Facts
Born in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, the Toronto-bred Kelly Rowan
moved to Los Angeles in 1990 to pursue acting,
and has worked in a variety of roles on both the small and silver screens.
Rowan began modeling in college
to earn some extra cash, and became involved in
acting while working in commercials.
At 20, Rowan left the University of Western
Ontario before she attained her degree in
English Literature, instead joining the
cast of the Canadian series Mount Royal.
Though Rowan has discussed what a tough
decision it was to leave university, the young
actress found the opportunity to shoot the show in
Paris, France too irresistible. Rowan
went on to further her education studying
acting at the British American Drama Academy
in London and, upon returning to North America,
relocating to New York to
study at the city’s famed Neighborhood Playhouse.
After relocating to Los Angeles, Rowan
had bit parts on both
the hit TV series Dallas (1991)
and the blockbuster
Steven Spielberg film Hook (1991).
Though finding success in America, Rowan
continued to work in Canada as well, guesting on series
such as The Outer Limits (1995) and The DaVinci
Inquest (1998) and, most notably,
in the Canadian telepic Adrift
(1994) for which she received a Best Actress Gemini award
from the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.
Through this time, Rowan seamlessly
worked in both TV and film,
starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson
as a tough teacher in 187 (1997)
and with fellow Canucks Matthew Perry
and Neve Campbell in Three to Tango
(1999).
In 2002, Rowan had a recurring role
on the critically acclaimed Boomtown, playing
the cuckolded wife of Neal McDonough’s
detective. She filmed her final episode in 2003,
just before starting on The O.C.
(Fox. 2003- ), playing Kirsten Cohen,
the dutiful mother of Seth (Adam Brody)
and wife of Sandy (Peter Gallagher).
