Where Is ‘Touched by an Angel’ Star Roma Downey Now?
What To Know
- Roma Downey, best known for her role in Touched by an Angel, has recently focused on producing and starring in faith-based projects through LightWorkers Media, including The Bible miniseries and The Baxters on Amazon Prime Video.
- She is also a bestselling author and dedicated philanthropist, serving as an ambassador for Operation Smile and receiving honors such as an OBE for her contributions to the arts and community.
- Downey lives in Malibu with her husband Mark Burnett, maintains strong ties to her Northern Ireland roots, and continues to balance her work in entertainment, writing, and charitable endeavors.
Roma Downey known to many as Monica on Touched by an Angel, a role that earned her both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, has remained an iconic actress — but she has also tackled some new careers: the 65-year-old is also a successful producer, author and philanthropist. So, what has she been up to since Touched by Angel ended its nine-season run in 2003? She’s largely moved over to the production side of the film industry, and even wrote a bestselling book — but you can still see her on the small screen from time to time, especially in projects she produced.
What has Roma Downey been doing?
In recent years, Downey — who was born in Derry, Ireland — has focused much of her work on faith-based projects. Alongside her third husband, producer Mark Burnett (legendary producer behind The Apprentice, The Voice, Shark Tank, and Survivor), she co-founded LightWorkers Media, MGM’s faith-and-family division. They have brought to life projects such as The Bible miniseries, which drew over 100 million viewers in the United States, and feature films like Son of God, Little Boy, Woodlawn and a 2016 remake of Ben-Hur, plus A.D. The Bible Continues for NBC and The Dovekeepers for CBS.
Downey has continued to act while producing. She played Mary, the mother of Jesus, in The Bible and appeared in Son of God. Most recently, she starred as Elizabeth Baxter in The Baxters, a family drama based on Karen Kingsbury‘s bestselling novels. The series debuted on Amazon Prime Video in 2024, with Downey also serving as an executive producer. She also was behind the 2023 film On a Wing and a Prayer, produced for Amazon Prime, which closed the Sarasota Film Festival and earned her a Lifetime Achievement Award there.
Everett Collection; Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images for Someone Like You Movie
She is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestseller Box of Butterflies in 2018 and, most recently, Be an Angel: Devotions to Inspire and Encourage Love and Light Along the Way in 2023. Beyond entertainment, Downey is a dedicated philanthropist, working as an ambassador for Operation Smile, traveling to countries such as Vietnam, Honduras, and Jordan to help provide life-changing surgeries for children with cleft conditions. Her commitment to service has earned her numerous honors, including an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2021 for her contributions to the arts and to the community in Northern Ireland.
Downey now lives in Malibu with Burnett, whom she married in 2007. She has a daughter named Reilly from a previous marriage and two step-sons, James Burnett and Cameron Burnett. While she continues to reside in California, her roots in Northern Ireland, remain a significant part of her identity as she loves to travel back there.
Remind 
February 2021
1990s Rom-Coms
Pop some popcorn and cozy up to feel-good movies and TV shows from a generation ago.
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