Who is Megan Hilty? Smash actress's family dies in tragic plane crash

Megan Hilty’s recently lost her sister, brother-in-law, and their child as they died in a plane crash.

Lauren, Megan's sister, her husband Ross Mickel, and their child Remy were aboard a floatplane that crashed into Puget Sound near Washington's Whidbey Island on Sunday, September 4, 2022. Lauren was pregnant at the time of her death. While speaking to King 5, Mickel’s family stated:

“We are deeply saddened and beyond devastated at the loss of our beloved Ross Mickel, Lauren Hilty, Remy and their unborn baby boy, Luca. Our collective grief is unimaginable.”

When the floatplane went down, a search party was sent out to find all of the missing passengers and the pilot. The search was called off on Monday, September 5, 2022, after they recovered one body. The crash's cause is still unknown.

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Everything known about Megan Hilty

Born on March 29, 1981, Megan Hilty is mostly known for her performances in Broadway musicals, the musical-drama series, Smash, and the NBC sitcom, Sean Saves the World.

Hilty began taking vocal lessons at the age of 12 and became interested in opera. She attended Sammamish High School in Bellevue and the Washington Academy of Performing Arts Conservatory High School in Redmond. She then attended the Chrysalis School in Woodinville.

Megan Hilty is a famous actress and singer (Image via Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)

Megan graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a bachelor's degree in drama in 2004. She auditioned for Wicked after graduation and made her Broadway debut as Glinda the Good Witch as a standby for Jennifer Laura Thompson in 2004. She took over for Thompson in 2015, and continued making stage appearances from 2006 to 2009.

She then appeared in the musical Vanities at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts in Mountain View, California. This was followed by guest appearances on television shows like The Closer, Ugly Betty, Shark, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Closer, Desperate Housewives, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and more.

Megan Hilty lent her voice for Snow White in the 2007 animated film, Shrek the Third, and appeared in the musical adaptation of the 1980 comedy film, 9 to 5 as Dolaree Rhodes. In 2009, she appeared on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as a fast food manager, followed by two episodes of Desperate Housewives.

Megan is also a member of Actors' Equity Association.

Hilty was the voice behind the Chinese Princess in the 2013 animated film, Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return and gained recognition for her appearance in the NBC series, Smash. In March 2013, she released her first solo album, It Happens All the Time, after appearing in another musical, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Megan Hilty next appeared on the NBC sitcom Sean Saves the World in June 2013 and returned to Broadway in 2015 with the revival of Noises Off. She took over for Jane Krakowski as Lily St. Regis in the NBC musical television special Annie Live! in November 2021.

The 41-year-old is currently married to actor Brian Gallagher. The pair tied the knot in November 2013 and welcomed their daughter Viola Philomena Gallagher in September 2014. Their son, Ronan Laine Gallagher, was born in March 2017.