Best Soap Actresses
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Susan Lucci was born on December 23, 1946, in Scarsdale, New York, to Jeanette (Granquist) and Victor Lucci, a building contractor. She is of Italian (father) and Swedish, German, and French (mother) descent. Susan grew up in Garden City. Since she can remember, she wanted to be a performer, and through her teenage years, took voice lessons, dance lessons, and participated in community theater. In high school she was the ideal student: took many honors classes, was a cheerleader, staff writer for the school newspaper, was a foreign exchange student to Norway, and performed in the school musicals, including lead roles in "Oklahoma" and "The King and I". After graduating with Honors from Garden City High School, she was accepted and attended Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, which was noted for its theater program. After graduating with a BFA in theater arts, she moved to New York City, and began going to auditions. One of her first jobs was that of a color girl for CBS. Every day she would report to the studio, and sit on a stool, as technicians developed the new color cameras. Most of her acting work consisted of Off-Broadway understudy roles, day-player roles on soap operas, and extra and stand-in work for movies. In 1969 at the age of twenty-three, she auditioned for a brand new soap opera that was to be called All My Children (1970). She landed the role of Erica Kane, which is still considered by many critics to be one of the best roles on television written for women. Around this time, she met an married restaurant owner Helmut Huber. In 1978, Susan received her first Daytime Emmy nomination. She was nominated again in 1981, and nominated almost every year since then. In the early 1980s, she became the first soap opera actress to appear on the cover of major magazines, as well as the first to star in Movies of the Week. But what made her a household name by the late 1980s was her string of Emmy losses. It became a running joke that the 'Queen of Daytime Television' had no crown. It seems that every time that she would have a real knockout year, another daytime diva would have a more unique story line, or a more challenging acting role, including multiple personalities, or an actress playing more than one character. But in 1999, on her 19th Emmy nomination, she won. She received a four minute standing ovation. Now, after twenty one nominations, she is considered to be one of the most honored performers in the history of television, daytime or primetime.All My Children- Actress
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Finola Hughes was born in London. She studied at Arts Educational Schools and began her career in the Northern Ballet Company, after winning the Markova award. She went on to work in the West End, in the original cast of "Cats" and continued working with Andrew Lloyd Webber in "Song & Dance". After making Staying Alive (1983) in LA, she moved to California in 1984 and began working on General Hospital (1963), winning an Emmy award in 1991. She continued to make TV series and various movies for the next few years, Jack's Place (1992), Aspen Extreme (1993), Blossom (1990), Charmed (1998), and returned to ABC daytime, in 1999, to join the cast of All My Children (1970) in New York. Once in NY, she began entering the Fashion World and returned to Los Angeles to begin a 4-year stint on the Style Network, with a fabulous makeover show, How Do I Look? (2004). She returned for a brief sojourn to General Hospital (1963), and it's spin-off, "Night Shift". Finola lives in Santa Barbara with her husband, artist Russell Young, and their 3 children.General Hospital and All My Children- Actress
- Producer
Laura Wright was born on 11 September 1970 in Clinton, Maryland, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for General Hospital (1963), Joy (2015) and Guiding Light (1952). She was previously married to John Wright.General Hospital- Producer
- Actress
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Kelly Ripa had been performing in her senior high school play, The Ugly Duckling, when she was approached by her current manager, Cathy Parker, who encouraged her to pursue acting. After attending new Jersey's Camden County Community College, she performed in local theater productions before joining All My Children (1970) in November, 1990. Kelly has received nominations for a 1993 Daytime Emmy Award and a 1993 Soap Opera Award. Kelly, is the first in her family to enter the acting profession. She had studied ballet since age three, plays the piano and, in her words, is "no Barbra Streisand", but can carry a tune.All My Children- Julia Barr is an American actress, most famously for her role playing Brooke English on the soap opera, All My Children. She played the role for over 30 years, first debuting as Brooke in 1976 and exiting the show in 2006. Barr made special appearances as Brooke, reprising her role in both 2010 and 2011. Barr grew up in Fort Wayne, and made her acting debut at the age of 13 in a production of Peter Pan. She graduated as a theater major from the University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, and went on to spent two years at the Studio Arena Theater in Buffalo, New York. She earned her equity card performing at the Studio Arena Theater and starred in a small role in "A Girl in My Soup" which also starred Van Johnson. Not long after marrying her first husband, Barr moved to New York City and continued working in the theater until she was cast as mafia daughter Serena Szabo on Ryan's Hope. The role was supposed to be a two year contract, but the character was written off after only six months. Barr was then cast as the spoiled rich niece of Phoebe Tyler on All My Children, replacing Elissa Leeds as Brooke English. Her character quickly became a fan favorite and garnered eight Emmy nominations for her performance, winning in 1990 and again in 1998. Barr married husband Richard Hirschlag in 1982, and had a daughter, Alison in 1984. In her spare time Barr works with a variety of animal rights organizations and is a spokesperson for The Fund For Animals. Most recently, she has signed a contract to reprise her famous role as Brooke English in Prospect Park's online version of All My Children.All My Children
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- Director
Ms. McClain began her professional acting career at the age of 9. She has worked with respected directors such as Herbert Ross, Richard Benjamin, Marvin Chomsky and John Erman. Over the course of her long career she has starred in five independent films including "Soldier's Heart," "Home Movie" (released through IFC), "Alma Mater," (nominee Golden Starfish at the Hamptons International Film Festival), "Simple Justice" (with Cesar Romero and Doris Roberts), and "Retreat" (Winner, Woods Hole Film Festival). Studio films include "My Favorite Year" with Peter O'Toole, and "Pennies From Heaven" with Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters. Television credits of note include "Law and Order SVU," "Cheers," and "St. Elsewhere."
During her 25 years living in New York City, Ms. McClain was a two-time Emmy winner and six-time nominee for her roles on "All My Children" (Best Juvenile, 1991) and "As the World Turns" (Best Supporting, 2004). She additionally enjoyed performing in historic theatrical productions Off-Broadway such as David Ives' "The Red Address" at Second Stage, "Much Ado About Nothing" at Lincoln Center Theater, and "A Comedy of Errors" at the Hudson Guild. In addition to performing in a one-woman show of Wallace Stevens poetry called "Inventions of Farewell" at the Here Theater in NYC, she is particularly proud of a short one-woman play she wrote, produced, co-directed, and starred in called "Mona7," which dealt with the after affects of abuse on a young woman through collaged video by Tal Yarden, surrealist word play, and Viewpoints movement she learned while studying with Ann Bogart's Siti Company.
In 2018 she released a documentary about women who direct called "Seeing is Believing: Women Direct." Interviews include Sarah Gavron ("Suffragette"), Anne Makepeace ("Tribal Justice"), Dorothy Canton (Mad Riot Productions), Lesli Linka Glatter ("Homeland," "Mad Men"), Bethany Rooney (EP "Bull," co-author Directors Tell the Story), Joanna Kerns ("Jane the Virgin"), Jann Turner ("Chicago Fire"), Jon Wells ("ER," "West Wing"), Oscar winner Lee Grant, two-time Oscar winner Sarah Kernochan, Kimberly Peirce ("Boys Don't Cry"), and Betty Thomas ("Dr. Doolittle," "The Brady Bunch Movie"). An Awesome Without Borders grantee and chosen by IndieWire as "Project of the Day," it was picked up for educational distribution by Tugg Edu.
In April of 2017 the 28 minute version of "Seeing is Believing: Women Direct" received a Jury Award at its premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Encouraged by various festivals to make it longer, a new 58-minute version received the Audience Award in August 2017 for Best Feature at it's premiere at the SOHO International Film Festival. It has gone on to win four other "Best Documentary" awards and played at respected festivals such as the St Louis Film Festival, the Oxford Film Festival, and the High Falls Film Festival. Further encouraged by distributors to make the film even longer, she created an 84 minute version which premiered in the fall of 2018 at a the Heartland Film Festival and won Best Documentary Pro Action at the Artemis Women in Action 2019 Film Festival. McClain produced and edited all three versions, as well as shot, lit, and did sound on almost all of the footage.
"I am of a mind that I cannot ask others to do something I have not been willing to do myself. Having some practice and understanding of the key departments involved in film makes me more able to communicate with insight into each craft involved and, I believe, a better producer and director." - Cady McClain
Other directing credits include the short film "Butterflies" (Winner Best Short Film and Best Actress in a Short Film at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, Best Screenplay at the Kew Gardens Film Festival, Nominated Best Editing, Best Cinematography at Kew Gardens Film Festival) ; "Venice the Series," (two Daytime Drama Web Series Emmy Nominations for Directing: 2017 and 2018); "Switch" (Winner of the NYWIFT festival in partnership with GoIndieTV), "The Missing Piece" (Winner Best Ensemble and Best Supporting Actress at the Movies by Kids Awards at FOX Studios); "The Last Day" (nominated for Best Short at the Kids Awards at FOX Studios) for Kids in the Spotlight; and the full length narrative "Paint Made Flesh," an original play written by Howard Meyer which she produced, directed, and filmed multi-camera live in NYC with support from Sotheby's in 2018.
Earlier directing work includes the short film "The World of Albert Fuh," which premiered at the SOHO International Film Fest (Winner Best Comedy Drama Short at the Indie Gathering Festival.) "Fuh" was also an official selection of the LA Indie Film Fest, was awarded an Honorable Mention for Best Director by the Los Angeles Film Review, an Honorable Mention from the SaMoIndie FF, and an Award of Merit by the Best Shorts Film Festival. Her first short film, "Flip Fantasia," enjoyed acceptance into the Macon Film Festival and gained a remarkable FB cult following of over 80K. She also created an original online character in 2013 called "Suzy F*cking Homemaker," which was picked up by Prospect Park for additional promotion of it's online distribution of "All My Children."
In the fall of 2018 she produced "Lost Girl's: Angie's Story," a narrative film directed by Julia Verdin in conjunction with the Not for Profit organization Artists for Change to help create awareness around the epidemic of sex trafficking in America. The film stars Randall Battinkoff ("As Good As it Gets"), Cherie Jimenez ("Pretty Little Liars"), Jane Widdop ("The Kicks"), Anthony Montgomery ("Star Trek Enterprise"), MC Lyte ("Girls Trip") and Amin Joseph ("Snowfall").
Other producing work includes the short film Val-en-tina, directed by Araeia Robinson; "Ghost Light: The Haunting," an Asian/American piece of experimental theater in New York directed by Penny Bergman, and an L.A. based Diverse/Gender Equal short film festival at the Electric Lodge in Venice, CA titled, "One Night Only"; all of her short films; "Seeing is Believing: Women Direct"; and the filmed play "Paint Made Flesh." Her first producing experience was as an Associate Producer on the festival multi award-winning film "How We Got Away With It," (distributed by Devolver Digital Films) and as a producer as well as just about every position other than director or actor on the short film, "Discedo," (including special effects makeup, script supervisor, and production assistant.)
As a writer, her memoir, "Murdering My Youth," is an in-depth look into life as a child actor and her struggles to survive an alcoholic family system. It was released in the spring of 2014. As a result she was featured in TV Guide and invited to do a feature interview with Cameron Mathison on Entertainment Tonight. The book has received wide acclaim and 113 five-star reviews on Amazon. Always interested in contributing to the wider conversation about topics ranging from women's issues to national tragedies, she has written articles for The Good Men Project, HLNTV, Policymic, Ms Cheevious, Ms in the Biz, AND Magazine and live blogged the People's Choice Awards and the Golden Globes.
McClain also is the voice for several audio books, winning an Earphones Audiophile Award and recognition from Entertainment Weekly, Audiophile Magazine, and Publishers Weekly for her reading of Emma Cline's debut novel "The Girls."
"Reader McClain is phenomenal, evoking the older Evie's mature retrospection and struggle to analyze her own emotional state and the motivations of that tumultuous time, as well as the younger Evie's yearning for acceptance and love and adventure. McClain also creates authentic, memorable voices for the other characters, including the lazy drawl of Suzanne and the seductive madness of Russell. A perfect marriage of text and narrator, this is the kind of audiobook that stays in your mind long after it's finished." ~Publishers Weekly
"Narrator Cady McClain is extraordinary here, her diction perfect, her performance of every sentence thoughtful, unforced, yet hyper vigilant." ~Audiophile Magazine
Education includes formal acceptance and study at NYU, SVA, and The New School for Public Engagement. Studies included international literature, fine art drawing and painting, art history, and writing.
Nationally, Ms. McClain has been invited to discuss how narrative stories can impact social issues at the PCI (now PMC) Entertainment Summit in Washington D.C.. She was later interviewed by Charlie Rose at a recorded live event as part of her work for RARE. Cady joined this award winning nonprofit organization by taking a trip with the heads of the "As the World Turns" production staff to help local St. Lucian's develop radio dramas to promote social change. Cady has enjoyed hosting the Palm Beach International Film Festival and the WEHO Women and Leadership Conference, where she discussed the process of being a female filmmaker with guest filmmakers Marianna Palka, Finola Hughes, Li Lu, and Grace Lee.
McClain was pleased to have served on the board of The Chimaera Project, a not-for-profit that grants funds to visionary women filmmakers, and worked to create partnerships with film festivals as Chairperson for Festival Outreach with the Alliance of Women Directors in Los Angeles. She also was happy to have served on the Jury for the 2018 Hell's Half Mile Film Festival and to participate as a mentor for Women in Film Los Angeles.
McClain has been featured in Salon, IndieWire, Film Threat, PBS SoCal, KNAU and MPB (NPR affiliates), Broadway World, Women and Hollywood, Good Morning Texas, CBS KCAL 9, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, TV Guide Magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Daily News, The Boston Herald, Time Out NY, Good Housekeeping, McCall's, Times Picayune, The Palm Beach Post, Mix Monthly, Newsday, AM New York, The Sacramento Bee, Brooklyn Papers, Agency Magazine, Tulsa World, Orange County Register, MidWest Beat, Imagine, Rocky Mountain News, The Jamaica Gleaner, Brooklyn Papers, Priority Girl Magazine, Girl Talk HQ, Film Inquiry, Ms in the Biz, Newport Beach Magazine, and Country Weekly.
Born in Los Angeles, CA, she is a 9th generation Californian and is of Mexican heritage on her father's side.
She is married to actor/director/writer Jon Lindstrom and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.All My Children and As The World Turns- Robin Vee Strasser was born on May 7, 1945 in New York City. the daughter of Martin and Anne Strasser. She attended and graduated from the High School of Performing Arts, and later attended the Yale School of Drama on a full scholarship. She is a founding member of the American Conservatory Theatre, and began her extensive daytime career in 1967. She is best known for her role as Dorian Lord on the soap opera One Life to Live (1968), and as 300-year-old witch Hecuba on the soap opera Passions (1999). She announced in late 1999 that she will leave her Emmy-winning role of Dorian Lord in January 2000, in order to devote her energies to promoting women's health issues, namely menopause awareness.One Live to Live and Passions
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Rebecca Budig was born on 26 June 1973 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for General Hospital (1963), All My Children (1970) and Getaway (2013). She has been married to Mike Benson since 2012. They have one child. She was previously married to Bob Guiney and Daniel Geller.All My Children and General Hospital- Actress
- Writer
Eva LaRue grew up in California. At the age of 6 she began her show-business career. She starred in television commercials and sang many "jingles" for them. She still often sings at sports events and any other opportunities that arise. Eva likes to ride horses and has shown horses for over a decade. She also enjoys Tae Kwon Do. She's the oldest of three children. She loves acting and is well into her craft.All My Children- Actress
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Eden Sonja Jane Riegel was born in Washington D.C. Her parents are Kurt & Lenore. Her older siblings are Tatiana S. Riegel & Sam Riegel. She grew up in a Virginia suburb. As a child, she first got the urge to perform while watching her brother perform dinner theater. Bitten by the performing bug, she soon got her chance to perform when she started performing in dinner theater herself for $10 a week. Her big break on stage came when she landed the part of young Cosette in Les Misérables. This led to other Broadway & off-Broadway roles in The Will Rogers Follies. She also had movie roles in American Pie (1999), The Prince of Egypt (1998) & Henry Hill (1999). She has guest-starred in many TV series. Besides being an actress, she's also an accomplished vocalist who was a member of the popular group Broadway Kids. She also sang back up vocals for Jewel.= & Michael Jackson.
She attended the New York's Professional Children's School & then Harvard University, aiming to become a lawyer. However, she took a leave of absence for an exciting role. Her biggest break came when she was cast as Bianca Christine Montgomery on All My Children (1970). Bianca's the first main character on an American soap who's openly gay. Eden's earnest, poignant, sparkling, heartfelt & charismatic portrayal helped make the character become one of All My Children (1970)'s most beloved heroines in its history. She left the role in February 2005. She has moved to Los Angeles & hopes to explore other avenues in her career such as prime time & movies.All My Children- Actress
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Nancy Lee Grahn was born on 28 April 1956 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for General Hospital (1963), Santa Barbara (1984) and Babylon 5 (1993).Santa Barbara and General Hospital- Erika Slezak was born on 5 August 1946 in Hollywood, California, USA. She is an actress, known for One Life to Live (1968), One Life to Live (2013) and Next Stop, Christmas (2021). She has been married to Brian Davies since 4 August 1978. They have two children. She was previously married to R. Daniel Mooney.One Life To Live
- Marcy Walker has been married five times. Of her four divorces, three of them were over before she was thirty. Her first marriage was to actor Stephen Ferris, to whom she was briefly married in the early '80s. The blonde actress then married actor Billy Warlock, former Days of Our Lives (1965) star, in 1987. After that marriage crumbled, she found herself in the arms of cameraman Stephan Collins. They had a child together in 1989 and then married a year later. Sadly, however, that marriage even failed, and she was once again single. "I think everybody loves to be in love. But now I've come to the point where I say if I don't know what marriage is, I shouldn't be married," she said in response to her marital record. But even after saying this, Marcy married and divorced Robert Drew Primrose in 1997 and 1999, respectively. In 1999 she married her fifth husband (Doug Smith), to whom she is still married.Santa Barbara and All My Children
- Elizabeth Hendrickson was born in Northport, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for The Young and the Restless (1973), All My Children (1970) and Imaginary Bitches (2008). She has been married to Rob Meder since 29 June 2019. They have one child.Young and The Restless and All My Children
- An active athlete, Kelly Marie Monaco grew up on the East Coast, where she participated in soccer, swimming, track and softball, among other sports. After the last of five girls was born, her family decided to move from the bustling city of Philadelphia to the more peaceful environment of the Poconos. Monaco proudly states that she is a born competitor. In addition to athletics, she participated intensely in speech, debate and theater during high school. Monaco's television debut came in 1997, when she landed a recurring role on Baywatch (1989). She has since segued into the feature film world with roles in Idle Hands (1999), Mumford (1999) and BASEketball (1998). Raised in an Italian Catholic home, Monaco is very close with her family, especially her great-grandmother. She enjoys volunteering for children's charity events, as well as working with elders. She currently resides in West Hollywood, California.General Hospital
- Becky has been in over 60 national commercials. She has been in many TV shows, including "Highway to Heaven", "L.A. Law", "Beverly Hills, 90210", "Step By Step", "Boy Meets World", "Sister Sister", and "Days of our Lives". She had a recurring role, Kristen, on "Brotherly Love". Becky has been seen recently on "Space Cases" as Suzee, before landing the role of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Webber on "General Hospital". At the age of 16, Becky had to make a choice between having a career as a competitive ice-skater, or being an actress. Becky resides in Los Angeles near her family.General Hospital
- Genie Francis was born on May 26, 1962 in Englewood, New Jersey to actors Ivor Francis and Rosemary Daley. She grew up in Long Island, New York and California. She has an older brother, Ivor Francis, and a younger brother, Kenneth Francis, and a half-sister, Shelley Francis. The attractive, blonde Ms. Francis got her start in television on General Hospital (1963), as a teenager (following a guest appearance on ABC's prime-time series, Family (1976)) and literally grew up in the enormously popular role of "Laura". As portrayed by Genie Francis, Laura has become one of the most beloved characters in daytime television. In 1981, after five years on General Hospital (1963), Ms. Francis left the show and returned, briefly, two years later and again in 1984 and, finally, on October 29, 1993. The wedding of Laura to "Luke Spencer" (played by Anthony Geary) in November 1981, remains the most-watched daytime drama event in the history of television. The fictional couple's romance even garnered a cover story in Newsweek magazine. Genie's extensive television work also included recurring appearances on Murder, She Wrote (1984). She starred in the prime-time series, "Bare Essence" (1982), and the television miniseries, "North and South", both with actor Jonathan Frakes, who went on to become her husband. She successfully battled substance abuse problems. Francis created the role of "Diana Colville" on NBC's daytime serial, Days of Our Lives (1965), in 1987 and played the role for two years, but she didn't like it and she left. Soon she originated the role of "Ceara Connor" on ABC's daytime drama, All My Children (1970), in 1990. Her portrayal of an adult incest survivor earned her critical and viewer plaudits. On the stage she has appeared in "Crimes of the Heart" and "See How They Run". In 1991 Ms. Francis appeared in the Williamstown Festival Theater Production of "Defying Gravity". That same year Genie made her New York City debut in "The Baby Dance" at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in Greenwich Village. She also appeared in a Comedic Curtain Raiser at Manhattan Class Company for their festival of One Acts, called "The Group". In 1988, Genie married actor/director Jonathan Frakes, who starred in the popular syndicated television series, Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987). They maintain residences in both Los Angeles and Manhattan. Their first child, Jameson Ivor Frakes, was born on August 20, 1994. Their second child, Elizabeth Francis, was born on May 30, 1997. Ms. Francis has been with "General Hospital" on-and-off over the years, winning the much-coveted Emmy award as Best Supporting Actress for her role as "Laura" in 2007. But she stated she didn't want to play a wounded dove like Laura anymore and wanted to play stronger characters. In 2011 she got her wish when she started playing the role of the manipulative "Genevieve Atkinson" on another daytime drama, The Young and the Restless (1973). Although she earned an Emmy nomination for the role, she was let go in 2012 for economic reasons. Soon after she closed her store called "The Cherished Home" in Belfast, Maine, where had she sold cottage furnishings and home accessories. In 2013 she returned to her role as "Laura" on General Hospital (1963).General Hospital
- Debbi Morgan moved to New York City when she was three months old. Her most memorable role was on the television series All My Children (1970). She played Angie Baxter. Her performance in the series earned her four Daytime Emmy Award nominations, and one win. With over 50 film and television credits we should acknowledge her portrayal of of Alex Haley's great-aunt Elizabeth Harvey on the mini-series Roots: The Next Generations (1979), and the clairvoyant Mozelle Batiste Delacroix in Eve's Bayou (1997). Her performance earned her a Chicago Film Critics Association Award and an Independent Spirit Award.All My Children
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Alicia Minshew was born in Plantation, Florida, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Blacklist (2013), Tainted Dreams (2014) and All My Children (1970). She has been married to Richie Herschenfeld since 26 October 2008. They have one child.All My Children- Actress
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Jill Larson was born on 7 October 1947 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She is an actress, known for All My Children (1970), The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014) and Shutter Island (2010).All My Children