Kellie Aiken
- Actress
Kellie Aiken is a versatile American actress and classically-trained soprano originally from Simpsonville, South Carolina, with the chameleon-like ability to morph into the characters she portrays.
The daughter of the late Henry Aiken, an entrepreneur and small business owner and Barbara (Norris) Aiken, a professional pianist, organist and Christian recording artist & singer, she is the oldest of 2 children. She began her work singing in her local church, revival events and live concerts with her mother and studying dance and gymnastics at the age of 3 with former Rockette LaBruce Heist. She performed in her first play at the age of 5. Throughout her youth, Ms. Aiken amassed a resume of over 50 live shows, concerts, musical productions and plays in community, summer stock and regional theatre and continued to excel athletically as a cheerleader and competitive dancer throughout high school into the collegiate level NDA sports program where her team was ranked 14th nationally. And, she was in both the Winthrop Chorale and Chamber Singers Ensembles for 4 consecutive years as a first soprano which led to performances with the late Moses Hogan, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Alexander Bernstein. At university, she joined Delta Zeta Sorority, and was inducted into both Delta Omicron and Alpha Psi Omega Honors Fraternities. She graduated with a BA in Theatre and a BA in Mass Communication from Winthrop University with a minor in Music-Vocal Performance. Upon graduation, she worked in Charlotte, NC regional theatre and toured for a year with Stageworks Improvisational Theatre Company before moving to New York City in July 2003.
In the early fall of 2003, after 6 weeks of auditioning for 4-5 shows daily, she landed her first Off-Broadway production at the historic Provincetown Playhouse where she would meet and be advised by the late Academy Award winner, Celeste Holm. That work was followed up with a year and a half long engagement at The Wings Theatre Co. as the lead actress and last minute replacement cast member with only 4 days of rehearsal in "Manhattan Towers" by Beverly Bonner. Aiken went on to play Meip Gies in a production of "The Diary of Ann Frank," and worked at The Bernie West Theatre as Rose in "The Wool Gatherer," Desdemona in "Othello," and Gwendolen in "The Importance of Being Earnest" with director and acting coach Thomas G. Waites where she would eventually meet her mentor Vincent D'Onofrio through an introduction by Waites.
At The Manhattan Theatre Club she created the role of Mary Kate in "Famous Ghost Monologues" by Sarah Bunting and then followed up that performance as Carol in "Oleanna" at The Atlantic Theatre Company. She performed a series of sketch comedy shows from 2006-2010 with the independent satirical company "The Billionaires for Bush" and as part of the 9-11 Lower Manhattan Arts Council Special Series she collaborated and performed as the soprano soloist and actress in a production called "Tangle." "Tangle" was a post-modern artistic experience choreographed and directed by Tai Dang with original music by Philip Glass.
While in New York, Aiken studied opera at The Juilliard School coached by Edith Bers and Manhattan School of Music's Elizabeth Cole, she trained in method acting with her mentor, Vincent and attended classes regularly at the Broadway Dance Center.
In 2006, Aiken filmed the role of Wife for the short film "Defending the Caveman," which still runs at the beginning of the one-man show in over a dozen concurrent live productions in the United States and around the world. She utilized her gymnastic, dance and stunting skills in working on Spiderman 3 (2007) and BIIP Media's "Brutal Kicking" Webseries as the Blonde Assassin; played the best friend, Vicki, of an alien werewolf in the sci-fi indie thriller Amazon Rage (2006) and, the temptress Kelly in Grand Slammed (2010) with Paul Calderon, Alex Emmett and Walter Masterson.
Aiken was then cast as Amelia Earhart in the one-woman show Amelia's Flight at Rockefeller Center in 2008. And, after working on Broadway, Off-Broadway and gaining experience in numerous independent films and television, in April 2010, she relocated to Los Angeles, CA.
In late 2010, while working on a fitness campaign for the now-banned supplement Xenadrine, Aiken suffered a spinal injury which would later become degenerative and has been a driving force for her mobility-challenged awareness and activism.
The next year, she filmed the lead in Farhad Besharati's music video "Remember," played the Midwestern young mother, Piper Douglas, on an episode of America's Court and filmed the pilot for a new relationship makeover show The Sexperts (2011) as the fantasy coach and co-host.
Aiken portrayed a young Roberta in the Mark Wahlberg film The Gambler (2015). She has appeared on the final season of HBO's True Blood and Togetherness, and the IFC sketch comedy show Birthday Boys. She performed alongside Heather Graham in the Lifetime Network's Petals on the Wind (2014) and is in the independent film You're Not You (2014) with Hilary Swank.
Most recently, she filmed the CBS pilot Four Stars (2016) with Wilmer Valderama as Valerie "Candy" Fitzgerald, the Academy Award winning film LaLa Land, HBO's The Tale with Laura Dern and she appears in the 8th seasons of Modern Family and NCIS: LA.
Prior to the pandemic, she was in pre-production for an untitled feature film with Electric Media (production status unknown) and a feature film version of the award-winning short film The Ningyo (2018) which won critical acclaim throughout the independent film festival circuit.
During her years in Los Angeles in the midst of performance opportunities, Aiken worked as an Event Planner for the Beverly Hills' Sofitel, the historic Century Plaza Hotel (Hyatt), Innovative Dining Group, and Blueprint Hospitality where she utilized her background in the entertainment industry & marketing to plan and oversee over 600 annual events including premier parties, charity galas, film shoots and promotions for studios, entertainment agencies and production companies. She is a proficient art director and graphic designer and has been able to combine her various skills in several company's brand developments, UX/UI, content creation, startup launches and infrastructural advisement.
Philanthropically, she is an advocate for ADA and mobility-challenged causes, and the #MeToo Movement created a platform and gave her a voice for her own personal experience in sexual assault recovery. And, after surviving an abusive long-term relationship as the partner of an addict with narcissistic personality disorder, she has worked continually to grow in her recovery from the PTSD she sustained during the relationship while also providing support and aid to other victims on their journey to emotional healing and well-being.
Aiken is a big believer in "giving back to the community," and throughout her time in Los Angeles she was an active volunteer at Love 4 Paws Animal Rescue, the SAG Foundation, the Motion Picture and Television Fund, Martha's Kitchen Homeless Outreach, and SAG-Aftra's Los Angeles Conservatory at The American Film institute where she facilitated and taught workshops to young or returning actors. She was a first soprano in the Cathedral Choir at The Cathedral of Our Lady of The Angels in Downtown Los Angeles, as well as being a cantor and Religious Education teacher for Good Shepherd Catholic Church & School in Beverly Hills, CA where she served for over 9 years.
In early 2020, she suffered a fall down a flight of stairs at her apartment building which resulted in numerous fractures, torn ligaments and breaks within both her right & left feet and ankles. Combined with the impending pandemic, she decided to relocate to her hometown of Simpsonville, SC for what would be over two and a half years of reconstructive surgeries, physical therapy, spinal surgeries and injury rehabilitation. Her last back surgery (December 2021) saw the implantation of a Medtronic Intellis Neurostimulator Implant (or Spinal Cord Stimulator) that not only intercepts debilitating pain signals but also allows for stimulation of damaged, unresponsive and under responsive nerves throughout her arms, hands, legs and feet. This innovative technology along with rigorous strength and conditioning training provided by personal trainer Sarah Gunter and her physical therapy team at Zone PT (Mauldin, SC) has given her the ability to regain full mobility and motor skills' control, and in the Fall of 2022 she started training with the Thompson family at Upstate Karate, home of UFC fighter Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson and Pitch Black Sports.
Aiken's philanthropic work continues as a member of the Junior League of Greenville, SC where she sits on both the Public Relations and Human Trafficking & Community Impact Committees. Her work with the Junior League allows her to volunteer through community partnerships with Switch, The Julie Valentine Center and Jasmine Road. Because of Aiken's background in marketing and graphic design, she helps develop online content and collateral for the League to aid in spreading awareness in both the areas of Human Trafficking and Economic Mobility.
In October 2021, she began rehearsing with Palmetto Voices Spiritual Ensemble under the direction of fellow Winthrop Alumni, Dr. Sonja Sepulveda for what would become her debut performance at Carnegie Hall (June 25, 2022). After Carnegie Hall, she joined PVSE for the full 2022-23 season and will be performing in numerous concerts throughout North America and Europe over the next two years as both a choral singer and soloist.
She is a member of Brookwood Church in Simpsonville, SC, where she is on the Worship/Music Ministry Team, River of Life Homeless Outreach and has become a short-term placement missions worker in conjunction with Brookwood and Bridge Builders International.
In her spare time, Aiken is an avid wine enthusiast who loves spending time with her family & pets, crafting & DIY, supporting her favorite football team the Dallas Cowboys, practicing yoga & mixed martial arts, long-distance hiking and playing beach volleyball while splitting time between South Carolina, New York City, Los Angeles and her international touring & missions placements.
The daughter of the late Henry Aiken, an entrepreneur and small business owner and Barbara (Norris) Aiken, a professional pianist, organist and Christian recording artist & singer, she is the oldest of 2 children. She began her work singing in her local church, revival events and live concerts with her mother and studying dance and gymnastics at the age of 3 with former Rockette LaBruce Heist. She performed in her first play at the age of 5. Throughout her youth, Ms. Aiken amassed a resume of over 50 live shows, concerts, musical productions and plays in community, summer stock and regional theatre and continued to excel athletically as a cheerleader and competitive dancer throughout high school into the collegiate level NDA sports program where her team was ranked 14th nationally. And, she was in both the Winthrop Chorale and Chamber Singers Ensembles for 4 consecutive years as a first soprano which led to performances with the late Moses Hogan, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Alexander Bernstein. At university, she joined Delta Zeta Sorority, and was inducted into both Delta Omicron and Alpha Psi Omega Honors Fraternities. She graduated with a BA in Theatre and a BA in Mass Communication from Winthrop University with a minor in Music-Vocal Performance. Upon graduation, she worked in Charlotte, NC regional theatre and toured for a year with Stageworks Improvisational Theatre Company before moving to New York City in July 2003.
In the early fall of 2003, after 6 weeks of auditioning for 4-5 shows daily, she landed her first Off-Broadway production at the historic Provincetown Playhouse where she would meet and be advised by the late Academy Award winner, Celeste Holm. That work was followed up with a year and a half long engagement at The Wings Theatre Co. as the lead actress and last minute replacement cast member with only 4 days of rehearsal in "Manhattan Towers" by Beverly Bonner. Aiken went on to play Meip Gies in a production of "The Diary of Ann Frank," and worked at The Bernie West Theatre as Rose in "The Wool Gatherer," Desdemona in "Othello," and Gwendolen in "The Importance of Being Earnest" with director and acting coach Thomas G. Waites where she would eventually meet her mentor Vincent D'Onofrio through an introduction by Waites.
At The Manhattan Theatre Club she created the role of Mary Kate in "Famous Ghost Monologues" by Sarah Bunting and then followed up that performance as Carol in "Oleanna" at The Atlantic Theatre Company. She performed a series of sketch comedy shows from 2006-2010 with the independent satirical company "The Billionaires for Bush" and as part of the 9-11 Lower Manhattan Arts Council Special Series she collaborated and performed as the soprano soloist and actress in a production called "Tangle." "Tangle" was a post-modern artistic experience choreographed and directed by Tai Dang with original music by Philip Glass.
While in New York, Aiken studied opera at The Juilliard School coached by Edith Bers and Manhattan School of Music's Elizabeth Cole, she trained in method acting with her mentor, Vincent and attended classes regularly at the Broadway Dance Center.
In 2006, Aiken filmed the role of Wife for the short film "Defending the Caveman," which still runs at the beginning of the one-man show in over a dozen concurrent live productions in the United States and around the world. She utilized her gymnastic, dance and stunting skills in working on Spiderman 3 (2007) and BIIP Media's "Brutal Kicking" Webseries as the Blonde Assassin; played the best friend, Vicki, of an alien werewolf in the sci-fi indie thriller Amazon Rage (2006) and, the temptress Kelly in Grand Slammed (2010) with Paul Calderon, Alex Emmett and Walter Masterson.
Aiken was then cast as Amelia Earhart in the one-woman show Amelia's Flight at Rockefeller Center in 2008. And, after working on Broadway, Off-Broadway and gaining experience in numerous independent films and television, in April 2010, she relocated to Los Angeles, CA.
In late 2010, while working on a fitness campaign for the now-banned supplement Xenadrine, Aiken suffered a spinal injury which would later become degenerative and has been a driving force for her mobility-challenged awareness and activism.
The next year, she filmed the lead in Farhad Besharati's music video "Remember," played the Midwestern young mother, Piper Douglas, on an episode of America's Court and filmed the pilot for a new relationship makeover show The Sexperts (2011) as the fantasy coach and co-host.
Aiken portrayed a young Roberta in the Mark Wahlberg film The Gambler (2015). She has appeared on the final season of HBO's True Blood and Togetherness, and the IFC sketch comedy show Birthday Boys. She performed alongside Heather Graham in the Lifetime Network's Petals on the Wind (2014) and is in the independent film You're Not You (2014) with Hilary Swank.
Most recently, she filmed the CBS pilot Four Stars (2016) with Wilmer Valderama as Valerie "Candy" Fitzgerald, the Academy Award winning film LaLa Land, HBO's The Tale with Laura Dern and she appears in the 8th seasons of Modern Family and NCIS: LA.
Prior to the pandemic, she was in pre-production for an untitled feature film with Electric Media (production status unknown) and a feature film version of the award-winning short film The Ningyo (2018) which won critical acclaim throughout the independent film festival circuit.
During her years in Los Angeles in the midst of performance opportunities, Aiken worked as an Event Planner for the Beverly Hills' Sofitel, the historic Century Plaza Hotel (Hyatt), Innovative Dining Group, and Blueprint Hospitality where she utilized her background in the entertainment industry & marketing to plan and oversee over 600 annual events including premier parties, charity galas, film shoots and promotions for studios, entertainment agencies and production companies. She is a proficient art director and graphic designer and has been able to combine her various skills in several company's brand developments, UX/UI, content creation, startup launches and infrastructural advisement.
Philanthropically, she is an advocate for ADA and mobility-challenged causes, and the #MeToo Movement created a platform and gave her a voice for her own personal experience in sexual assault recovery. And, after surviving an abusive long-term relationship as the partner of an addict with narcissistic personality disorder, she has worked continually to grow in her recovery from the PTSD she sustained during the relationship while also providing support and aid to other victims on their journey to emotional healing and well-being.
Aiken is a big believer in "giving back to the community," and throughout her time in Los Angeles she was an active volunteer at Love 4 Paws Animal Rescue, the SAG Foundation, the Motion Picture and Television Fund, Martha's Kitchen Homeless Outreach, and SAG-Aftra's Los Angeles Conservatory at The American Film institute where she facilitated and taught workshops to young or returning actors. She was a first soprano in the Cathedral Choir at The Cathedral of Our Lady of The Angels in Downtown Los Angeles, as well as being a cantor and Religious Education teacher for Good Shepherd Catholic Church & School in Beverly Hills, CA where she served for over 9 years.
In early 2020, she suffered a fall down a flight of stairs at her apartment building which resulted in numerous fractures, torn ligaments and breaks within both her right & left feet and ankles. Combined with the impending pandemic, she decided to relocate to her hometown of Simpsonville, SC for what would be over two and a half years of reconstructive surgeries, physical therapy, spinal surgeries and injury rehabilitation. Her last back surgery (December 2021) saw the implantation of a Medtronic Intellis Neurostimulator Implant (or Spinal Cord Stimulator) that not only intercepts debilitating pain signals but also allows for stimulation of damaged, unresponsive and under responsive nerves throughout her arms, hands, legs and feet. This innovative technology along with rigorous strength and conditioning training provided by personal trainer Sarah Gunter and her physical therapy team at Zone PT (Mauldin, SC) has given her the ability to regain full mobility and motor skills' control, and in the Fall of 2022 she started training with the Thompson family at Upstate Karate, home of UFC fighter Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson and Pitch Black Sports.
Aiken's philanthropic work continues as a member of the Junior League of Greenville, SC where she sits on both the Public Relations and Human Trafficking & Community Impact Committees. Her work with the Junior League allows her to volunteer through community partnerships with Switch, The Julie Valentine Center and Jasmine Road. Because of Aiken's background in marketing and graphic design, she helps develop online content and collateral for the League to aid in spreading awareness in both the areas of Human Trafficking and Economic Mobility.
In October 2021, she began rehearsing with Palmetto Voices Spiritual Ensemble under the direction of fellow Winthrop Alumni, Dr. Sonja Sepulveda for what would become her debut performance at Carnegie Hall (June 25, 2022). After Carnegie Hall, she joined PVSE for the full 2022-23 season and will be performing in numerous concerts throughout North America and Europe over the next two years as both a choral singer and soloist.
She is a member of Brookwood Church in Simpsonville, SC, where she is on the Worship/Music Ministry Team, River of Life Homeless Outreach and has become a short-term placement missions worker in conjunction with Brookwood and Bridge Builders International.
In her spare time, Aiken is an avid wine enthusiast who loves spending time with her family & pets, crafting & DIY, supporting her favorite football team the Dallas Cowboys, practicing yoga & mixed martial arts, long-distance hiking and playing beach volleyball while splitting time between South Carolina, New York City, Los Angeles and her international touring & missions placements.
