Roma Downey Biography: In Her Own Words – Exclusive Video, News, Photos, Age

Roma Downey is an actress, producer and New York Times bestselling author. She is perhaps most famous for her captivating role where she portrayed the angel Monica on the hit CBS American drama series Touched by an Angel.

ROMA DOWNEY BIOGRAPHY: AGE, EARLY LIFE, FAMILY, EDUCATION

Roma Downey was born on May 6, 1960 (Roma Downey age: 63) in Derry, Northern Ireland, which is located in the Bogside district. She is named after her two grandmothers, Ro, derived from her grandmother Rosa, and Ma, named after her second grandmother Mary. Her mother tragically perished from a heart attack when Downey was just ten years old and her father was taken from her when she was 20.

Downey attended Thornhill College, a Catholic school for girls. Initially, Downey expressed interest in becoming a painter while earning herself a Bachelor of Arts at Brighton College of Art. She then went on to study acting in London at The Drama Studio after having discovered her passion for acting in college. In 2010, she earned herself a master’s degree in spiritual psychology from the University of Santa Monica.

ROMA DOWNEY BIOGRAPHY: CAREER

Downey began her career by joining the Abbey Players, based at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, before touring the United States in a production of The Playboy of the Western World. She then decided to move to New York after an agent she met in the production advised her that she’d have great potential for success there. She took a job almost immediately after as a coat checker at an Upper West Side restaurant before getting cast in numerous Broadway shows.

In an exclusive interview with uInterview, Downey spoke about her first experiences acting and producing.

“Many years ago, one of my big breaks, I played Jackie Kennedy in a mini-series called A Woman Named Jackie. I remember being so nervous because I’m a little Irish woman and at the time she was still alive she was like one of the most famous women, American women, of all time,” Downey recalled. “So, they hired me a guy to work with my accent. My accent is softened. I’ve been an American now 30 years, but at the time my Irish accent was still very strong. We nicknamed him the ‘brogue basher,’ and every time he heard me sounding vaguely Irish, he hit me over the head with a script. So that was my first big break. Obviously, then I played the angel Monica on Touched by an Angel for many many years. When that show ended, I really still wanted to continue to tell stories of hope and inspiration and, along with my husband Mark Burnett, we produced The Bible series, Son of God, Ben-Hur and movies that specifically had a faith element to them. I mean, On a Wing and a Prayer, by the title, you know it has a little bit of a faith element, but it plays out more like a thriller to be honest. I mean, obviously, they believe and they call out in prayer, but it’s a film that speaks of courage. It speaks of teamwork, you know? There’s so many wonderful facets to this film and I just really enjoy producing. I’m also an author and have just came out in the last few months with a new book called Be an Angel, which is a devotional to inspire kindness, reminding us each to be like an angel to each other.”

During the interview, Downey made it clear that there is a message she is trying to provide with her work, mentioning that “you can see these themes are woven through all of my work. I think there’s enough darkness in the world and enough bad news every time you turn the TV on. You’re sickened that one story is worse than the next, and I just feel, as a producer, that I want to make entertainment content that’s hopeful and inspiring and I believe that On a Wing and a Prayer is that movie and that families will be inspired when they check it out.” 

ROMA DOWNEY BIOGRAPHY: PERSONAL LIFE

Downey is currently married to television producer Mark Burnett. She has one daughter, Reilly Marie Downey Anspaugh, from her previous marriage with TV director David Anspaugh, as well as two step-sons, James and Cameron Burnett. She was also previously married to American actor Leland Orser.

On Thanksgiving of 2006, Burnett proposed to Downey during a family vacation in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. They officially got married in April of 2007 in their Malibu home.

Downey is a ‘Smile Ambassador’ for the not-for-profit organization “Operation Smile,” which grants children across the world born with severe cleft lip and palate the opportunity to get the surgeries in which they are in need. 

On October 1, 2015, Downey received the Sally Award from the Salvation Army for her significant contribution to entertainment and to helping those in need.