Cynthia Watros

At A Glance

Cynthia Watros is an actress known for her work on soaps like Guiding Light, The Young and the Restless, and General Hospital, as well as the part of Libby on ABC's primetime series, Lost.

Born in Lake Orion, Michigan, Watros attended Macomb Community College before receiving a BA in Theatre from Boston University, where she was part of BU's Professional Actors Training Program. Her first acting credits include a handful of guest-starring roles on shows like New York Undercover and Spin City before she went on to land the role of Guiding Light's Annie Dutton in 1997 -- her first major role.

Watros gained critical acclaim for her work on the CBS soap opera, winning the Daytime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Lead Actress category in 1998. That same year, Watros left GL and briefly filled in for Another World's Jensen Buchanan in the role of Victoria Hudson McKinnon while Buchanan was away on maternity leave.

After leaving the world of daytime, the Michigan native went on to starring roles in shows like Titus and The Drew Carey Show. Her most notable role, however, is that of psychologist Libby on Lost, which she played from 2005 to 2006 and again in 2008, 2010 and in the series' finale. As part of the show, Watros won a Screen Actors Guild Award in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series category in 2006.

Daytime fans were pleasantly surprised when Watros decided to return to soap operas in 2013, this time taking on the role of The Young and the Restless' Kelly Andrews, which she played until 2015. All My Children alum Cady McClain took over the role of Kelly that year, and Watros went on to focus on her role in MTV's Finding Carter.

In 2019, Watros once again returned to the world of daytime. Shortly after news broke that Michelle Stafford would be exiting the role of General Hospital's Nina Reeves to return to her role as Y&R's Phyllis Summers, it was revealed that Watros would be stepping into the shoes of the Crimson magazine editor. She made her GH debut on June 17, 2019.

Watros has been married to Los Angeles restaurateur Curtis Gilliland since 1996. The couple welcomed twin daughters Emma Rose Marie and Sadie Anna Marie in 2001.

When she's not busy acting, Watros reportedly enjoys skiing and dancing.

Acting Portfolio: TELEVISION

General Hospital
Nina Reeves
June 17, 2019 to Present

Misguided
Anne
2019

The 3
Olivia
2019

The Night Shift
Rebecca
2016

Finding Carter
Elizabeth Wilson
2014-2015

The Young and the Restless
Kelly Andrews
November 15, 2013 to April 14, 2014

Video Game High School
Mary Matrix
2013-2014

Dog With a Blog
Aunt Sigourney
2013

Cynthia Watros Gets Lost
Cynthia Watros
2012-2013

Warehouse 13
Janice Malloy
2013

Retribution (TV Movie)
Karen
2012

Hawaii Five-O
Katie Burgess
2012

Grey's Anatomy
Liz Connor
2012

A Smile as Big as the Moon (TV Movie)
Dr. Deborah Barnhart
2012

Desperate Housewives
Tracy Miller
2010

House
Sam Carr
2010

Lost
Libby Smith
2005-2010

The Secret Life of the American Teenager
Nicky
2010

Men of a Certain Age
Erica
2009

Criminal Minds
Heather Vanderwaal
2009

The Closer
Robin Milano
2009

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Barbie Aubrey
2009

Gossip Girl
Young Celia "CeCe" Rhodes
2009

In Plain Sight
Maureen Stewart
2009

Family Guy
Security System
2009

The Bill Engvall Show
A.J.
2008

Fear Itself
Meredith Kane
2008

Life Is Wild
Charlotte
2008

The Rich Inner Life of Penelope Cloud (TV Movie)
Eva
2007

Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Beth Hoyle
2007

Avenging Angel
Maggie
2007

Raines
Sarah Carver
2007

My Ex Life (TV Movie)
2006

Washington Street (TV Movie)
Maggie
2005

Saint Louie (TV Movie)
2004

The Drew Carey Show
Kellie Newmark
2002-2004

Titus
Erin Fitzpatrick
2000-2002

A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Phoebe Gunther
2002

Profiler
Helen Jeffries
1998

Another World
Vicky Hudson McKinnon
1998

Guiding Light
Annie Dutton Banks
1997-1998

Spin City
Gayley
1997

New York Undercover
Reporter
1994

Acting Portfolio: FILM

The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg
Crystal Watson
2019

Deadly Exchange
Detective Hardy
2017

Destruction Los Angeles
Cathy Benson
2017

Special Unit
Tara Small
2017

Stolen from Suburbia
Katherine
2015

Park City
Nina
2015

Blood and Circumstance
Mrs. Stabler
2014

Electrick Children
Gay Lynn
2012

Mars
Allison Guthrie
2010

Calvin Marshall
Karen
2009

American Crude
Jane
2008

Frank
Jennifer York
2007

Just Pray (Short)
Perry Ann Lewis
2005

Duane Incarnate
Connie
2004

P.S. Your Cat is Dead!
Kate
2002

The Yellow Bird (Short)
Alma Tutwiler
2001

Mercy Streets
Sam
2000

Blink of an Eye
1999

His and Hers
Pam
1997

Cafe Society
Dianne Harris
1995

Awards & Acclaim

Daytime Emmys: Winner, Outstanding Lead Actress (1998, for Guiding Light)

Daytime Emmys: Nomination, Outstanding Lead Actress (2022, 2024; for General Hospital)

Gold Derby Awards: Nominee, Outstanding Ensemble Cast (2004, for Lost)

Indie Series Awards, Winner, Best Actress (2012, for Cynthia Watros Gets Lost)

International Academy of Web Television Awards: Nominee, Best Ensemble Performance (2015, for Video Game High School)

Online Film & Television Association: Nominee, Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series (2009, for In Plain Sight)

Screen Actors Guild: Winner, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2006, for Lost)

Vital Statistics

BIRTHDATE: September 2, 1958

BIRTHPLACE: Lake Orion, Michigan

SIBLINGS: Brother, Steven Watros