Rachel Ames facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rachel Ames
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_Ames_headshot.jpg)
Ames, c. 1950
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| Born |
Rachel Kay Foulger
November 2, 1929 Portland, Oregon, U.S.
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| Other names | Judith Ames |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1951–2007, 2009–2015 |
| Spouse(s) |
Jack Genung
(m. 1952, divorced)Barry Cahill
(m. 1968; died 2012) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
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Rachel Ames (born Rachel Kay Foulger; November 2, 1929) is an American actress. She is famous for playing the role of Audrey Hardy on the TV show General Hospital. This show is a daytime soap opera on ABC Daytime. Rachel Ames played Audrey from 1964 to 2007. She also came back for special appearances in 2009, 2013, and 2015.
When she made her last appearance, Rachel Ames' role as Audrey was the longest-running character on General Hospital. She played the part for over 50 years! She was nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards for her acting. In 2004, she received a special Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmys. Rachel Ames also played Audrey on Port Charles, which was a spin-off show from General Hospital, from 1997 to 1998.
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Early Life and Family
Rachel Kay Foulger was born on November 2, 1929, in Portland, Oregon. Her mother, Dorothy Adams, was an actress and later taught drama at a college. Her father, Byron Foulger, was also an actor. Rachel has one younger sister, who was born in 1942. Her family has English roots, with ancestors coming from Norfolk, England, and settling in the Salt Lake City area.
Rachel spent her early years in Portland. Later, her family moved to California. This move allowed her parents to work, perform, and teach at the Pasadena Playhouse. Rachel went to University High School. After that, she enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her mother was a professor in the drama department there.
Rachel Ames performed in many theater plays during high school and college. She left UCLA after about a year and a half. This was because she signed a movie contract with Paramount Pictures.
Rachel Ames' Acting Career
Starting Out in Acting (1949-1954)
In 1949, Rachel Ames began her professional acting career. Her first performance was in a play called Pilgrimage Play. She acted alongside her parents in a play called One Foot in Heaven at the Pasadena Playhouse. She also appeared in other plays there, like Broadway Jones and The Circle. She even acted with her father in a play called Cradle Song.
Rachel then started acting in movies. She used the stage name Judith Ames. She had a contract with Paramount Pictures for three years in the early 1950s. Her first big movie was When Worlds Collide in 1951. This was a science-fiction thriller. She played the character Julie Cummings in the film. In the same year, she was in a short film called Toast to Our Brother. This film showed what fraternity life was like at UCLA, where she was a student.
She had small, uncredited roles in other movies. These included the film The Turning Point (1952). She also appeared in the Western movie Arrowhead (1953). In 1954, she had a supporting role as Betsy Williams in the Western comedy Ricochet Romance.
Moving to Television (1954-1964)
In the mid-1950s, Rachel Ames started acting on television. She was still using the name Judith Ames. From 1954 to 1957, she appeared as a guest star on many TV shows. Some of these shows were The Public Defender, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Highway Patrol. She also made a brief return to movies. She played Marion Erschick in the Western film Oregon Passage (1957).
From 1958 to 1959, Rachel Ames continued to guest star on TV shows. These included Perry Mason, Lassie, and Wagon Train. She had her only regular role on a primetime TV show in 1959. She played Policewoman Sandy McAllister on The Lineup during its last season.
She played Alice Hainline in the Western movie Gunfighters of Abilene (1960). She also guest starred on shows like Thriller, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Fugitive.
Becoming a Star on General Hospital (1964-2015)
On February 23, 1964, Rachel Ames joined the cast of the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital. She played the character Audrey Hardy, who was first known as Audrey March. At first, Rachel was only hired for thirteen weeks. This was because her character, Audrey, was supposed to be dying from a serious illness. However, the show's producers really liked her performance. So, Audrey's illness was eventually forgotten, and Rachel stayed on the show.
Rachel Ames' time on General Hospital became the longest-running role in the network's history. She played Audrey for five decades! Her character, Audrey, was a registered nurse. She had a romantic storyline with Dr. Steve Hardy, played by John Beradino. When Audrey and Steve got married on the show, Rachel's real-life father, Byron Foulger, played the priest who performed the ceremony.
While working on General Hospital, Rachel Ames also had a small, uncredited role in a movie. This was the thriller film Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1969). She acted alongside her husband, Barry Cahill, in this movie. In the same year, she guest starred on TV shows like Ironside.
Rachel Ames was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 1974 and 1975 for her lead role on General Hospital. In 1979, she was nominated again, this time for a supporting actress award.
In 1997, she appeared as Audrey Hardy in a special preview of Port Charles. This was a new daytime soap opera that was a spin-off from General Hospital. Rachel Ames had a recurring role as Audrey on Port Charles from 1997 to 1998.
Her contract for General Hospital was not renewed in 2003. However, she still appeared on the show as a recurring character. In 2004, Rachel Ames received a special Lifetime Achievement Award. This award was given at the 31st Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony in New York City. In 2007, Rachel Ames retired from General Hospital after 43 years. She made a return appearance as Audrey on October 20, 2009, after being away from the show for two years.
Rachel Ames returned to General Hospital for the show's 50th anniversary on March 29, 2013. She played Audrey again for one episode on October 30, 2015.
Personal Life
Rachel Ames married Jack Genung on January 31, 1952, in Los Angeles. They had one daughter together.
She married her second husband, Canadian actor Barry Cahill, in June 1968. They had a daughter and two grandchildren. Barry Cahill passed away in April 2012. They had been married for 42 years.
Images for kids
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Rachel Ames in 1954
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Ames as Audrey March in General Hospital, 1973
