Kelli Maroney is an American actress whose career spans several decades, with 72 production
credits, including 31+ films and over 540 hours of television.
She first came to recognition as the bad seed teen Lolita “Kimberly Harris” in the ABC
Daytime drama RYAN’s HOPE, winning the plum role only two weeks after arriving in NYC to
attend classes at The National Shakespeare Company Conservatory. She soon found herself
acting opposite the likes of Joan Fontaine and Christopher Reeve as they made guest appearances
on the show. She went on to take over the role of sex-kitten manipulator “Tina Lord” on ABC's
ONE LIFE to LIVE.

Kelli also gained notice for her portrayal of the exasperated cheerleader “Cindy Carr/Spirit
Bunny” in FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, a film that for many came to simply
personify the 80s. Today Kelli’s cheerleader costume is on display in the Universal Studios
Museum. Strong female leading roles, notably MAC-10-toting cheerleader “Samantha Belmont”
in the zombie apocalypse classic NIGHT OF THE COMET, the sweet Killbot-slaying “Alison
Parks” in CHOPPING MALL, “Jamie” in the underground slasher THE ZERO BOYS, teen
psychotic-killer “Jolene” in SLAYGROUND, and several other well-received films quickly
earned Kelli her seat at the table as a final girl in the family of the horror genre.

She also guest-starred in a variety of prime-time ABC, NBC, and CBS shows, including the
ever-popular MURDER, SHE WROTE. Kelli has said that her most fulfilling role to date is the
schizophrenic femme fatale “Merrie/Meredith” in Showtime’s noir thriller FACE DOWN
(written and directed by NIGHT OF THE COMET’s Thom Eberhardt), playing opposite Joe
Mantegna, J.K. Simmons, and Adam Ant. Other streaming highlights include Kelli’s channeling
Tammy Faye Baker on HBO's TRUE BLOOD and playing herself in ADULT SWIM's TIM and
ERIC'S AWESOME SHOW-GREAT JOB! alongside Patrick Duffy.

Current on-demand films streaming include EXORCISM AT 60,000 FEET with horror icons Lance
Henriksen, Adrienne Barbeau and Bill Moseley, THE DEEP ONES and THE OLD ONES,  modernized H.P.

Lovecraft film adaptations parts I and II,  NIGHT CALLER and SCALPER, parts I and II of a 70s-inspired shocker, 

SCARE PACKAGE II, THE WILD MAN, and STAYCATION, a film in which she both appears and has a co-producer credit. 

 

Kelli’s first job as executive co-producer was the 1999 festival award-winning short film SAM AND MIKE (in which she 

also co-starred). The experience ignited her love of film festivals, and she remains deeply committed

 

 

to championing independent filmmakers. Her work from 2019 to the present has garnered festival awards in and for 

short films and full-length features which include Best Actress (KelliMaroney) Best Ensemble Cast, Best Film, Best Director, 

and other department-specific awards for creative teams.

 

Kelli is featured in CNN's THE MOVIES: THE 80s! She is also interviewed in five
documentaries: IN SEARCH OF SEARCH OF DARKNESS: I, II, and III; TIME WARP: The
Greatest Cult Films of All Time; DIRECT TO VIDEO: A Study of the Independent Film Scene
of the 1990s.
Kelli is a strong advocate for mental health awareness and animal welfare. She lives in Los
Angeles with her husband, Dan Ulin, and two rescue cats.