Rachel Ames

At A Glance

Rachel Ames has the honor and distinction of being the longest-running performer on ABC Daytime's longest-running daytime drama. She joined the cast and started work on General Hospital on February 23, 1964, less than one year after the program's first airdate. She has been nominated three times for an Emmy Award as Best Actress in a Daytime Drama. Her parents, Dorothy Adams and the late Byron Foulger, both well-known motion picture and television actors, first introduced Ms. Ames to acting. A native of Portland, Oregon, Rachel moved with her family to Los Angeles, where she attended University High School and UCLA.

Mrs. Ames made her acting debut in the annual Pilgrimage play in 1949. Her nest performance was with her parents in a production of One Foot in Heaven at the renowned Pasadena Playhouse. There she also starred in Broadway Jones, The Circle and King of Hearts. Her other West Coast theater credits include Cradle Song with her father, The Immortalist, Chanticleer, and The Human Voice. A few years ago, she co-produced and co-starred in Pieces of Time with fellow General Hospital actors Peter Hansen and Susan Brown.

Early in her acting career, Ms. Ames was under contract to Paramount Pictures for three years, where she was a member of the "Golden Circle" of talented young performers in Los Angeles. The actress made her motion picture debut in When Worlds Collide. During her television career, Rachel guest starred in the legendary series, Ben Casey, Wagon Train, and Ironside, among others. She has guest starred on classic television shows such as The Andy Griffith Show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Perry Mason, and The Fugitive, just to name a few. Rachel and actor Barry Cahill married in June of 1968. Rachel has two daughters, Christine Cahill and Susan Thomas. Rachel is also the proud grandmother of her daughter Susan's two children, Jocelyn and Mark Thomas. When the actress isn't working her hobbies include gardening, tennis, and cooking. She and her husband are also looking for a play to perform together.

Acting Portfolio: TELEVISION

Port Charles
Audrey March Hardy
June 1, 1997 to 1998

General Hospital
Audrey March Hardy
February 23, 1964 to October 20, 2009; March 29, 2013

The Lineup
Sandy McAllister
1959-1960

The Virginian
Mary Kinkaid

1969

Ironside
Carolyn Channing

1969

Wagon Train
Florence Yeager

1964

Ben Casey

1964

Arrest and Trial

1964

Wagon Train
Emily Dawson

1963

The Fugitive
Ann Gerard

1963

77 Sunset Strip

1963

The Andy Griffith Show
Rosemary

1963

Wagon Train
Jane Harley

1961

Stagecoach

1961

1961

Laramie

1960

Thriller
Betty Follett

1960

Wanted: Dead or Alive
Sarah Buchanan

1959

Cimarron City
Emily Barton

1959

Western Theatre
Edie Duncan

1959

Wanted: Dead or Alive

1959

The Californians

1959

Wagon Train

1959

Zane Grey Theater
Mrs. Larkin

1958

Perry Mason
Marian Shaw

1958

Man Without a Gun

1958

Wagon Train
Mary Hogan

1958

Tales of Wells Fargo
Maud Kimball

1958

Trackdown

1958

Telephone Time

1958

Zane Grey Theater

1958

Trackdown:

1958

The Californians

1957

Tales of Wells Fargo

1957

Science Fiction Theatre
Eileen Scott

1957

Cavalcade Of America
Carol

1957

Broken Arrow

1956

Science Fiction Theatre
Peggie Gress

1956

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Laura

1956

Science Fiction Theatre:

1956

You Are There

1956

Science Fiction Theatre
Kate Donaldson

1955

Science Fiction Theatre Amy Kern

1955

The Millionaire

1955

Science Fiction Theater
Edna Miner

1955

Acting Portfolio: FILM

Daddy's Gone A-Hunting
Dr. Parkington's Nurse
1969

Gunfighters of Abilene
Alice
1960

Oregon Passage
Marion
1957

Ricochet Romance
Betsy Williams
1954

Arrowhead
1953

The Turning Point
Girl
1952

When Worlds Collide
Julie Cummings
1951

Acting Portfolio: THEATRE

Broadway Jones

Chanticleer

The Circle

Cradle Song

Golden Boy

The Human Voice

The Immortalist

King of Hearts

Mary Rose

One Foot in Heaven

Awards & Acclaim

Daytime Emmys Winner, Lifetime Acheivement Award (2005)
Daytime Emmys Nomination, Best Actress in a Daytime Drama (1974, 1975)
Daytime Emmys Nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama (1979)

Vital Statistics

PLACE OF BIRTH: Portland, Oregon

DATE OF BIRTH: November 2, 1929

HAIR: Blonde

EYES: Blue

HEIGHT: 5'6"

MARITAL STATUS: Married; Barry Cahill (June 1968)

CHILDREN: Christine Cahill & Susan Thomas

News Archive

News Archive: Original GH cast member Ames taken off contract. [Jan 6, 2003]

News Archive: GH's "original leading lady," Rachel Ames, returning for GH's 50th anniversary. [Jan 6, 2003]