Most people watching a film or TV show don’t think twice about the sound of footsteps, a door creaking, or clothes brushing against skin. But for Emmy-winning Foley artist Sanaa Kelley, those tiny details have been the heartbeat of her career for nearly 30 years.
Based in California, Kelley is the founder of Reel Foley Sound in Costa Mesa and has become one of the most respected names in her craft. Her résumé includes an Emmy win for FX/Hulu/Disney’s Shogun, five more Emmy nominations, and an incredible 25 Golden Reel nods for projects such as Ted Lasso, The Walking Dead, The Right Stuff, and The 100. She also took home a Golden Reel Award in 2016 for All the Wilderness.
Her career spans an impressive mix of TV and film, with credits on The Flight Attendant, Lisey’s Story, Bad Monkey, Only Murders in the Building, Minx, Pretty Little Liars, and The Midnight Club. She’s worked on features like Cry Macho, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Chevalier, and White Men Can’t Jump, as well as animated titles including Avatar: The Last Airbender, Rugrats, and Jurassic World: Chaos Theory.
But Kelley’s path wasn’t straightforward. Born in Morocco, she moved to California and stumbled across Foley almost by chance. “I had no idea Foley was even a thing until I saw someone doing it,” she recalled. Her first attempt didn’t go well, with a Foley artist bluntly telling her, “Some people have it, some don’t.” Instead of giving up, Kelley started calling every studio she could find. When one finally gave her a chance, she swept floors, made coffee, and stayed after hours practicing in the dark until she could recreate entire scenes by memory.
In 2016, she took the leap and founded her own studio, Reel Foley Sound, building a trusted home for sound performance in both television and film. “I’m a Foley artist, which means I create all the everyday sounds you hear in film, TV, animation, and games,” Kelley explained. “What sets us apart is our heart. We don’t just make noise. We perform it.”
Her love for the craft has also turned her into an unexpected internet star. On TikTok, where she shares behind-the-scenes videos of her work, Kelley has grown an audience of nearly three million followers. For her, teaching is as important as creating. “I know what it feels like to be shut out or told you’re not good enough,” she said. “So I try to be the kind of leader and collaborator I needed when I was starting out.”
From Morocco to Hollywood, from rejection to Emmy wins, Sanaa Kelley’s journey proves that persistence, passion, and heart can make even the quietest sounds heard.
