Gossip Girl Report

A Gossip Girl Primer: Kelly Rutherford

by Kelly on August 27th, 2007

Kelly Rutherford was born on November 6, 1968 in Kentucky. Her parents divorced when she was just two and she spent the next several years moving from town to town with her mother.

From a young age, Rutherford knew that she wanted to be an actress. She moved to New York City to study acting and landed bit parts in shows and commercials, with no major success.

She eventually settled California in the 1980s and dabbled in daytime soaps, winning a role on NBC’s short-lived Generations. Rutherford was nominated at the 1989 Soap Opera Digest Awards as Outstanding Heroine: Daytime for her portrayal of Sam Whitmore on the show. She lost to actress Cady McClain who played - and I’m not making this up - Dixie Louise Cooney Chandler Martin Bodine Martin but made an impression.

She then landed a role on ABC’s Homefront. The show was cancelled after barely two seasons but Rutherford quickly found another series, this time on a comedy for Fox’ The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.

TV work lead to film work. In 1994, Rutherford landed a role in I Love Trouble, starring Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte. Unfortunately, the film did not do well at the box office and Rutherford went back to a string of largely forgettable TV roles.

She didn’t go unnoticed, however. Famed produced Aaron Spelling hired her as a sweet-natured hooker for the immensely popular Melrose Place. She remained on the series until its end in 1999.

Following Melrose Place, Rutherford kept busy in her professional and personal life. She got married in June 2001 and divorced a few months later - just a week before a television special produced by In Style magazine was to tout their celebrity wedding.  She remarried in August 2006, to businessman Daniel Giersch.  The two now have a son, Hermés Gustaf Daniel.

Maybe motherhood suits Rutherford.  After years of playing up her sexy image as a single, she gets to show off her acting chops as a mother:  she plays Lillian “Lilly” van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl.  Lilly is Serena’s mom - and their mother/daughter relationship is about to get interesting.

(Photo source)

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