Kelly Marie Monaco (born May 23, 1976) is an American model, actress, and reality television personality, best known for her portrayal of Sam McCall on the ABC soap opera General Hospital and as the first season winner of the reality TV competition series Dancing with the Stars. Monaco was also Playboy "Playmate of the Month" for April 1997, and portrayed Livvie Locke on the soap opera Port Charles from 1997 through 2003.
Kelly Monaco was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Albert "Al" and Carmina Monaco. She is the middle child and has four sisters: Christine, Marissa, Carmina and Amber. The family moved to the Poconos before Monaco attended Pocono Mountain High School, where she first started with acting classes. After high school she worked as a lifeguard at a local resort and attended Northampton Community College for two years.
In 1996, Monaco, who had been thinking of a career in modeling, sent her photo to Playboy. As a result, she became the Playmate of the Month for April 1997. Throughout her tenure with Playboy in the 1990s, Monaco was also featured in many Playboy Special Edition publications.