Biography

Kelly Russell Schwartz was born as Kelly Lynn Russell in Toledo, Ohio. She grew up in Dallas, Texas and has loved acting from a very young age. Being an only child, she has always used her creativity and imagination to entertain. Kelly was very involved in theatre and acting competitions in her high school and college years. Her favorite role on stage in high school was playing Jill in Equus.

After graduating, Kelly took a break from acting and moved to the East Coast. She earned an MBA in International Business from The George Washington University and became a management consultant. However, she found herself constantly daydreaming about performing and decided to once again pursue her true love of acting.

Kelly has 40+ credits on IMDb and her most notable roles TV and film credits including Task on HBO, Fellow Travelers on Showtime, and supporting roles in the features Lucy Schulman (which just premiered at Tribeca Festival 2026) opposite David Cross, and Devoted opposite Mena Suvari (in post production). She also has roles in numerous commercials and print advertisements.

Kelly is known for playing polished, capable, high-functioning women who project warmth and composure on the surface, but inhabit vulnerability, pain, or secrets underneath. Polished grit meets maternal devotion, the woman you can’t cross and the woman you can’t help but feel for.

Personally, Kelly is a mother of two boys and is married to Roy Schwartz, who is the co-founder and President of Axios. She is an avid traveler, currently having visited over 50 countries with a goal to visit every country in the world. She is also a passionate supporter of animal rescue and children’s causes, including volunteer work with Make-A-Wish Foundation and Best Friends Animal Society. She also loves snow skiing, reformer Pilates, super spicy food, dark chocolate, and champagne.
- IMDb mini biography by: Kelly Schwartz