Carrie Nye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carrie Nye
Nye in Mary, Mary (1961)
Born	Carolyn Nye McGeoy (1936-10-14)October 14, 1936 Greenwood, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	July 14, 2006(2006-07-14) (aged 69) New York City, U.S.
Education	Stephens College Yale University
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1955–1987
Spouse(s)	Dick Cavett ​ (m. 1964)​

Carolyn Nye McGeoy (born October 14, 1936 – died July 14, 2006), known as Carrie Nye, was an American actress. She had a long career that lasted 32 years. During this time, she was nominated for several big awards. These included a Tony Award in 1965, a Primetime Emmy Award in 1980, and a Drama Desk Award in 1981.

Early Life and Education

Carrie Nye was born Carolyn Nye McGeoy in Greenwood, Mississippi. She was the only child of Frank Rice McGeoy and Emma Evelyn (Reddett) McGeoy. Her father was a bank president.

She went to Stephens College in Missouri. Later, she studied acting at the Yale School of Drama. She graduated from Yale in 1959. While at Yale, she met Dick Cavett. They got married in 1964.

Acting Career Highlights

Carrie Nye spent most of her career acting on stage. She joined the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 1955. She played many different characters there for over two decades. Some of her famous roles were in plays like The Skin of Our Teeth and A Streetcar Named Desire. She even performed for President John F. Kennedy at the White House. This was with the American Shakespeare Festival.

Broadway Successes

Nye made her first appearance on Broadway in 1960. The play was called A Second String. The next year, she played Tiffany Richards in the original cast of Mary, Mary. In 1965, she was nominated for a Tony Award. This was for her role as Helen Walsingham in Half a Sixpence. A Tony Award is one of the highest honors for stage actors. She acted in two more Broadway shows in the 1960s. These were A Very Rich Woman (1965) and Cop-Out (1969).

Film and Television Roles

Carrie Nye also acted in movies and on television. Her first movie was The Group in 1966. This film was based on a popular book.

In the 1970s, Nye appeared in many TV movies. She was in Divorce His, Divorce Hers (1973) with famous actors Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. In 1978, she was a regular guest on the PBS quiz show We Interrupt This Week. She received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1980. This was for playing Tallulah Bankhead in the TV film The Scarlett O'Hara War. An Emmy Award is a top prize for television work. That same year, she returned to Broadway. She played Lorraine Sheldon in The Man Who Came to Dinner. For this role, she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. This award also recognizes great theater performances.

Soap Opera Appearances

In 1984, Nye joined the daytime soap opera Guiding Light. She played Susan Piper, a tricky real estate agent. Her character was a villain who even committed murder. She tried to get back a cottage that held a big secret. Fans really liked her evil character. Her time on the show ended with a memorable scene where she fell into quicksand.

Later, in 2003, her friend Ellen Weston became the head writer for Guiding Light. Ellen created a new character for Nye, named Caroline Carruthers. Even though Carrie Nye acted very well, this storyline was not very popular. So, her character was written off the show after six months.

Personal Life and Legacy

Carrie Nye was married to Dick Cavett from June 4, 1964, until she passed away. They met when they were students at Yale. They did not have any children.

Nye and Cavett bought a house called Tick Hall in Montauk, New York. This house was designed by a famous architect named Stanford White. Sadly, the house burned down in 1997. But Carrie and Dick worked with architects to build an exact copy of the house. Their amazing effort was even featured in a documentary film. It was called From the Ashes: The Life and Times of Tick Hall (2003).

Carrie Nye died on July 14, 2006, at her home in Manhattan. She was 69 years old and passed away from lung cancer.

Awards and Nominations