Paula Alma Kelly was an American actress, singer, dancer and choreographer in films, television and theatre. Kelly's career began during the mid–1960s in theatre, making her Broadway debut as Mrs. Veloz in the 1964 musical Something More!, alongside Barbara Cook. Kelly's other Broadway credits include The Dozens, Paul Sills' Story Theatre, Ovid's Metamorphoses, and Sophisticated Ladies, based on the music of Duke Ellington, appearing with Gregory Hines and Phyllis Hyman.
Kelly performed as guest artist and sometimes assistant choreographer for numerous television musical specials, including Sammy and Friends ; co-choreographer of the BBC production of Peter Pan, in which she also performed the role of Tiger-Lily; Quincy Jones' TV tribute to Duke Ellington, We Love You Madly; The Richard Pryor Show; and Gene Kelly's New York, New York, in which the two Kelly's performed a duet. Kelly performed a dance solo at the 41st Academy Awards for the nominated title song from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. She appeared on the London stage in Sweet Charity with dancer and actress Juliet Prowse, for which Kelly won the London Variety Award for Best Supporting Actress. She starred in the record-breaking west coast premiere of Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope at the Mark Taper Forum, for which she was awarded the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, Variety, and the first of three NAACP Image Awards. is second from right. Kelly's film credits include the Bob Fosse-directed film Sweet Charity; Soylent Green; The Spook Who Sat by the Door; The Andromeda Strain; Uptown Saturday Night; Lost in the Stars, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling; Drop Squad; and Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored. Kelly had a regular role as Liz Williams on the first season of the sitcom Night Court, for which she received an Emmy Award nomination. Kelly also guest-starred in a variety of television movies and sitcoms, including Sanford and Son, Kojak, Police Woman, Golden Girls, Good Times, Any Day Now and in the Oprah Winfrey-produced TV mini-series The Women of Brewster Place, in which she portrayed one half of a lesbian couple struggling against homophobia in an inner-city ghetto. Kelly was nominated for a second Emmy for her role in The Women of Brewster Place.
Kelly was married once and had one child. On September 15, 1985, Kelly married British-born television director Don Chaffey. They had one child together, a daughter. Kelly remained married to Chaffey until his death in November 1990. Kelly died of heart failure on February 8, 2020 at age 77.
