Actress Porter Kelly Appears on 'The Pitt'

NMU 1993 alumna and professional actress Porter Kelly appears in the second-season premiere of "The Pitt" on HBO Max. The show has won numerous awards, including both a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy for best drama series. It explores the daily lives of healthcare professionals in a Pittsburgh hospital as they juggle personal crises, workplace politics and the emotional toll of treating critically ill patients. Kelly's character is patient Margaret "Hail Mary" Walker.

According to a story in the Escanaba Daily Press, she is also scheduled to appear in an upcoming episode of "CIA" (CBS), a new spinoff of the "FBI" franchise.

Kelly is a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity Association, and also an Emmy-voting member of the Television Academy. In October 2023, she was among four inaugural inductees into the NMU Theatre and Dance Hall of Fame. At that time, she had accumulated nearly 50 TV/film credits.

In an NMU alumni magazine feature story, Kelly stated unequivocally that she would not be a professional actor if she hadn't gone to Northern. She planned to become an English teacher when she first enrolled, but added a second major in theater after getting "sucked into the program" by successfully auditioning for shows and enrolling in related classes. One of her favorite roles was Little Red Riding Hood in the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods.

While she has since maximized her many guest appearances on popular television shows, both comedies and dramas, Kelly acknowledged that her ultimate goal is to be a series regular. Read the full Northern Magazine feature here.