Kelly O'Sullivan
Kelly O'Sullivan (born 1983/1984) is an American actress, screenwriter, director, and producer. She wrote and starred in Saint Frances (2019), which won the Audience Award and the Special Jury Award at 2019 SXSW Film Festival. She also wrote and co-directed Ghostlight, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Kelly O'Sullivan
- Name
- Kelly O'Sullivan
- Birthplace
- Arkansas, U.S.
- Occupation
- Actress, producer, screenwriter, director
- Born
- 1983 · Arkansas.
- Nationality
- United States
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Kelly O'Sullivan (born 1983/1984) is an American actress, screenwriter, director, and producer. She wrote and starred in Saint Frances (2019), which won the Audience Award and the Special Jury Award at 2019 SXSW Film Festival. She also wrote and co-directed Ghostlight, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
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Kelly O'Sullivan (born 1983) is an actress, film director and screenwriter, of American nationality. The actress was born in Arkansas.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Kelly O'Sullivan • Birthplace — Arkansas, U.S. • Occupation — Actress, producer, screenwriter, director • Years Active — 2011–present • Notable Works — * Saint Frances (2019) • Ghostlight (2024) • Mouse (2026)
Biography
Biography
O'Sullivan was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas to an accountant mother and a father who worked in health insurance. She was raised Irish Catholic and attended Immaculate Conception school until eighth grade. O'Sullivan always wanted to be an actor and, supported by her cinephile parents, she performed in local children's theatre plays from age five. She studied theatre at Northwestern University and is also an alumna of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company's School at Steppenwolf in Chicago. Inspired by Greta Gerwig, who directed Lady Bird, O'Sullivan wrote Saint Frances based on the experiences she had while working as a nanny to support her struggling acting career in her twenties and an abortion she had in her early thirties. She started work on the script in January 2018, already intending the film to be directed by partner Alex Thompson. She wrote the parts for the lesbian parents in the film for actors Lily Mojekwu and Charin Alvarez. In 2024, O'Sullivan co-directed, with Thompson, Ghostlight which had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was scheduled in June 2024 by IFC Films and Sapan Studio.
Personal life
Personal life
O'Sullivan is in a relationship with director Alex Thompson. She is an agnostic and a feminist. She has stated that her favourite film is Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2012 — Battleground — Sarah — 4 episodes • 2012 — The Mob Doctor — Annabelle Hanson — 1 episode • 2014–2015 — Sirens — Valentina 'Voodoo' Dunacci — Recurring role (22 episodes) • 2015 — The History of Us — Katie — TV movie
Video games
Video games
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2014 — Watch Dogs — Additional voices — Voice role
Films
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2011 — In Memoriam — Kelly • 2015 — Henry Gamble's Birthday Party — Candice Noble • Sleep With Me — Rachel • 2016 — Jessica — Pam • 2017 — Ladies' Night — Kelly — Short, writer, executive producer, co-director • 2018 — Olympia — Becca • Not Welcome — Penelope • 2019 — Saint Frances — Bridget — Writer, executive producer • 2022 — Cha Cha Real Smooth — Bella • Rounding — Dr. Kayla Matthews • My Summer Vacation — Short film; director and writer • 2023 — The Graduates — Vicki • 2024 — Ghostlight — rowspan="2" — Director and writer • 2026 — Mouse — Director, writer, and executive producer • TBA — The Steel Harp — Amy — Also director and writer
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Kelly O'Sullivan”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q97609182: Kelly O'Sullivan
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.SXSW Film Awards. SXSW.
- 2.Stevenson, Seana. Saint Frances Interview: Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson. The MUFF Society Blog. 14 November 2020.
- 3.Mottram, James. Saint Frances star Kelly O'Sullivan: 'A female body is messy — but we've had to keep it invisible'. inews.co.uk. 9 July 2020.
- 4.Kemp, Ella. Shame On Who? In Conversation With Kelly O'Sullivan on 'Saint Frances'. Girls On Tops. 24 July 2020.
- 5.Jones, Ralph. Kelly O'Sullivan: how the rising 'Saint Frances' star made 2020's best indie film. NME. 16 July 2020.
- 6.Jones, Chris. Scene Stealers. Chicago Tribune. 27 October 2006.
- 7.Pugh, Lindsay. Saint Frances Interview: On shame, healing, abortion, and blood. Seventh Row. 15 November 2020.
- 8.Ghostlight. 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
- 9.D'Alessandro, Anthony. Sundance Unveils Packed 2024 Lineup That Includes A.I., Pedro Pascal, Kristen Stewart, Satan, Devo & Steven Yeun. Deadline Hollywood. December 6, 2023.
- 10.Lang, Brent. IFC Films, Sapan Studio Buy 'Ghostlight' Following Critically Acclaimed Sundance Debut (EXCLUSIVE). Variety. January 25, 2024.
- 11.Complex, Valerie. 'Ghostlight': IFC Films To Release Alex Thompson & Kelly O'Sullivan Drama In Theaters This June. Deadline Hollywood. April 18, 2024.
- 12.Martin, Rebecca. Kelly O'Sullivan's debut script 'Saint Frances' brings an authentic look into womanhood. Cinema Femme.
- 13.'Cha Cha Real Smooth': Sundance Review. Screen Daily.
- 14.Sidney Flanigan, Namir Smallwood to Star in 'Rounding' From 'Saint Frances' Director Alex Thompson (EXCLUSIVE). Variety. 5 March 2021.
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
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