Roma Downey

Roma Downey is best known for her portrayal of the kind-hearted angel Monica on the American TV series "Touched by an Angel." She received two Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her role on the show. She is currently the executive producer of the television miniseries "The Bible" on the History channel. She also plays the role of Mother Mary in the series. "The Bible" shattered sales records in its first week of home video release, selling 525,000 units to become the top-selling TV miniseries of all time.

She joined the Abbey Players in Dublin and toured the United States in a production of "The Playboy of the Western World." The production led to a nomination during the Broadway run for the Helen Hayes Best Actress Award in 1991. She also starred on Broadway in "The Circle" with Sir Rex Harrison and also at the Roundabout Theater and The Public Theater in New York City.

Downey played the role of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis in the 1991 U.S. TV miniseries "A Woman Named Jackie," which won the Emmy award for Outstanding Miniseries in 1992. Her role led to her most famous role on the CBS series "Touched by an Angel," opposite Della Reese, which ran from 1994 to 2003.

Downey also produced and starred in TV movies including "Borrowed Hearts" and "Second Honeymoon." During the run of "Touched By An Angel," she recorded the spoken-word album Healing Angel and wrote the children's book "Love Is A Family." She hosted "It's a Miracle," on the Pax Network and appeared on stage in "A Picasso" at the Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles. She has hosted Saturday Night Live, was one of People magazine's most beautiful people and is a spokesperson for the volunteer group "Operation Smile."

Downey and husband Mark Burnett produced a 10-hour docudrama for the History channel, "The Bible," based on stories from the Bible, which aired in 2013. As of March 25, 2013, The Bible series has been watched by over 80 million viewers during its first three installments. The show has been the No. 1 downloaded TV show in iTunes and ranked No. 2 on Amazon's best sellers in movies and TV. It was also nominated for the 2013 Primetime Emmy Award, Outstanding Miniseries or Movie.

Downey plays the role of Mother Mary, the mother of Jesus in the later stages of his life.

Downey is a "Smile Ambassador" for the non-profit organization Operation Smile which provides surgeries for children around the world who were born with severe cleft lip and palate.