Minka Kelly - Ralf Strathmann Photoshoot

Minka Dumont Kelly (born June 24, 1980) is an American actress. She starred in the NBC series Friday Night Lights as Lyla Garrity from 2006 to 2009

After graduating from high school, Kelly returned to Los Angeles with her father to pursue acting as a hobby while she went to school to become a surgical technician. However, after her first acting class she got "hooked" and began pursuing acting as a career. Success came slowly, and she began her career with small roles in various movies and shows, including the film State's Evidence, and a recurring-guest role on the TV program What I Like About You.

In the spring she was cast as Lyla Garrity on the show Friday Night Lights. In preparation for the role, she trained with the Pflugerville High School cheerleading squad. Kelly has received praise for her acting on Friday Night Lights, with the New York Times calling her performance "heartbreaking".

She shot a cameo for The Kingdom, alongside Jamie Foxx. Peter Berg, the creator and pilot director of Friday Night Lights, directed the film. Kelly was the lead actor on the CW's 2009 pilot Body Politic which wasnt picked up as a series.

Minka joined forces with Alyson Hannigan, Jaime King, Emily Deschanel, and Katharine McPhee in a video slumber party featured on FunnyorDie.com to promote regular breast cancer screenings for the organization Stand Up 2 Cancer.

Minka Kelly landed a role in the CBS comedy pilot True Love as Kate, a Midwestern girl who falls in love with Henry — part of the quartet in the ensemble show — at the top of the Empire State Building, but was replaced by Sarah Chalke. Minka Kelly is the grand daughter of forties, fifties and sixties film actor Richard Ney