Meg Donnelly Explained

Meg Donnelly
Birth Name:Meg Elizabeth Donnelly
Birth Date:25 July 2000
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:2013–present

Meg Elizabeth Donnelly[1] (born July 25, 2000[2]) is an American actress. She played Taylor Otto in the ABC sitcom American Housewife (2016–2021), Addison in the Disney Channel film series Zombies (2018–present), and Mary Campbell in the CW television series The Winchesters (2022–2023).

Early life

Donnelly was born in New York City and grew up in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey.[3] She is an only child.[4] She began training in voice, dance and acting at the Annie’s Playhouse School of Performing Arts in Far Hills, New Jersey at the age of six. She has appeared as a featured vocalist in several Kids of the Arts, Broadway Kids and Time To Shine productions in New York City.[5]

Career

Donnelly co-starred as Ash in the 2013 Netflix series Team Toon.[6] She was the American face of Clean and Clear's 2015 Awkward to Awesome campaign, and was the understudy for the role of Louisa von Trapp in the NBC television special The Sound of Music Live!.[7] She starred in the 2015 Nickelodeon pilot Future Shock, but it was not sold.[8]

Donnelly played the starring role of Taylor Otto in the ABC sitcom American Housewife from 2016 to 2021.[9] She replaced actress Johnny Sequoyah who played the character in the series' pilot.[10] Critics cited this as Donnelly's breakout role.[11] [12] She then appeared in the independent film The Broken Ones, which premiered at the 2017 SOHO International Film Festival.[13] [14]

Donnelly stars as Addison in the Disney Channel Original Movie musical Zombies, which premiered on February 16, 2018.[15] [16] She then released her debut single, "Smile," on August 5, 2018.[17] On March 1, 2019, she released her second single, "Digital Love".[18] She reprises the role of Addison in the sequels Zombies 2,[19] which premiered on Disney Channel on February 14, 2020; Zombies 3, which was released in July and August 2022 on Disney+ and Disney Channel, respectively;[20] and the upcoming sequel Zombies 4, which was greenlit in February 2024 with Donnelly set to executive produce.[21] [22] [23]

In 2022, Donnelly was cast as Mary Campbell in the Supernatural spin-off The Winchesters,[24] which was picked up to series by The CW in May and cancelled after one season.[25] [26] Also in 2022, she played the recurring role of Val in the Disney+ original series .[27] In 2023, she voiced Kara Zor-El / Supergirl in the film Legion of Super-Heroes, a role she reprised the following year in the trilogy.[28] [29]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017The Broken OnesLilly KellyIndependent film
2023Legion of Super-HeroesKara Zor-El / SupergirlVoice role
2024Kara Zor-El / Supergirl / HarbingerVoice role

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2013Celebrity Ghost StoriesYoung Jacklyn1 episode
Team ToonAshMain role
2015Future ShockAnnieUnsold pilot
2015–2016What Would You Do?Various3 episodes
2016–2021American HousewifeTaylor OttoMain role
2018ZombiesAddison WellsTelevision film
2020Zombies 2Addison WellsTelevision film
Spider-ManScreamVoice role; episode: "Maximum Venom"
2020–2021Zombies: Addison's Monster MysteryAddison WellsVoice role
2021Bunk'dPriscilla PrestonEpisode: "Frien'ds Forever"
2022Zombies 3Addison WellsTelevision film; also co-producer
ValRecurring role
2022–2023The WinchestersMary CampbellMain role
2023–presentAddison WellsVoice role
TBAAddison WellsTelevision film; also executive producer

Notes and References

  1. Web site: All the Fun Facts You Need to Know About Zombies Star Meg Donnelly. Sweety High. February 21, 2018 . en-US. May 8, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20180505065609/https://www.sweetyhigh.com/read/meg-donnelly-zombies-facts-022118. May 5, 2018.
  2. Meg Donnelly . immegdonnelly . 889953325977698304 . In da Club by 50 Cent on repeat todAY. nothing but love & thanks for the birthday wishes y'all. 17 is gonna be a dope year pic.twitter.com/Pqgt29ddol . July 25, 2017 . January 6, 2019.
  3. Todd, Samantha. "Former Peapack-Gladstone teen lands lead in Disney movie", The Bernardsville News, June 14, 2017. Accessed January 13, 2021. "Zombies, high school, cheerleading and falling in love sum up what a normal day is like is for 16-year-old actress Meg Donnelly."
  4. Web site: Samantha Simon. American Housewife Star Meg Donnelly on Sitcoms, Singing, and (a Lack of) Siblings. InStyle. May 16, 2017. January 7, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20170612231940/http://www.instyle.com/reviews-coverage/tv-shows/american-housewife-meg-donnelly. June 12, 2017.
  5. Web site: Meg Donnelly's Biography. megdonnelly.com. September 24, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20180215112827/http://www.megdonnelly.com/about.html. February 15, 2018. dead.
  6. Web site: Taylor Otto – Played by Meg Donnelly . ABC . January 7, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20161007045349/http://abc.go.com/shows/american-housewife/cast/taylor-otto. October 7, 2016.
  7. News: Von Trapp Children from The Sound of Music Live! Reunite for One-Night-Only NYC Concert. Playbill. January 14, 2021. June 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210617061117/https://www.playbill.com/article/von-trapp-children-from-the-sound-of-music-live-reunite-for-one-night-only-nyc-concert-com-336644. live.
  8. Web site: November 18, 2014 . Nickelodeon Greenlights Two New Live-Action Comedy Pilots "The Dunes Club" and "Future Shock" . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230629090748/http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2014/11/18/nickelodeon-greenlights-two-new-live-action-comedy-pilots-the-dunes-club-and-future-shock-724513/20141118nickelodeon01/ . June 29, 2023 . 2018-06-04 . The Futon Critic.
  9. Web site: Denise Petski. Meg Donnelly Added To New ABC Comedy In Recasting. Deadline Hollywood. July 27, 2016. January 7, 2017. July 28, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160728160305/https://deadline.com/2016/07/american-housewife-meg-donnelly-cast-abc-comedy-recasting-1201793752/.
  10. Web site: Petski . Denise . 2016-07-27 . ‘American Housewife’: Meg Donnelly Added To New ABC Comedy In Recasting . 2024-02-11 . Deadline . en-US.
  11. Web site: Swantek . Sam . 2016-10-26 . Meg Donnelly Lands Breakout Role in American Housewife . 2024-02-11 . Parade . en.
  12. Web site: King . Scott . How Disney Star Meg Donnelly Is Staying Grounded As She Takes Off . 2024-02-11 . Forbes . en.
  13. Web site: Sam Swantek . October 26, 2016 . Meg Donnelly Lands Breakout Role in American Housewife . https://web.archive.org/web/20161027121555/https://parade.com/517145/sks14c/meg-donnelly-lands-breakout-role-in-american-housewife/ . October 27, 2016 . January 7, 2018 . Parade magazine.
  14. Web site: November 16, 2016 . Conversations: Meg Donnelly . https://web.archive.org/web/20161213011513/http://localwolves.com/stories/conversations-meg-donnelly/ . December 13, 2016 . localwolves.com.
  15. Web site: Greg Evans . Production Begins On Disney Channel's 'Zombies' For 2018 Premiere . Deadline Hollywood . May 11, 2017 . December 24, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170512193024/https://deadline.com/2017/05/zombies-disney-channel-meg-donnelly-milo-manheim-1202090172/. May 12, 2017.
  16. Web site: Kirsten Chuba . TV News Roundup: Disney Sets Premiere Date for 'Zombies' Original Movie . Variety . January 5, 2018 . January 7, 2018. January 6, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180106005921/https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/disney-channel-zombies-movie-1202654587/.
  17. News: iPlay America Presents Meg Donnelly . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210620192657/https://www.newjerseystage.com/articles/2020/02/11/iplay-america-presents-meg-donnelly/ . June 20, 2021 . January 14, 2021 . New Jersey Stage.
  18. Web site: Digital Love by Meg Donnelly is Conor's Next Big Thing this week! . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210121024003/https://www.funkidslive.com/on-air/1092948/ . January 21, 2021 . January 14, 2021 . Fun Kids.
  19. Web site: Disney's 'Zombies 2' Sequel Heads Into Production With Returning Stars, Director, Writers. Deadline Hollywood. Bruce Haring. February 11, 2019. February 11, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190211185932/https://deadline.com/2019/02/disneys-zombies-2-sequel-heads-into-production-with-returning-stars-director-writers-1202553258/. February 11, 2019.
  20. Joey Nolfi. May 20, 2022. RuPaul joins Disney's Zombies 3 movie as the mother of all alien spaceships. Entertainment Weekly. May 21, 2022.
  21. Web site: Otterson . Joe . 2024-02-10 . ‘Zombies 4’ Greenlit at Disney Branded Television . 2024-02-11 . Variety.
  22. Web site: Campione . Katie . 2024-02-10 . ‘Zombies 4’: Disney Channel Franchise Expands With Another Sequel Film & New Animated Series . 2024-02-11 . Deadline.
  23. Web site: Manfredi . Lucas . 2024-02-10 . Meg Donnelly, Milo Manheim to Star in Disney's 'Zombies 4' . 2024-02-11 . TheWrap . en-US.
  24. Web site: Selome Hailu. March 21, 2022. 'Supernatural' Prequel Pilot 'The Winchesters' Casts Meg Donnelly, Drake Rodger as Young Mary and John. Variety. March 22, 2022. September 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220924110435/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/the-winchesters-supernatural-meg-donnelly-drake-rodger-1235210689/. live.
  25. Web site: Lauren Piester . May 12, 2022 . Supernatural Prequel The Winchesters Picked Up to Series at The CW . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220521031059/https://www.tvguide.com/news/supernatural-prequel-the-winchesters-picked-up-to-series-at-the-cw/ . May 21, 2022 . May 21, 2022 . TV Guide.
  26. Highfill . Samantha . The Winchesters canceled at the CW after 1 season . Entertainment Weekly . May 11, 2023 . August 9, 2023.
  27. Web site: Johnson . Zach . January 18, 2022 . High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Season Three Casts Corbin Bleu, Meg Donnelly, and More! . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220118190650/https://d23.com/high-school-musical-the-musical-the-series-season-three-casts-corbin-bleu-meg-donnelly-and-more/ . January 18, 2022 . January 18, 2022 . D23.
  28. Web site: October 20, 2022 . DC's Next Animated Movie Confirms 16 Heroes Appearing (Batman, Flash & More) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221028171951/https://thedirect.com/article/dc-animated-movie-next-batman-flash . October 28, 2022 . October 28, 2022.
  29. Web site: Vejvoda . Jim . 2023-12-04 . Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One: Exclusive Clip and Voice Cast Reveal . . en-US.