Constance Towers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Constance Towers
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![]() Towers in 1960
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Born |
Constance Mary Towers
May 20, 1933 |
Alma mater | Juilliard School |
Occupation | Actress, singer |
Years active | 1952–present |
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
Spouse(s) | |
Children | 2 |
Constance Mary Towers (born May 20, 1933) is an American actress. She has worked in movies, on stage, and on TV. She became well-known in the 1950s for her film roles. Later, she moved to theater, starring in many Broadway shows in the 1970s. She has also been nominated for two Emmy Awards.
In 1965, Towers started her theater career. She first appeared on Broadway in the musical Anya. She also performed in Show Boat in 1966. Throughout the 1970s, she starred in four more Broadway shows. Her most famous role was Anna in The King and I in 1977 and 1978. Later, she focused on television. She played Clarissa McCandless in the show Capitol from 1982 to 1987. Since 1997, she has played the character Helena Cassadine on General Hospital.
Contents
Early Life and Discovering Acting
Constance Towers was born on May 20, 1933, in Whitefish, Montana. She was one of two daughters. Her mother was from Nebraska and had Irish family. Her father was from Dublin, Ireland, and moved to the United States. When Constance was young, her family moved around Montana. They lived in Whitefish, Missoula, and Kalispell. They also lived in Moscow, Idaho.
In 1940, when Constance was in first grade, talent scouts found her. They were looking for child actors for radio shows. Her family then moved to Seattle, Washington. For the next three years, she worked as a child radio actress. When she was 11, Paramount Pictures offered her a contract. However, her parents said no. At age 12, she worked at a small movie theater in Whitefish.
Later, her family moved to New York City. Her father got a job there at a medicine company. Constance went to the Juilliard School to study music. She also studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She learned to sing from a famous voice teacher, Beverley Peck Johnson.
Career Highlights
Early Film Roles (1955–1964)
While studying at Juilliard, a film agent discovered Constance. She was very lucky. An agent saw her and believed in her talent. One day, they were walking down Fifth Avenue. The manager of the St. Regis Hotel asked if she could sing. Her agent said yes, and she was asked to perform in three weeks. She learned songs and sang for critics. She received good reviews. That night, a casting director from Columbia Pictures saw her. They flew her to Los Angeles to meet Harry Cohn, the president of Columbia. She read lines with Jack Lemmon and then signed a contract.
Towers first appeared in the movie Bring Your Smile Along (1955). She then had a role in the crime movie Over-Exposed (1956). Constance is 5 feet 9 inches tall. At first, her height made it hard to get main roles in films. In 1958, she got her first main role. She played Hannah Hunter in John Ford's Civil War film The Horse Soldiers (1959). She starred alongside John Wayne and William Holden. The next year, she was in Ford's film Sergeant Rutledge (1960). This was a Western movie about crime and race.
In 1963, Towers had a role in Samuel Fuller's movie Shock Corridor (1963). This film is about a journalist who pretends to be mentally ill to solve a murder. Her role in the film was described as "hard, driving, and realistic." To prepare, Towers spent time at dance clubs in Los Angeles.
Fuller then cast Towers in a main role in his next film, The Naked Kiss (1964). This was another intense thriller. She played a woman trying to fit into a normal neighborhood. A reviewer from The New York Times said she gave a "richly amusing performance."
In the same year, Towers was in the thriller Fate Is the Hunter. This movie is about an investigation into an airplane crash. She also worked as a model for a fashion show in Reno, Nevada. Between 1961 and 1965, she appeared as a guest in five episodes of Perry Mason.
Stage and Television Work (1965–1990)

After several roles in films and TV, Towers made her Broadway debut. She played the main role in Anya in 1965. This musical did not run for very long.
Towers played Julie in a 1966 show of Show Boat at Lincoln Center. She also starred in Carousel in 1966 and The Sound of Music in 1967. She played Maria in The Sound of Music again in 1970, 1971, and 1980. These shows were at the Jones Beach Theater in Long Island, New York.
She played Anna Leonowens in The King and I in 1968. Later, she starred with Yul Brynner in a long-running revival of The King and I. This show toured and then played on Broadway from 1976 to 1978. Critics praised her performance.
In 1995, she played Phyllis in Stephen Sondheim's Follies.
From the mid-1960s to the 1990s, Towers mostly worked in theater. However, she still appeared in films sometimes. She starred in the 1974 TV movie Once in Her Life. For this role, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Actress. She also played Marian Hiller in Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1971–72).
She had a main role as Clarissa McCandless in Capitol (1982–87). She played a noble widow who wanted her son to succeed in politics. She was also the long-term love of Senator Mark Denning. For this part, she was nominated for a Soap Opera Digest Award.
Television and General Hospital (1991–Present)

Towers had a role in the film The Next Karate Kid (1994). She also appeared on TV as Audrey North in The Young and the Restless (1996). Later, she played Madame Julianna Deschanel on Sunset Beach (1997). In 1998, Towers had roles in the horror film The Relic (1997) and the thriller A Perfect Murder (1998). She played the mother of Gwyneth Paltrow's character in A Perfect Murder.
Towers is best known for her role as the character Helena Cassadine on General Hospital. She started playing Helena in late 1997. The character passed away in 2015. However, Towers made more guest appearances as Helena in 2016, 2017, 2019, and February 2020. In October 2020, Towers briefly played Helena again. Helena was heard on a phone call.
Towers also guest-starred in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Forsaken" in 1993. She appeared in other TV shows like Designing Women, Frasier, Baywatch, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Her other TV roles include State Trooper, Hawaii Five-O, The Rockford Files, L.A. Law, The 4400, and Cold Case.
In 2008, Towers starred in a Los Angeles show called Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks. The play first opened in 2001.
Personal Life
Constance Towers was first married to Eugene McGrath from 1959 to 1966. They divorced. In 1974, she married actor John Gavin. He later became an ambassador to Mexico. Constance has two children from her first marriage. She also had two stepchildren from her marriage to Gavin. John Gavin passed away on February 9, 2018.
Towers is the chairwoman of the board of directors for the Blue Ribbon. This group supports the Los Angeles Music Center.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes | Ref. |
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1955 | Bring Your Smile Along | Nancy Willows | Blake Edwards | ||
1956 | Over-Exposed | Shirley Thomas | Lewis Seiler | ||
1959 | The Horse Soldiers | Miss Hannah Hunter of Greenbriar | John Ford | ||
1960 | Sergeant Rutledge | Mary Beecher | John Ford | ||
1963 | Shock Corridor | Cathy | Samuel Fuller | ||
1964 | Fate Is the Hunter | Peg Burke | Ralph Nelson | ||
1964 | The Naked Kiss | Kelly | Samuel Fuller | ||
1974 | Once in Her Life | Joan Baldwin | Peter Levin | Television film Nominated – Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Special Program |
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1985 | Fast Forward | Jessie Granger | Sidney Poitier | ||
1985 | Sylvester | Muffy | Tim Hunter | ||
1991 | Memories of Midnight | Sister Larissa | Gary Nelson | Television film | |
1992 | The Nutt House | Mrs. Henderson | Adam Rifkin | ||
1992 | The Sands of Time | Sister Larissa | Gary Nelson | Television film | |
1994 | The Next Karate Kid | Louisa Pierce | Christopher Cain | ||
1995 | Thunder in Paradise 3 | Cavanna | Douglas Schwartz | ||
1997 | The Relic | Mrs. Blaisedale | Peter Hyams | ||
1998 | A Perfect Murder | Sandra Bradford | Andrew Davis | ||
2008 | The Awakening of Spring | Mrs. Gable | Arthur Allan Seidelman | ||
2013 | A Fuller Life | Herself | Samantha Fuller | Documentary | |
2015 | Aghápe | Mature Leean | Radick Cembrzynski | Short film | |
2018 | The Storyteller | Rosemary | Joe Crump |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1952 | Tales of Tomorrow | Martha | Episode: "Seeing-Eye Surgeon" |
1957 | State Trooper | Doris Woodley | Episode: "Beef ala Murder" |
1958 | Mike Hammer | Jean Barr | Episode: "Overdose of Lead" |
1957–1958 | The Bob Cummings Show | Patricia Plumber | Episodes: "Bob Gives Psychology Lessons" and "Bob's Forgotten Fiancée" |
1960 | Adventures in Paradise | Laura Knight | Episode: "Sink or Swim" |
1961 | Zane Grey Theater | Beth Woodfield | Episode: "Knight of the Sun" |
1964 | The Outer Limits | Laura James | Episode: "The Duplicate Man" |
1965 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | Louise Menke | Episode: "Exit from a Plane in Flight" |
1961–1965 | Perry Mason | Various roles | 5 episodes |
1971–1972 | Love Is a Many Splendored Thing | Marian Hiller | Series regular |
1975 | Hawaii Five-O | Mrs. Thorncrest | Episode: "Death's Name Is Sam" |
1977 | Lanigan's Rabbi | Vinnie Barcas | Episode: "In Hot Weather, the Crime Rate Soars" |
1979 | The Rockford Files | IRS Agent Sally Sternhagen | Episode: "The Big Cheese" |
1979 | Fantasy Island | Shirley Forbush | Episode: "Hit Man/The Swimmer" |
1981 | Fantasy Island | Maggie Dunphy | Episode: "Perfect Husband, The/Volcano" |
1982–1987 | Capitol | Clarissa McCandless | Series regular |
1986 | On Wings of Eagles | Margot Perot | Miniseries |
1987 | Murder, She Wrote | Margaret Witworth | Episode: "Murder, She Spoke" |
1988 | The Loner | Kate Shane | Pilot |
1987–1988 | L.A. Law | Charlotte Kelsey | Episodes: "Rohner vs. Gradinger" and "Full Marital Jacket" |
1989 | MacGyver | Francine Leyland | Episode: "Ma Dalton" |
1989 | Midnight Caller | Teresa Chandler | Episode: "Blood Red" |
1990 | Designing Women | Louise Pollard | Episode: "The Mistress" |
1991 | Matlock | Alice Windemere | Episode: "The Suspect" |
1992 | Baywatch | Maggie James | Episode: "Sea of Flames" |
1992 | 2000 Malibu Road | Camilla O'Keefe | Series regular, 6 episodes |
1992 | Civil Wars | Harriet Guilford | Episode: "Das Boat House" |
1993 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Taxco | Episode: "The Forsaken" |
1994 | Frasier | Clarice Warner | Episode: "Slow Tango in South Seattle" |
1994 | Thunder in Paradise | Cavanna | Episodes: "Deadly Lessons: Part 1" and "Deadly Lessons: Part 2" |
1994 | Silk Stalkings | Karen Krane | Episode: "Ask the Dust" |
1995 | Caroline in the City | Barbara | Episode: "Caroline and the Folks" |
1995 | High Society | Boatie | Episode: "Tomb with a View" |
1996 | The Young and the Restless | Audrey North | Recurring role |
1997 | Sunset Beach | Madame Julianna Deschanel | Recurring role, 9 episodes |
1997–2007, 2009–2017, 2019–2020, 2022 |
General Hospital | Helena Cassadine | Series regular (1997–2002), Recurring guest star (2003–2022) Nominated: Daytime Emmy Award for America's Favorite Villain (2002) |
1998 | Kelly Kelly | Kate | Episode: "The Kilt Show" |
2000 | Providence | Candice Whitman | Episode: "Syd in Wonderland" |
2006 | Criminal Minds | Deb Mason | Episode: "Riding the Lightning" |
2007 | The 4400 | Audrey Parker | Episode: "Audrey Parker's Come and Gone" |
2009 | Cold Case | Caroline Kemp | Episode: "Libertyville" |
2013 | 1600 Penn | Bunny Thoroughgood | Episode: "So You Don't Want to Dance" |
2014 | Men at Work | Mary | Episode: "Suburban Gibbs" |
2016 | 11.22.63 | Old Sadie Dunhill | Episode: "The Day in Question" |
2022 | 9-1-1: Lone Star | Helen Strand | Episode: "Shift-Less" |
Stage Credits
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
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1960–1961 | Guys and Dolls | Sarah Brown | Civic Light Opera Company, Los Angeles, California | |
1962 | Kismet | Lalume | U.S. touring production | |
1964 | Camelot | Guenevere | U.S. touring production | |
1964 | Kiss Me Kate | Lilli/Kate | U.S. touring production | |
1965 | 110 in the Shade | Lizzie | Kansas City Starlight Production | | |
1965 | Anya | Anya | Ziegfeld Theatre, New York City | |
1966 | Show Boat | Julie | New York State Theatre, New York City | |
1966 | Carousel | Julie Jordan | City Center Theater, New York City | |
1967–1968 | The Sound of Music | Maria Rainer | City Center Theater, New York City | |
1967 | Dumas and Son | Marie | Los Angeles Civic Light Opera | |
1968 | The King and I | Anna Leonowens | City Center Theatre, New York City | |
1969 | Cactus Flower | Stephanie | Pocono Playhouse, Mountainhome, PA | |
1970 | The Sound Of Music | Maria | Jones Beach Theater, Long Island | |
1970 | The Engagement Baby | Vivian Whitney | Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City | |
1971 | Ari | Kitty Fremont | Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City | |
1972 | The King and I | Anna Leonowens | Jones Beach Theater, Long Island | |
1972 | I Do! I Do! | Agnes | Chateau de Ville, John Raitt Saugus, Massachusetts | |
1973 | I Do! I Do! | Agnes | Meadowbrook Dinner Theatre Van Johnson, Cedar Grove, New Jersey | |
1973 | The Sound of Music | Maria Rainer | Pittsburg CLO, Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA | |
1973 | The King and I | Anna Leonowens | State Fair Music Hall, Dallas, Texas | |
1973 | My Fair Lady | Eliza Doolittle | Indianapolis | |
1973 | Mame | Mame | Springfield, Missouri | |
1973 | The Desperate Hours | Eleanor Hilliard | Arlington Park, Illinois | |
1974 | Oh Coward! | Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, Connecticut | ||
1974 | Oklahoma | Laurie | Kansas City Starlight Production | | |
1974 | I Do! I Do! | Agnes | Various with Theodore Bikel, Summer, National Tour | |
1975 | Rogers and Hart! | Westwood Playhouse, Los Angeles | ||
1976–1979 | The King and I | Anna Leonowens | Uris Theatre,1976 Summer National Tour 07/26/1976 -10/03/1976. 05/02/1977 -12/30/78 New York City, 01/02/1979 -4/22/79 Chicago and Los Angeles | |
1980 | The Sound of Music | Maria Rainer | Jones Beach Theater, Long Island | |
1987 | 42nd Street | Dorothy Brock | Heritage Forum, Anaheim |
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1989 | Steel Magnolias | M'Lynn | Royal George, Chicago |
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1991 | The Speed of Darkness | N/A | Associate producer Belasco Theatre, New York City |
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1995 | Follies | Phyllis Stone | Theatre Under the Stars, Houston, Texas 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle, Washington |
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1998 | Something Wonderful | McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert, California | ||
2008 | Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks | Lilly Harrison | Falcon Theatre, Los Angeles |