Tricia O’Kelley

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a degree in film and television production, Tricia O'Kelley decided to launch her acting career in Chicago. When most actors travel to Los Angeles, the decision to stay in the Midwest may have been viewed as foolish by some. Yet after only a few short years, O'Kelley began appearing in commercials for Budweiser, McDonald's, and Sears, creating an established acting career for herself in the Windy City.

But eventually Hollywood came calling, and after moving to Los Angeles in the '90s, O'Kelley began making dozens of guest appearances on sitcoms like "Frasier," "Two and a Half Men," "Everybody Loves Raymond," and "Malcolm in the Middle." She received her first big break in 2001, appearing as a series regular on the short-lived cooking-themed sitcom "Emeril" before landing the role of rich mother Marly Ehrhardt on "The New Adventures of Old Christine," which ran for five seasons on CBS.