Kelly-Ann Tursi is an actress and writer from Bayville, New York. At the age of sixteen, Kelly enrolled at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. From the minute she walked through those red doors, she knew it felt like home, and continued her studies at LSTFI in her twenties and thirties. Her teachers included Tim Martin Crouse, Bill Balzac, and Lola Cohen, who is a mentor to Kelly. She also spent ten years working in Los Angeles, during which time she was privately coached by Golden Globe nominee and former student of Lee Strasberg’s, Steve Railsback.
Kelly is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and has been acting in film and television for over twenty years. Her most recent film is the upcoming mob drama, Jersey Bred, due for release in 2024. In television, she appeared most recently in the pilot Regular Dudes. Some of Kelly’s other credits include the films A Hero’s Diary, Unreal, Soft Money, Synapse, Pop, In Bed, The Wedding Brothers, Drama, One Hour Fantasy Girl (a cult classic), The OG Girls, and Karma.
Kelly is also a screenwriter. She co-wrote two television series with her writing partner Jay Amernick (The Nanny), Sunday & The Other Side and Concession Central. Both series are currently in pitch.
As a teacher, Kelly is extremely compassionate. Her goal in life is to nurture actors and their talent and to pass on the genius teachings of Lee Strasberg. Her motto is “Never let anyone take your talent away.”