Rachel Ames

Vertical GH Soap Banner
Rachel Ames
Port Charles Presence
February 23, 1964 to 2003 [contract]; 2003 to October 20, 2009; March 29, 2013
At A Glance

Rachel Ames has the honor and distinction of being the longest-running performer on ABC Daytime's longest-running daytime drama. She joined the cast and started work on General Hospital on February 23, 1964, less than one year after the program's first airdate. She has been nominated three times for an Emmy Award as Best Actress in a Daytime Drama. Her parents, Dorothy Adams and the late Byron Foulger, both well-known motion picture and television actors, first introduced Ms. Ames to acting. A native of Portland, Oregon, Rachel moved with her family to Los Angeles, where she attended University High School and UCLA.

Mrs. Ames made her acting debut in the annual Pilgrimage play in 1949. Her nest performance was with her parents in a production of One Foot in Heaven at the renowned Pasadena Playhouse. There she also starred in Broadway Jones, The Circle and King of Hearts. Her other West Coast theater credits include Cradle Song with her father, The Immortalist, Chanticleer, and The Human Voice. A few years ago, she co-produced and co-starred in Pieces of Time with fellow General Hospital actors Peter Hansen and Susan Brown.

Early in her acting career, Ms. Ames was under contract to Paramount Pictures for three years, where she was a member of the "Golden Circle" of talented young performers in Los Angeles. The actress made her motion picture debut in When Worlds Collide. During her television career, Rachel guest starred in the legendary series, Ben Casey, Wagon Train, and Ironside, among others. She has guest starred on classic television shows such as The Andy Griffith Show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Perry Mason, and The Fugitive, just to name a few. Rachel and actor Barry Cahill married in June of 1968. Rachel has two daughters, Christine Cahill and Susan Thomas. Rachel is also the proud grandmother of her daughter Susan's two children, Jocelyn and Mark Thomas. When the actress isn't working her hobbies include gardening, tennis, and cooking. She and her husband are also looking for a play to perform together.

Acting Portfolio: TELEVISION
Port Charles
Audrey March Hardy
June 1, 1997 to 1998

General Hospital
Audrey March Hardy
February 23, 1964 to October 20, 2009; March 29, 2013

The Lineup
Sandy McAllister
1959-1960

The Virginian
Mary Kinkaid
1969

Ironside
Carolyn Channing
1969

Wagon Train
Florence Yeager
1964

Ben Casey
1964

Arrest and Trial
1964

Wagon Train
Emily Dawson
1963

The Fugitive
Ann Gerard
1963

77 Sunset Strip
1963

The Andy Griffith Show
Rosemary
1963

Wagon Train
Jane Harley
1961

Stagecoach
1961 1961

Laramie
1960

Thriller
Betty Follett
1960

Wanted: Dead or Alive
Sarah Buchanan
1959

Cimarron City
Emily Barton
1959

Western Theatre
Edie Duncan
1959

Wanted: Dead or Alive
1959

The Californians
1959

Wagon Train
1959

Zane Grey Theater
Mrs. Larkin
1958

Perry Mason
Marian Shaw
1958

Man Without a Gun
1958

Wagon Train
Mary Hogan
1958

Tales of Wells Fargo
Maud Kimball
1958

Trackdown
1958

Telephone Time
1958

Zane Grey Theater
1958

Trackdown:
1958

The Californians
1957

Tales of Wells Fargo
1957

Science Fiction Theatre
Eileen Scott
1957

Cavalcade Of America
Carol
1957

Broken Arrow
1956

Science Fiction Theatre
Peggie Gress
1956

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Laura
1956

Science Fiction Theatre:
1956

You Are There
1956

Science Fiction Theatre
Kate Donaldson
1955

Science Fiction Theatre Amy Kern
1955

The Millionaire
1955

Science Fiction Theater
Edna Miner
1955
Acting Portfolio: FILM
Daddy's Gone A-Hunting
Dr. Parkington's Nurse
1969

Gunfighters of Abilene
Alice
1960

Oregon Passage
Marion
1957

Ricochet Romance
Betsy Williams
1954

Arrowhead
1953

The Turning Point
Girl
1952

When Worlds Collide
Julie Cummings
1951
Acting Portfolio: THEATRE
Broadway Jones

Chanticleer

The Circle

Cradle Song

Golden Boy

The Human Voice

The Immortalist

King of Hearts

Mary Rose

One Foot in Heaven
Awards & Acclaim
Daytime Emmys Winner, Lifetime Acheivement Award (2005)

Daytime Emmys Nomination, Best Actress in a Daytime Drama (1974, 1975)
Daytime Emmys Nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama (1979)
Vital Statistics

PLACE OF BIRTH: Portland, Oregon

DATE OF BIRTH: November 2, 1929

HAIR: Blonde

EYES: Blue

HEIGHT: 5'6½"

MARITAL STATUS: Married; Barry Cahill (June 1968)

CHILDREN: Christine Cahill & Susan Thomas

News Archive
News Archive: Original GH cast member Ames taken off contract. [Jan 6, 2003]

News Archive: GH's "original leading lady," Rachel Ames, returning for GH's 50th anniversary. [Jan 6, 2003]

Related Information

MAKING HEADLINES: SOAP OPERA NEWS, UPDATES, AND HEADLINES

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
Poppy is arrested for murder on The Bold and The Beautiful
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
DAYS OF OUR LIVES
GENERAL HOSPITAL
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
© 1995-2024 Soap Central, LLC. Home | Contact Us | Advertising Information | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Top