Eileen Davidson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eileen Davidson
Davidson in 2014
Born	Eileen Marie Davidson (1959-06-15) June 15, 1959 (age 66) Artesia, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress author television personality model
Years active	1982–present
Spouse(s)	Christopher Mayer ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 1986)​ Jon Lindstrom ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2000)​ Vincent Van Patten ​ ​ (m. 2003)​
Children	1

Eileen Marie Davidson (born June 15, 1959) is an American actress, author, television personality, and former model. She is famous for playing different characters in popular TV shows called soap operas. These include Kristen DiMera and Susan Banks on Days of Our Lives, and Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.

Eileen won a special award called a Daytime Emmy Award in 2014 for her acting on Days of Our Lives. She won this award again in 2018 for her role on The Young and the Restless. Besides TV shows, Eileen also acted in the movie The House on Sorority Row (1983). She wrote several mystery novels in the 2000s. From 2014 to 2017, Eileen was also a cast member on the reality TV show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

About Eileen's Early Life

Eileen Davidson was born in Artesia, California. She is the youngest of seven children. Her mother, Charlotte, was a homemaker, and her father, Richard, made airplane parts. Eileen grew up in the Roman Catholic faith. She went to Corona Del Mar High School and Orange Coast College in California.

Eileen's Acting Career

Starting in Soap Operas

Eileen began her acting journey in March 1982. She got the role of Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless. She was chosen from over 100 people who wanted the part! Ashley became a very important character on the show. Eileen left the show in 1988.

During the 1980s, Eileen also appeared in movies. These included The House on Sorority Row (1983) and Easy Wheels (1989).

Moving to Other Shows

After The Young and the Restless, Eileen tried primetime TV. Her show, Broken Badges (1990–1991), did not last long. She then returned to daytime TV. She played Kelly Capwell on Santa Barbara from 1991 until the show ended in 1993.

Next, she joined Days of Our Lives in May 1993. She played Kristen Blake. At first, Kristen was a good character. But then, the show's writer made Kristen more of a villain. The writer also created a wild idea: Eileen played a second character named Susan Banks, who looked exactly like Kristen! Eileen even played three more characters: Sister Mary Moira, Thomas, and Penelope. For playing five different roles, Eileen was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 1998.

Davidson in 2010

Returning to The Young and the Restless

After a break, Eileen returned to The Young and the Restless in March 1999. She played Ashley Abbott again. She was nominated for another Daytime Emmy Award. However, she was later let go from the show in 2007. Her co-star, Melody Thomas Scott, said many people on the show felt this was unfair.

A few months later, Eileen signed a contract with The Bold and the Beautiful. This show is a sister soap opera to The Young and the Restless. She played Ashley Abbott there too, starting in March 2007.

Writing Books and More Acting

Eileen also became an author! She co-wrote her first mystery novel, Death in Daytime, in 2008. It was about the soap opera world. She wrote three more books in the series: Dial Emmy for Murder (2009), Diva Las Vegas (2010), and Swinging in the Rain (2011).

In 2008, Eileen returned to The Young and the Restless full-time as Ashley. In 2012, she went back to Days of Our Lives to play Kristen Blake DiMera again.

Davidson at the 2014 Daytime Emmy Awards.

Eileen made a short appearance on The Young and the Restless in February 2013 for the show's 40th anniversary. She decided to leave Days of Our Lives in July 2013. But she returned to the role of Kristen in the summer of 2014. On May 1, 2014, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her work on Days of Our Lives. She won the award on June 22, 2014!

In June 2014, Eileen signed a new contract to return to The Young and the Restless. This contract allowed her to also work on Days of Our Lives in the future. Eileen also joined the reality TV show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She appeared on Days of Our Lives again in 2015 and 2017. In 2019, Eileen shared that she had been offered a role on All My Children earlier in her career. However, she turned it down because she couldn't afford to move to New York with her five dogs!

More recently, Eileen starred in the comedy film 7 Days to Vegas (2019). She also appeared in the Christmas film Middleton Christmas (2020). From 2021 to 2022, she was in the limited series Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem. She also starred in the Christmas film Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas in 2021. In 2023, she starred in the Netflix Christmas movie Holiday in the Vineyards.

Eileen's Film and TV Roles

Movies

Television Shows

Awards and Nominations

Eileen Davidson has won several awards for her acting. Here are some of her achievements:

See also

In Spanish: Eileen Davidson para niños