Rosemary Prinz

Rosemary Prinz (born January 4, 1931) is an American actress. She is known for playing the role of Penny Hughes on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns (1956–1968, 1985, 1986–1987, 1998, 2000). She also played Amy on First Love (1954–1955), Amy Tyler on All My Children (1970), and Dr. Julie Franklin on How to Survive a Marriage (1974–1975) . She has performed in many theatrical productions. She appeared on Broadway in The Grey-Eyed People (1952), Tonight in Samarkand (1955), Three Men on a Horse (1969), The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1971), and Tribute (1978). Prinz originated the role of M'Lynn Eatenton in Steel Magnolias during its first production Off-Broadway in 1987.

Prinz was born in The Bronx, New York.^{[citation needed]} Her father was cellist Milton Prinz, who performed with the NBC Symphony Orchestra and was the founder of the New York String Quartet. Prinz later taped How to Survive a Marriage in the same studio where her father had performed with Arturo Toscanini.^{[citation needed]}

In 1947, at age sixteen, Prinz made her professional acting debut in Dream Girl at the Craigsmoor Summer Theatre. Her father gave her permission to finish high school early. She was cast in a touring production of Joan of Lorraine, co-starring with Diana Barrymore. She later joined touring productions of Kiss and Tell, Glad Tidings, and The Second Man. In 1948, she starred in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina.

She made her Broadway debut as First Girl Scout in the original production of The Grey-Eyed People, opening on December 17, 1952 at the Martin Beck Theatre. Prinz played Amy on the NBC soap opera First Love from 1954 to 1955. She guest starred on The Mickey Rooney Show. She appeared as Pandore in the original Broadway production of Tonight in Samarkand. The play opened at the Morosco Theatre on February 16, 1955.

She was cast in the contract role of Penny Hughes on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, appearing in the show's first episode on April 2, 1956. In the beginning, the show taped a half-hour episode live every day. The character of Penny was paired romantically with Jeff Baker (Mark Rydell). They were daytime's first teen romance, breaking up and reuniting many times. The couple finally married and planned to adopt a child. Their storyline ended when Jeff was killed in a car crash and Penny suffered from amnesia.

Prinz sparred with Irna Phillips, the creator and writer of As the World Turns. She has said that Phillips would become angry when she took roles in theatrical productions. She also didn't want her to smoke or drink, because it was something that Penny wouldn't do. Prinz has said, "I was supposed to be Penny all the time."

After the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, ATWT was preempted by news coverage for four days. When the show began airing again, Prinz asked if she could make a reference to it on the air. She was told not to, but she improvised a line anyway, saying "Grandpa, here we are talking about Tommy, and after all the country's been through for the last four days."

From December 1967 to January 1968, Prinz starred in A Girl Could Get Lucky at The Little Theatre on the Square. The stress of working on ATWT and the conflicts with Irna Phillips caused her to have a nervous breakdown. She sought help from a psychoanalyst and decided to leave the show when her contract ended in 1968. Phillips' last revenge on her was to have the character of Penny steal her brother's child and go to England. The role was briefly recast with actress Phoebe Dorin.