Roma Downey (born 6 May 1960) is an actress and producer from Northern Ireland. She produced the mini-series, The Bible, for the History Channel and also starred in it, as Mary, the mother of Jesus. For nine seasons she played Monica, the tender-hearted angel and employee of Tess (played by Della Reese), on the CBS television series Touched by an Angel, for which she earned multiple Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award Best Actress nominations. Born in Derry, Northern Ireland and classically trained in London, she has performed on stage with the famed Abbey Theatre and has appeared both on and off Broadway. She played the leading role of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the miniseries for NBC, A Woman Named Jackie (1991).
Downey starred in and was executive producer for a number of hit television movies for the CBS network. Downey is an ambassador for Operation Smile. On August 11, 2016 Downey was honored for her work as an actress and producer with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In her acceptance speech, she dedicated her star to the people of Derry and anyone who ever walked Hollywood Blvd with a dream in their hearts. Della Reese, Rick Warren, and husband, Mark Burnett, spoke at the Ceremony on Downey's behalf.