Roma Downey – Truly an Angel
“Roma is an award winning actress, a talented Writer, Singer and a Spiritual Counselor”
Before starring as Monica in Touched by an Angel, Roma Downey was best known to television audiences for her portrayal of Jacqueline Kennedy in the mini-series A Woman Named Jackie.
Roma Downey (born 6 May 1960) is an actress, singer, and producer, from Derry, Northern Ireland. She is best known as Tess’s (played by Della Reese) angel/employee, Monica, the main character of the TV series Touched by an Angel. She is also the wife of television producer, Mark Burnett.
Roma was born and raised in a Catholic environment in Derry. She attended grammar school at Thornhill College. Originally, Downey thought she would be a painter and earned a BA at Brighton College of Art, England. But she turned her attention to acting and had a classical training attending Drama Studio London, where she performed in the plays of Shakespeare, Shaw, and Chekhov.
She joined the Abbey Players in Dublin, and toured the United States in a production of The Playboy of the Western World. The production led to a nomination during the Broadway run for the Helen Hayes Best Actress Award in 1991. Roma also starred on Broadway in “The Circle” with Sir Rex Harrison and also at the Roundabout Theater and the Public Theater in NYC.
With her growing popularity, Downey gained the role of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis in the 1991 U.S. TV 6 hour mini-series A Woman Named Jackie which went on to win the Emmy award that year. Eventually, this led to her most famous role, as the angel “Monica” on the CBS hit Touched by an Angel, which ran from 1994 to 2003, which starred opposite Della Reese. For her work on Touched by an Angel, Roma has been nominated for Emmys and Golden Globe awards. She was awarded the TV Guide award for favorite actress. She has produced and starred in many TV movies including Borrowed Hearts and Second Honeymoon. She has recorded a spoken word album called “Healing Angel” and written a children’s book called Love Is A Family. She hosted “It’s a Miracle” on the Pax Network and most recently starred again on stage in “A Picasso” at the Geffen Theatre in LA. She has hosted SNL, was one of People magazine’s most beautiful people and is a spokesperson for the volunteer group “Operation Smile”. For her nine seasons on-air, she developed chemistry with Reese. In the aftermath of the show, she and Reese remain friends.
Her first marriage was fellow actor Leland Orser, with whom she eloped in 1987 to Rome, Italy. They divorced in 1989. In 1995, she married American director, David Anspaugh. Downey’s Touched by an Angel co-star, Della Reese, officiated at the wedding. During her marriage to Anspaugh, she gave birth to her daughter, Reilly Marie Anspaugh (b. 1996). Della Reese was given the honor of being her godmother. In 1998, she and Anspaugh ended their three-year marriage.
She is currently married to television producer/entrepreneur Mark Burnett. On Thanksgiving Day 2006, Burnett proposed to Downey during a family vacation in Zihuatanejo Mexico. They wed on 28 April 2007 in their Malibu home. Her Touched by An Angel co-star, Della Reese, officiated at the wedding.
Roma is a “Smile Ambassador” for the non-profit organization named Operation Smile which provides surgeries for children around the world who were born with severe cleft lips and palates.
She recently starred alongside John Schneider in the movie “Come Dance at My Wedding”.
On 18 April 2009, Downey and her husband Mark Burnett, delivered the keynote address and accepted an honorary doctorate of law at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management commencement ceremony.
She is a recent graduate from The University of Santa Monica with a Masters in Spiritual Psychology.
OM Times Special Interview
Omtimes: What is your real name?
RD: Roma, I was named after my two Grandmothers, Rose Downey and Mary O’ Reilly, they took Ro from Rose and Ma from Mary and made a new name Roma to honor both of them yet I had my own unique name.
Omtimes: Do you have any nicknames?
RD: No, I don’t have any nicknames.
Omtimes: How you would classify your career? Tell us a funny story about yourself. I feel my career has been such a blessing. I began in the theatre with a love of the stage. I grew up in Northern Ireland in a period of time we know as the troubles. There was a lot of violence from the political unrest and they were sad days in my countries history. I look back and I can see I developed my imagination as a child as a way to cope and to survive. I used to pretend I was a girl in a movie and it helped me deal with the chaos around me. Later when I left high school I went first to Art school and then to Drama school in London. I love the theatre and I had a classical training and have played everything from Ibsen and Shaw, to Shakespeare and Checkov.
My dream as a girl had been to be on Broadway and I was thrilled to move to NYC and to star alongside Sir Rex Harrison in the 1990 revival of the comedy “The Circle”. While doing that I was spotted to play Jackie Kennedy and starred in the Emmy award winning mini-series on her life called “A Woman Names Jackie” That was a big break for me and on the heels of that I moved from NYC to LA.
I continued to make TV movies and in 1994 I was thrilled to be sent a script that not only excited me but inspired me. It was called “Touched by An Angel” and I was being asked to read for the part of the kind hearted soft spoken angel Monica. I got the job and starred alongside Della Reese. The series became a bit hit for CBS and stayed on the air for almost a decade. It was such a blessing in my life and it touched the lives of many who watched. It had a powerful. positive message that uplifted and inspired. I loved being a part of that energy.
For my work as Monica I earned multiple Emmy and golden globe nominations, and my friendship with Della Reese has endured, she is like my Mother and I truly love her and value her in my life.
Omtimes: What are you plans for the near future, tell us a little about your projects and dreams?
RD: Last year I graduated with an M.A in spiritual Psychology. It was a 2 year program and the most beautiful journey of learning and heart expansion. I feel that as a result of this I am a better listener and am filled with compassion, for myself and others.
Professionally I have a movie airing on Hallmark channel on July 9th at 8pm. It’s called “Keeping up with the Randalls” Its family friendly and a fun project I shot at the end of last year. I also am producing an inspirational animated series of dvd’s for young children .It is called “Little Angels” and follows a troupe of cherubic angels who come alive form a mural on the kids nursery wall and teach them, not only ABC’s and 123’s but values such as kindness and sharing. It’s really adorable and should be launched in the fall.
Omtimes: If you had to change something in the world what would it be?
RD: I wish we could all treat each other with loving respect and kindness.
Omtimes: What makes you mad, any particular thoughts or situations? I do not get mad easily and I try not to move into reaction too quickly, between stimulus and response there is a space and I like to breathe into that moment so I can choose how to respond in any given situation. But I believe it’s also healthy to feel your feelings and now just emotionally bypass them ( I can have my feelings and not have to act out) That said any form of cruelty is upsetting to me.
Omtimes: Tell us 5 things that the public don’t know about you and are afraid to ask…
DR: Hmmmmmm……I love poetry, I love to read it or listen to it…my favorites are Mary Oliver, David Whyte and WB Yeats. I also love my dogs I have two big beautiful Irish wolfhounds called Finn Mc Cool and Maximus. They are gentle giants.
Omtimes: What is the best memory you have in your life?
RD: I have so many wonderful memories; falling in love, birth of my daughter, career highlights and so on it would be hard to claim one. My Mother did die when I was a child so memories of her are rare and precious. I can remember dancing in a ballet class and looking over to see her smiling warmly and lovingly encouraging me. I have played that memory over and over in my mind and I like to imagine her in heaven smiling down at me loving and encouraging me as I live my life.
Omtimes: Do you have favorite book or movie that inspired you, to the point that shifted your perspective on things?
RD: When I was a teenager I was very moved by the movie on the life of Gandhi. I was impressed by how he lived his life and encouraged us to be the change we want to see in the world. He was kind and tolerant and it brought into focus many of the qualities I admire. So that movie had a big impact on me.
Omtimes: If you could and had the power to change the world in one way, what would you do?
RD: Well then I have to be the change I want to see in the world…..perhaps if we could all live our life in this way, we would be kinder to each other, to our animals and to our planet.
It’s all a blessing; I try to live a life of gratitude.
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