| Nancy Lee Grahn | |
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| Born | April 28, 1955 Skokie, Illinois, U.S. |
Nancy Lee Grahn (born April 28, 1955[1] in Skokie, Illinois) is an American actress who has starred in such soap operas as Santa Barbara as Julia Wainwright Capwell from 1985 to 1993 and General Hospital as Alexis Davis since 1996.
She was very famous in France during the years 1980–1990 with her character in Santa Barbara.
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Grahn's parents were both involved with their local community theater in Skokie. In high school, at Niles North, she played "Daisy Mae" opposite future Broadway actor Gregg Edelman in the school's production of Lil' Abner. As a freshman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Grahn landed another role, as Mimi in Guys and Dolls at the Goodman Rep Theater. Grahn had another early stage role in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Dallas Theatre Center.
Grahn subsequently went to New York City, where she studied acting with noted drama teacher Sandy Meisner. In New York, she appeared in commercials and also appeared in several industrial films; in an interview, Grahn recalled crossing paths with fellow future soap star Kim Zimmer at the production of several of those films. She also continued to perform in numerous plays, such as "Father's Day" and Two for the Seesaw, among many others.
Grahn has made a number of appearances in episodic prime time television, including Little House on the Prairie, Moonlighting, Murder, She Wrote, Magnum, P.I., Diagnosis: Murder, Perry Mason, The Incredible Hulk, Knight Rider and Babylon 5 ("The War Prayer", 1994). She has also been seen in the recurring role of Denise Fielding on Melrose Place, as Connie Dahlgren on Murder One, and, most recently, as Principal Russell on 7th Heaven.
Grahn also has had several roles on daytime dramas. Her first television role was as Beverly Wilkes, Marco Dane's secretary on ABC's One Life to Live from 1980 to 1982. In 1985, she was cast in what is perhaps her best-known role,[citation needed] as headstrong lawyer Julia Wainwright Capwell, on the now-defunct soap opera Santa Barbara. Julia was a departure from the traditional "damsel in distress" or vixen roles; she was an intelligent, uncompromising woman. Julia was paired with Mason Capwell, and the two had a Tracy/Hepburn-esque romance. Offscreen, Grahn was briefly involved with Mason's portrayer, actor Lane Davies; conflict over their storylines eventually led to Davies' departure from the show. Grahn's performance garnered her a Daytime Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in 1989 (an award which she shares with All My Children actress Debbi Morgan). She portrayed the role of Julia until the show's cancellation in 1993.
In 1996, she was cast as Alexis Davis/Natasha Cassadine, another headstrong lawyer, on General Hospital, a role she has played ever since. She was nominated for several additional Daytime Emmys. In June 2006, Grahn re-signed with General Hospital for another four years on the show.[2]
Grahn is also an active proponent of reproductive rights. As a member of "Daytime For Choice", along with founder Heather Tom, she discussed with the New York Times her decision to have an abortion in her 20s as well as her desire to see abortion depicted in a fair and unbiased light within film and television.
Grahn was Homecoming Queen at Niles North High School 1974
In 2005, she appeared in an episode of the Style Network's How Do I Look?, where her sister was given a makeover. The show is hosted by fellow General Hospital star Finola Hughes.
She also has a daughter, Katharine Grace, named after Katharine Hepburn.
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   | Official website - n a n c y l e e g r a h n . c o m :: Official Website |
| | nancyfan.com - Nancyfan.com: A Nancy Lee Grahn Website |
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