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.
PLACE OF BIRTH: Portland, Oregon
DATE OF BIRTH: November 2, 1929
HAIR: Blonde
EYES: Blue
HEIGHT: 5'6½"
MARITAL STATUS: Married; Barry Cahill (June 1968)
CHILDREN: Christine Cahill & Susan Thomas
News Archive: GH's "original leading lady," Rachel Ames, returning for GH's 50th anniversary. [Jan 6, 2003]
