Kelly Marie Monaco (born May 23, 1976) is an American actress, model, 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 2000 through 2003. Early life and education 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, where she attended Pocono Mountain High School and took her first acting classes. After high school she worked as a lifeguard at a local resort and attended Northampton Community College for two years. Career Early modeling 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. Acting and reality television Monaco's first television role was in the drama Baywatch from 1997 to 1998. In addition to playing the role of Susan on the show, Monaco was also Carmen Electra's body double at times, as Electra could not swim. Monaco also had minor roles in the late 1990s films BASEketball, Idle Hands, and Mumford. Monaco had two roles in the ABC soap opera Port Charles: Olivia "Livvie" Locke Morley (1999–2003) and Tess Ramsey (2002–03). When that program ended, she joined the cast of the ABC soap opera General Hospital as Samantha McCall in October 2003. In 2003, Monaco was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role on Port Charles. In 2006, Monaco was again nominated for a Daytime Emmy, this time for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Sam McCall on General Hospital. In 2006, Monaco also co-hosted the 33rd Annual Daytime Emmys, with Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron. In March 2009, Monaco was chosen by Donald Trump and Paula Shugart to be one of the judges for the 2009 Miss USA pageant. Monaco starred on the E! reality television series Dirty Soap, which premiered on September