Roma Burnett (née Downey) is an actress, producer, and author from

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...

. She produced the mini-series ''

The Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts o ...

'' for the History Channel and also appeared in it as

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

. For nine seasons she played Monica the

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles ...

in the CBS television series '' Touched by an Angel''. She has performed on stage with the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the p ...

, The National Theatre of Ireland, and has appeared both on and off Broadway. She played the leading role of

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A p ...

in the Emmy award-winning miniseries ''

A Woman Named Jackie ''A Woman Named Jackie'' is a 1991 American television miniseries chronicling the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It was based on C. David Heymann's 1989 book of the same title. The miniseries was split into three parts: *''A Woman Named Jac ...

'' for NBC. Downey starred in and was executive producer for a number of television movies for the CBS network, including '' Borrowed Hearts'' and '' Second Honeymoon''. She is an ambassador for Operation Smile, serving on missions to Honduras, Vietnam, and Jordan. On 11 August 2016 she was honored with a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

. In 2021, Downey received the Lifetime Achievement Award for the International Christian Film & Music Festival. In 2021, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award for the International Christian Film & Music Festival and was named an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

for services to the Arts, Drama and to the Community in Northern Ireland. As President of Lightworkers Media, the faith and family division of MGM, Downey and her husband,

Mark Burnett Mark Burnett (born 17 July 1960) is a television producer who is the former Chairman of MGM Worldwide Television Group. He is best known for creating and producing the reality shows ''The Apprentice'', '' Survivor'', ''The Voice'', and ''Sh ...

, produced the Emmy-nominated miniseries ''

'' for

History History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

channel, which was watched by over 100 million people in the United States. Downey and Burnett also executive-produced the

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

s '' Ben-Hur'' starring Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell and Morgan Freeman, '' Son of God'' (2014), ''

Little Boy "Little Boy" was the type of atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 during World War II, making it the first nuclear weapon used in warfare. The bomb was dropped by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress ''Enola Gay'' p ...

'', '' Woodlawn'', ''Resurrection'', ''Messiah'' and ''Country Ever After'' which aired in 2021. '' Variety'' recognized Downey and Burnett as "Trailblazers" and listed Downey as one of ''Variety's'' "100 Most Powerful Women in Hollywood". ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...

'' included the couple in their "Most Influential People of 2013" and Downey as one of the "100 Women in Entertainment Power" in 2014. She was honored on ''Variety's'' "Women of Impact in 2014". Downey and Burnett also produced '' The Dovekeepers'' based on the best selling book by Alice Hoffman for CBS and ''

A.D. The Bible Continues ''A.D. The Bible Continues'' (also known as ''A.D. Kingdom and Empire'') is an American biblical drama television miniseries, based on the Bible, and a sequel to the 2013 miniseries, ''The Bible'', and follows up from the film '' Son of God'' w ...

'' for NBC, ''Women of the Bible'' for Lifetime, ''Answered Prayers'' for TLC. Downey is the executive producer of the documentary "Faithkeepers" about the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, "Bump Along the Way", and of the short film ''Rough'' which won the

IFTA Ifta is a former municipality in the Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany. Since 1 January 2019, it has been part of the town Treffurt Treffurt () is a small town in the western region of the Wartburgkreis district which belongs to the ...

for best short film in 2021.

Early life

Downey was born and raised in

, Northern Ireland, in the

Bogside The Bogside is a neighbourhood outside the city walls of Derry, Northern Ireland. The large gable-wall murals by the Bogside Artists, Free Derry Corner and the Gasyard Féile (an annual music and arts festival held in a former gasyard) are pop ...

district.Tracey, Olivia
An angel with her feet firmly on the ground
''

Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditionally a broadsheet new ...

'', 7 January 2001. Roma is named after her two grandmothers, Ro from Rose and Ma from Mary, joined to make Roma. She attended

Thornhill College Thornhill College is a Roman Catholic grammar school for girls. Located in Derry, Northern Ireland, it has a student population of approximately 1500 and a staff of 100 teachers. History The nucleus of the present Thornhill College commenced ...

, a Catholic girls school. Her mother, Maureen O'Reilly Downey, a housewife with an interest in the performing arts, died from a heart attack at age 48 when Downey was 10 years old. Her father, Patrick Downey, was a mortgage broker. Her father died when Downey was 20. Originally, she planned to be a painter and earned a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

Brighton College of Art Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Ag ...

. Roma studied BA (Hons) Expressive Arts at

Brighton Polytechnic The University of Brighton is a public university based on four campuses in Brighton and Eastbourne on the south coast of England. Its roots can be traced back to 1858 when the Brighton School of Art was opened in the Royal Pavilion. It achi ...

. Based at the Falmer campus, she combined Art and Drama for her degree. She then went on to study acting in London at The Drama Studio.

Career

She joined the Abbey Players, based at the

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, and toured the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

in a production of '' The Playboy of the Western World''. Downey moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

after an agent, whom she met during the tour of '' The Playboy of the Western World'', suggested she had potential for success there. She took a job as a coat checker at an Upper West Side restaurant before getting cast in Broadway shows. The production led to a nomination during the Broadway run for the Helen Hayes Best Actress Award in 1991. She also starred on Broadway in ''The Circle'' with

Sir Rex Harrison Sir Reginald Carey "Rex" Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play ''French Without Tears'', in wha ...

and also at the Roundabout Theater and

The Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...

in New York City. Downey played the role of

in the American television miniseries ''

'' (1991) which won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries in 1992.

''Touched by an Angel''

Downey's role as

Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A p ...

led to her most famous role, as the angel Monica, on the CBS series '' Touched by an Angel'', opposite singer-actress,

Della Reese Delloreese Patricia Early (July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017), known professionally as Della Reese, was an American jazz and gospel singer, actress, and ordained minister whose career spanned seven decades. She began her long career as a s ...

, and John Dye which ran from 1994 to 2003. She received one nomination and one win at the

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...

awards for favorite actress and also received two Emmy Award nominations and two

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

nominations. Downey has said the character Monica interested her because it was a strong female role, which were "few and far between" and for its spiritual aspects: Downey has also spoken of her deep and lasting love for and friendship with Della Reese. The two remained close until Reese's death on 19 November 2017. She commented that Reese was "such an influence on my life. She was my mother. I was a girl without a mother and for certain God brought her into my life. She was one of the lasting gifts of ''Touched by an Angel''."

''The Bible''

On 24 May 2011, Downey and husband

announced they were producing a 10-hour

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event". Docudramas typic ...

for the

channel, ''

'', based on stories from the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...

scheduled to air in 2013. They began planning it in 2009 and lined up their own financing. The full production cost was US$22 million. Downey and Burnett wanted to stay as true to the content in the Bible as possible so they put together a wide variety of pastors and academics to review the script and filming. For example, they worked with Pastors Joel Osteen and Rick Warren and academics such as Craig A. Evans and

Mark Goodacre Mark S. Goodacre (born 1967 in Leicestershire, England) is a New Testament scholar and Professor at Duke University's Department of Religion. He has written extensively on the Synoptic Problem; that is, the origins of the gospels of Matthew, Mar ...

. ''

'' has been watched by over 100 million viewers in the United States alone Press Release
Roma Downey And Mark Burnett's #1 New Cable Series THE BIBLE Is Also A New York Times Best Seller, Dominating Amazon And is No. 1 On iTunes And #1 On Twitter
25 March 2013. The series has been the number one downloaded series in iTunes and ranked on Amazon's best sellers in movies and television. A theatrical release was released on 28 February 2014 in the United States, under the title '' Son of God''. ''The Bible'' was nominated for the 2013 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie. Downey played the role of Mary, the mother of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

. ''

'' was filmed in 2012 in Morocco. In July 2013, it was announced that Downey and Burnett would produce ''

A.D. The terms (AD) and before Christ (BC) are used to label or number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The term is Medieval Latin and means 'in the year of the Lord', but is often presented using "our Lord" instead of "the Lord", ...

'', the sequel to ''The Bible''. In December 2013, NBC ordered ''A.D.''. The series covered the spread of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

after the death and resurrection of

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

Other work

Downey also produced and starred in television movies including '' Borrowed Hearts'' and ''Second Honeymoon''. During the run of ''Touched by an Angel'', she recorded the spoken-word album ''Healing Angel.'' and wrote the children's book ''Love Is A Family''. She also coauthored a book with her husband "A Story of God and All of Us". She hosted ''It's a Miracle'' (TV series), on the Pax Network and appeared on stage in ''A Picasso'' at the Geffen Theatre in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. She portrayed Annie Sullivan in the TV movie ''Monday After the Miracle'' (1998). She has hosted ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...

'', was one of '' People Magazines most beautiful people. She is a spokesperson for the volunteer group " Operation Smile". In 2009, she starred in the movie ''Come Dance at My Wedding'' alongside John Schneider. On 16 July 2011, she appeared with actress

Marion Ross Marion Ross (born Marian Ellen Ross; October 25, 1928) is a American former actress. Her best-known role is that of Marion Cunningham on the ABC television sitcom '' Happy Days'', on which she starred from 1974 to 1984 and for which she recei ...

in the made-for-TV movie ''Keeping up with the Randalls'', broadcast on the

Hallmark Channel The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies a ...

. Downey is the executive producer of the animated video series, ''Little Angels'', which was released on DVD with

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

Home Entertainment on 14 February 2012. In December 2013, CBS announced a new

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

with Downey and Burnett, '' The Dovekeepers'' based on the

New York Times Bestseller ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...

by Alice Hoffman. The miniseries aired in 2015. In September 2014, MGM acquired a 55% interest in One Three Media and Lightworkers Media. The two companies consolidated into a new film and television company, United Artists Media Group. Burnett became UA's CEO and Downey became president of LightWorkers Media. In December 2015, MGM acquired the remaining 45% of Hearst's, Burnett's and Downey's interests in United Artists Media Group (UAMG), which was absorbed under the MGM Television Group umbrella. Downey remains President of LightWorkers Media, which became the Faith & Family division of MGM. Downey executive produced a re-telling of '' Ben-Hur'', starring

Jack Huston Jack Alexander Huston (born 7 December 1982) is a British actor. He appeared as Richard Harrow in the HBO television drama series ''Boardwalk Empire''. He also had a supporting role in the 2013 film ''American Hustle'', portrayed the eponymous ...

, which was released in August 2016. On Nov. 16, 2016, it was announced Roma Downey and her husband Mark Burnett were starting the religious-themed TV network Light TV airing on Fox stations and affiliates. It was reported on Dec. 5, 2020, that Light TV would stop broadcasting and be replaced by TheGrio.TV. Downey is the author of several books, including "Unexpected Blessings" and "Box of Butterflies" which became a NY Times best seller.

Personal life

Downey is married to television producer

. She has two step-sons, James Burnett and Cameron Burnett, and a daughter, Reilly Marie Downey Anspaugh (born 3 June 1996) from her previous marriage to director

David Anspaugh David Anspaugh (born September 24, 1946) is an American television and film director. Professional career After earning a bachelor's degree from Indiana University Bloomington, Anspaugh moved to Aspen, Colorado, where he worked as a substitute t ...

. She was also previously married to actor Leland Orser. Reilly is named after her grandmother, Maureen O'Reilly Downey. 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,

, officiated at the wedding. Downey is a "Smile Ambassador" for the non-profit organization Operation Smile which provides surgeries for children around the world who were born with severe cleft lip and palate. She has traveled on several international missions with the group to Vietnam, Honduras, and Jordan. She supported the unsuccessful candidacy of Martin McGuinness for

President of Ireland The president of Ireland ( ga, Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of Ireland and the supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces. The president holds office for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms.Constitu ...

in 2011. Downey received the Sally Award by the

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its ...

for her contribution to entertainment and helping those in need on 1 October 2015. Downey was raised a Roman Catholic. She and her husband Burnett describe themselves as Christians. On 18 April 2009, Downey and Burnett delivered the keynote address and accepted honorary doctorate degrees at Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business and Management commencement ceremony. In Feb 2016 Downey and Burnett gave the keynote address at the National Prayer Breakfast held in Washington DC by President Obama Downey also has a Doctor of Fine Art (DFA) honorary degree from the

University of Ulster sco, Ulstèr Universitie , image = Ulster University coat of arms.png , caption = , motto_lang = , mottoeng = , latin_name = Universitas Ulidiae , established = 1865 – Magee College 1953 - Magee Un ...

for her outstanding contribution to acting and philanthropy, and she and Burnett received honorary Doctor of Letters degrees from Nyack College in 2014. In 2010, Downey graduated from the University of Santa Monica with a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in Spiritual Psychology. Downey was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to the arts, drama and the community in Northern Ireland.

Filmography

Television

Film

Producer

Discography

In 1999, Downey signed with RCA Victor Records and recorded a CD called ''Healing Angel'', released on 14 September 1999.

Stage

Awards and nominations

Publications

* "Love Is a Family." (2001). Harper Entertainment * "Box of Butterflies: Discovering the Unexpected Blessing All Around Us." (2018).

References

External links

Roma Downey at Irish Central
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Downey, Roma 20th-century actresses from Northern Ireland 21st-century actresses from Northern Ireland Alumni of the Drama Studio London Alumni of the University of Brighton Film producers from Northern Ireland Living people People educated at Thornhill College Actors from Derry (city) Television actresses from Northern Ireland British women film producers Officers of the Order of the British Empire Writers from Derry (city) Mass media people from Derry (city) 1960 births