theatre Company as a member of The Bat Company, performing in Tony Award nominated Liz Swados' ''Kaspar Hauser''.{{fact|date=August 2025}} She later moved to Toronto and started working in the Toronto indie theatre scene with playwright Kat Sandler, originating roles in plays like ''Delicacy'', and working in the entertainment industry.{{fact|date=August 2025}}
Throughout the 2010s, she played a variety of supporting roles in a number of productions, including in the television series ''Defiance'', ''11.22.63'', and ''Damien'', as well as in the web series ''Teenagers'' and ''That's My DJ''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/local-arts/workaholic-vancouver-native-kelly-mccormack-embraces-digital-weirdness|title=Workaholic Vancouver native Kelly McCormack embraces digital weirdness|date=25 July 2017|work=The Vancouver Sun|access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref>
In 2013, she wrote her first feature film, ''Play the Film'', in which she also starred.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theartsguild.com/2013/09/04/kelly-mccormack-introduces-play-to-the-world-exclusive-interview/|title=Kelly McCormack Introduces PLAY to the World – Exclusive Interview {{!}} The Arts Guild|date=4 September 2013|work=The Arts Guild|access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref> The film was produced for only $1,000.<ref name=":1" /> McCormack won several awards for writing the film,<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=http://festival.telefilm.ca/cannes2016/en/canadian-companies/producers/view/kelly-mccormack/7161|title=Telefilm Canada – Kelly McCormack|website=Telefilm Canada at Cannes 2016|access-date=26 January 2018|archive-date=26 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126185633/http://festival.telefilm.ca/cannes2016/en/canadian-companies/producers/view/kelly-mccormack/7161|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.circlesnake.com/play-the-film/|title=Play the Film|website=Circlesnake|access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref> including Best Screenplay at the Broad Humor Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.broadhumor.com/2013/awards-2013.html|title=2013 Broad Humor Film Festival Award Winners|website=broadhumor.com|access-date=26 January 2018|archive-date=18 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518035730/http://broadhumor.com/2013/awards-2013.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The following year, she wrote another feature film, ''Barn Wedding'', which screened at film festivals throughout 2015.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/dances-with-films-festival-unveils-lineup-1201486345/|title=Dances With Films Festival Unveils Lineup|last=McNary|first=Dave|date=4 May 2015|work=Variety|access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.miltonfilmfest.com/film_barnwedding.html|title=Milton Film Festival – Barn Wedding|website=miltonfilmfest.com|access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref>
In 2017, McCormack served as a producer and actress on several productions. In February of that year, she joined the cast of the Syfy science fiction television series ''Killjoys'' in its third season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://playbackonline.ca/2017/02/09/cameras-roll-on-killjoys-season-three/|title=Cameras roll on Killjoys season three|access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref> On the series, she portrayed Zeph, an androgynous scientist, in a recurring role until the series ended.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=http://www.tv-eh.com/2017/07/13/kelly-mccormack-does-double-duty-in-cbcs-the-neddeaus-and-spaces-killjoys/|title=Kelly McCormack does double duty in CBC's The Neddeaus and Space's Killjoys|date=13 July 2017|work=TV, eh?|access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=http://www.thetvjunkies.com/killjoys-kelly-mccormack-interview/|title=Kelly McCormack on Playing Killjoys' Newest Nerd – The TV Junkies|date=13 July 2017|work=The TV Junkies|access-date=26 January 2018|archive-date=27 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127004424/http://www.thetvjunkies.com/killjoys-kelly-mccormack-interview/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
That summer, the CBC mockumentary ''The Neddeaus of Duqesne Island'', which McCormack both produced and starred in, was released online via CBC's official website.<ref name=":3" /> The series received three Canadian Screen Award nominations at the 6th Canadian Screen Awards in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.academy.ca/category/2018-digital-media-nominees/|title=2018 Digital Media Nominees|website=Academy.ca|access-date=6 January 2019}}</ref>
In November 2017, she joined the cast for the third season of the CraveTV series ''Letterkenny''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jay-baruchel-star-canadian-streaming-comedy-letterkenny-1058103|title=Jay Baruchel to Star in Canadian Streaming Comedy 'Letterkenny' (Exclusive)|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref> In early 2018, she appeared in an episode of the CBC comedy series ''Crawford''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/crawford/cast/kelly-mccormack|title=Kelly McCormack – Cast – Crawford|access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref> Later that year, she was featured in an episode of ''The Expanse''.<ref>{{Citation|last=Freudenthal|first=Thor|title=Reload|date=2 May 2018|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6665310/|others=Steven Strait, Cas Anvar, Dominique Tipper|accessdate=15 May 2018}}</ref>
On stage, McCormack has developed and performed in ''Charlotte: A Tri-Coloured Play With Music'', an original opera based on the life of German painter Charlotte Salomon,<ref name=":0" /> which ran at the 2017 Luminato Festival in Toronto and at the World Stage Design Festival in Taipei.<ref name=":0" />
In 2019, Kelly wrapped production of her critically acclaimed feature film ''Sugar Daddy'', which she wrote, produced, and starred in alongside Colm Feore and an ensemble cast that includes Amanda Brugel, Aaron Ashmore, Nicholas Campbell, Noam Jenkins, Ishan Davé, Tiio Horn, Jess Salgueiro, Tony Nappo, Rob Stewart, Michelle Morgan, and Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|first=Kelly|last=Townsend|title=LevelFILM picks up Canadian rights to Wendy Morgan drama|url=https://playbackonline.ca/2019/03/13/levelfilm-picks-up-canadian-distribution-rights-for-wendy-morgan-drama/|website=Playback|date=13 March 2019}}</ref> The film premiered as the opening gala film of the 2020 Whistler Film Festival,<ref name=whistler>Victoria Ahearn, [https://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/11/05/whistler-film-festival-to-open-with-sugar-daddy-in-her-city/ "Whistler Film Festival to open with 'Sugar Daddy,' 'In Her City'"]. CityNews, 5 November 2020.</ref> where McCormack received an honorable mention for the Borsos Competition award for best performance in a Canadian film, and won the One to Watch award.<ref>Craig Takeuchi, [https://www.straight.com/movies/whistler-film-festival-2020-award-winners-from-bcs-indian-road-trip-to-newfoundlands-little "Whistler Film Festival 2020 award winners: From B.C.'s Indian Road Trip to Newfoundland's Little Orphans"]. ''The Georgia Straight'', 21 December 2020.</ref> The film also garnered Kelly the ACTRA Award for Best Performance, and a Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Music.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kelly McCormack |url=https://press.amazonmgmstudios.com/us/en/cast/kelly-mccormack/1381 |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=press.amazonmgmstudios.com}}</ref>
== Activism == McCormack has been vocal about her support of the #MeToo movement, and was invited to discuss the subject in an interview with CBC's ''q'' radio show.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/wednesday-oct-18-2017-gord-downie-1964-2017-1.4353354/metoo-3-women-in-the-canadian-film-tv-industry-share-their-stories-1.4356395|title=#MeToo: 3 women in the Canadian film & TV industry share their stories|work=CBC Radio|access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref>
== Filmography ==
=== Film === {| class="wikitable sortable" !Year !Title !Role ! class="unsortable" |Notes |- | 2016 | ''Special Correspondents'' | Station Accountant | |- | 2018 | data-sort-value="Simple Favor, A" | ''A Simple Favor'' | Stacy | |- | 2020 | ''Sugar Daddy'' | Darren | |- | 2023 | ''Problemista'' | Sharon | |- |rowspan="2"| 2025 | ''Sorry, Baby'' | Natasha | |- | ''Another Simple Favor'' | Stacy | |}
=== Television === {| class="wikitable sortable" !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- | rowspan="2" |2014 |''Teenagers'' |Emily |Episode: "Keep the Change..." |- |''Defiance'' |Jalina |2 episodes |- | rowspan="3" |2016 |''Damien'' |Tara |Episode: "Abattoir" |- |''You Got Trumped: The First 100 Days'' |Sarah |Episode: "America's Got Empathy" |- |''11.22.63'' |Dawn |Episode: "The Eyes of Texas" |- |2016–2017 |''That's My DJ'' |Dee |9 episodes |- | rowspan="2" |2017 |data-sort-value="Neddeaus of Duqesne Island, The" | ''The Neddeaus of Duqesne Island'' |Eloida Neddeau |10 episodes |- |''Save Me'' |Cashier |Episode: "Hypovolemia" |- |2017–2019 |''Killjoys'' |Zephyr "Zeph" Vos |25 episodes |- |2018–2019; 2023 |''Letterkenny'' |Betty-Anne |8 episodes |- | rowspan="2" |2018 |''Crawford'' |Ms. Vara |Episode: "Manny's Oath of Secrecy" |- |data-sort-value="Expanse, The" | ''The Expanse'' |Loftis |Episode: "Reload" |- |2019 |''Carter'' |Ronnie Hart |Episode: "Harley Wanted To Say Bonspiel" |- |2020 |data-sort-value="Amazing Gayl Pile, The" | ''The Amazing Gayl Pile'' |Gayle Pile Sr. |2 episodes |- | rowspan="2" |2021 |''Ginny & Georgia'' |Maddie |2 episodes |- |''Departure'' |Charlotte |6 episodes |- |2022 |data-sort-value="League of Their Own, A" | ''A League of Their Own'' |Jess McCready |8 episodes |- |2022–2023 |''George & Tammy'' |Sheila Richey |4 episodes |}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|3080168}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:McCormack, Kelly}} Category:Living people Category:Writers from Vancouver Category:Canadian film actresses Category:Screenwriters from British Columbia Category:Canadian television actresses Category:Actresses from Vancouver Category:21st-century Canadian actresses Category:Canadian LGBTQ actresses Category:Year of birth missing (living people)