‘Singin’ In The Rain’ Star Gene Kelly’s Daughter Reveals What He Was Like As A Father

It’s been 25 years since the iconic Singin’ In The Rain star Gene Kelly passed away, but he is still dearly missed by millions of fans to this day. In a recent interview, Kelly’s daughter Kerry Kelly Novick opened up about what her father was like behind the scenes. His fans will love what she had to say. 

Gene Kelly Was A ‘Devoted’ Father 

“He was a very devoted, available and present dad with me and my siblings,” Novick told Fox News of her father. “And he was fun and active. He was very much involved in our schoolwork. But he also loved playing games with us.”

When asked what her favorite memory of Kelly is, Novick replied, “There are certainly many. But one that always comes to mind is from the time that I was very small. I was probably four or five. We had a habit. Every time he was home early after supper, he would sit in his big red leather chair in the den and he would pick something for us to read from the encyclopedia.”

“That’s actually how I learned to read,” she continued. “We all enjoyed learning new things and he made it fun for us.”

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Kelly Was A Navy Veteran 

Many of Kelly’s fans may be surprised to know that the star was a veteran of the U.S. Navy. 

“He enlisted in the Navy because his number was up,” his daughter explained. “And then he went to boot camp in San Diego. After that, he boxed and went through basic training. They assigned him to the film unit that made training films for the Navy. Then he proceeded until the end of the war to make training films, like how to assemble and disassemble your rifle and things like that.”

Novick went on to say that Kelly’s relationship with his fellow servicemen was “excellent.”

“My father grew up in a modest family in Pittsburgh in a working-class neighborhood,” she said. “He always saw himself as a regular person. I think he got on very well with everybody in the service. He also lost his very best friends in combat, so it was always an important cause to him.”

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As for what would surprise Kelly’s fans the most to learn about him, Novick said, “His college degree was in economics. He minored in political science and had an abiding interest in American history and politics. In the public, he’s seen as a carefree, athletic dancer. But in private he was such an intellectual who was always curious and read all the time.”

Kelly’s Thoughts On His Career 

Novick concluded by talking about how her father felt about Hollywood by the time he passed away in 1996. 

“He was very proud of his career,” she said. “He was also grateful that people continued to value his work, especially towards the end of his life. At one point, he told me, ‘I just want to make people happy.'”

“I think he succeeded,” Novick concluded. “His films teach us the joy of creative expression. It’s not entirely plausible for people to walk down the street and suddenly burst into song and dance. But the idea that this lives inside of us is, I think, a powerful reason why we still love his films.”

Kelly is certainly a star who will always live on through his many movies that continue to bring joy to millions of people. There will never be another star quite like Gene Kelly! 

Here’s a short video of ‘Good Morning’ from Singin’ in the Rain: