Kelly Rutherford (born November 6, 1968) is an American actress. She is known for her television roles as Stephanie “Sam” Whitmore on the NBC daytime soap opera Generations (1989—1991), as Megan Lewis on the Fox primetime soap opera Melrose Place (1996—1999), and as Lily van der Woodsen on The CW series Gossip Girl (2007—2012).