Rachel Ames

Ames was born Rachel Kay Foulger on November 2, 1929, in Portland, Oregon.^[2][3][4] She is the daughter of actress (and later college drama instructor) Dorothy Adams and actor Byron Foulger.^[5] At the time of her birth, her father was employed as a director for the Portland Civic Theatre.^[6] She has one younger sister, born in 1942. Through her father, she is of English descent, the fourth generation of English immigrants from Norfolk, who settled in the Salt Lake City area.^[4]

Ames spent her early life in Portland, but her family relocated to California so her parents could work, perform and teach at the Pasadena Playhouse.^[7] She graduated from University High School and later enrolled at University of California, Los Angeles, where her mother was a professor in the university's drama department.^[8][1][2] Ames performed in theater productions during high school and college. She left UCLA after eighteen months when she was signed to a film contract with Paramount Pictures.^[5]

In 1949, Ames made her professional acting debut in Pilgrimage Play. She co-starred with her parents in One Foot in Heaven at the Pasadena Playhouse.^[8][9] She also appeared in productions of Broadway Jones, The Circle, and King of Hearts at the same venue. She co-starred with her father on stage in Cradle Song. Ames' other theater credits include The Immortalist, Mary Rose, and Golden Boy.^[9]

She transitioned into film under the stage name Judith Ames. She was under contract with Paramount Pictures for three years in the early 1950s. Her first feature film was When Worlds Collide (1951), a science-fiction thriller based on the 1933 novel of the same name. She played the role of Julie Cummings.^[10][8] The same year, she appeared in Toast to Our Brother, a short film documenting fraternity life at UCLA, where she was a student at the time.^{[citation needed]}

She had an uncredited role in the film noir The Turning Point (1952).^[11] She also had an uncredited role as Mrs. Kirk in the Western film Arrowhead (1953), co-starring with Charlton Heston.^[12] The following year, she had a supporting role as Betsy Williams in the Western comedy film Ricochet Romance (1954).^[13]

In the mid–1950s, Ames, began appearing on television (still using the stage name Judith Ames). From 1954 to 1957, she guest starred on The Public Defender, I Led 3 Lives, Science Fiction Theatre, The Millionaire, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, You Are There, Highway Patrol, Broken Arrow, The Loretta Young Show, Cavalcade of America, General Electric Theater, Tales of Wells Fargo, and The Californians.^{[14][1][15][5]} She made a brief return to film, playing Marion Erschick in the Western Oregon Passage (1957).^[16]

From 1958 to 1959, Ames guest starred on Telephone Time, Trackdown, Perry Mason, Man Without a Gun, Lassie, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre, Wagon Train, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Cimarron City, and Wanted Dead or Alive.^[5][1][15] In her only regular role on primetime television, Ames played Policewoman Sandy McAllister on The Lineup in the series' final season in 1959.^[9][1][5]

She played Alice Hainline in the Western film Gunfighters of Abilene (1960), co-starring with Buster Crabbe and Barton MacLane.^[17][18] Ames guest starred on Thriller, Laramie, Stagecoach West, Whispering Smith, 77 Sunset Strip, The Andy Griffith Show, The Fugitive, Arrest and Trial, and Ben Casey.^[5][19][1]

On February 23, 1964, Ames debuted on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital, playing Audrey Hardy (then known as Audrey March).^[1] Ames was initially put on contract for only thirteen weeks because Audrey was dying from lymphoma. Her performance was well received by the show's producers and the illness was eventually forgotten.^[20][21] Ames' tenure in the role became the longest running in the network's history, spanning five decades.^[1] The character, a registered nurse, was paired romantically with Dr. Steve Hardy (John Beradino).^[22] When Audrey and Steve were married, Ames' father, Byron Foulger, played the priest who performed the ceremony.^[7]

During her time on General Hospital, Ames had an uncredited role as Dr. Parkington's Nurse in the thriller film Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1969), co-starring with her husband, Barry Cahill.^[23] The same year, she guest starred on Ironside and The Virginian.^[1]

In 1974, Ames was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her work on General Hospital.^[24] She was nominated again in the same category in 1975.^[25] In 1979, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.^[26]

In 1997, she appeared as Audrey Hardy on ABC's special two-hour primetime preview of a new daytime soap opera Port Charles, a spin-off of General Hospital. Ames had a recurring role as Audrey on Port Charles from 1997 to 1998.^[1]

Her contract was not renewed for General Hospital in 2003, but she still appeared as a recurring character.^[27][22] In 2004, Ames was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 31st Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.^[28][29][30] In 2007, Ames retired from General Hospital after 43 years. She made a return appearance as Audrey on October 20, 2009, after a two-year absence from the show.^[22]

Ames returned to General Hospital for the show's 50th anniversary on March 29, 2013.^[31][22][32] She reprised the role of Audrey again for one episode on October 30, 2015.^[32]

Ames married Jack Genung on January 31, 1952, in Los Angeles. They had one daughter.^{[33][citation needed]}

She married her second husband, Canadian-born actor Barry Cahill in June 1968. They had a daughter and two grandchildren.^[1][8] Cahill died in April 2012. They had been married for 43 years.^[34]