Minka Kelly

Minka Kelly Introduction

As a star of the NBC show Friday Night Lights, Minka Kelly makes you want to go back to high school. But before her acting career took off, Kelly says her life was pretty miserable.

Minka Kelly Life Story

Her father, Rick Dufay was a former Areosmith guitarist who left Kelly and her mother. At the age of 17, Minka decided enough was enough and reconciled with her father. Good thing to, because she then moved in with him in Los Angeles and started acting as a hobby while she studied to be a surgical technician.

When the acting gigs starting coming in, she quickly ditched studying to focus on the more lucrative jobs. She had a small role in State's Evidence (Alexa Vega) and caught the eye of director Peter Berg, who cast her in Friday Night Lights as Lyla Garrity. She can also be seen in the 2007 film The Kingdom (Jennifer Garner), which was also directed by Berg. Recent rumors have Kelly engaged to New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter.

Minka ranked #42 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list and #54 on the 2008 list.