She found herself rolling over sofas, taking out bad guys and loving it. After a chance introduction to her roommate's Karate instructor, Shihan Morteza Alborzi, she immediately began her martial arts training in Kanzen Budo Kai at the Alborzi Karate Academy in Beverly Hills. Her appearance on Aaron Spelling's "Melrose Place" gained her much attention and new fans including Mr. Spelling himself, who later cast Kelly as Dr. Rae Chang in his hot new daytime drama "Sunset Beach" that premiered on NBC in 1997. By getting that role, she had the opportunity to work with friend and former pageant-sister, Laura Harring (Mulholland Drive) Miss USA 1985.

Immediately following, Kelly found herself on primetime as a tough San Francisco cop and protegé to Don Johnson's character on "Nash Bridges". During the hiatus, the Executive Producer of "Nash Bridges", Carlton Cuse, offered Kelly a guest-starring role on the television pilot "Supercop" with Hong Kong action director, Stanley Tong.

Kelly's performance as a sexy martial artist undercover cop from Shanghai made such an impact with CBS network executives and the show's producers that the actress was immediately offered a regular role on the renamed series "Martial Law". So in the begining of the 1998-99 television season, "Nash Bridges" fans bid a sad farewell to the character Michelle Chan, and were introduced to Grace "Pei-pei" Chen on the new prime time hit show which received a TV Guide award for Best New Drama Series.