Frances Reid
Frances Reid (December 9, 1914 – February 3, 2010)[1][2] was an American dramatic actress. Reid acted on television for nearly all of the second half of the 20th century. Her career continued into the early 2000s.
Frances Reid | |
---|---|
Reid as Alice Horton on Days of our Lives (2006) | |
Born | Frances Reid December 9, 1914 Wichita Falls, Texas, U.S. |
Died | February 3, 2010 95) | (aged
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1938–2007 |
Spouse(s) | Philip Bourneuf (1940–1979; his death) |
Although she starred in many productions, she is best known for her portrayal of Alice Horton on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives from its debut in November 1965[3][4] until 2007.[1][2][5] At the time of her death, she ranked fifth on the all-time list of longest-serving soap opera actors in the United States.
Biography
Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, to Charles William Reid and Anna May (née Priest). Her father was a banker.[6] Reid grew up in Berkeley, California.[2][3] Her acting career started in 1938 with a bit part in the movie Man-Proof.
Reid's Broadway debut was as Juliette Lecourtois in Where There's a Will There's a Way at the John Golden Theatre in 1939.[7] She later played Roxane opposite Jose Ferrer's Cyrano in the 1946 Broadway production of Cyrano de Bergerac at the Alvin Theatre, repeating the role three years later, again opposite Ferrer, in a 1949 one-hour Philco Television Playhouse adaptation.
A member of The Actors Studio from its inception in 1947,[8] Reid played a variety of stage roles throughout the 1940s and 1950s.[6] From 1954 to 1955, Reid played the title role in the CBS television version of the radio serial Portia Faces Life.
She next portrayed the grasping Grace Baker (the mother-in-law of Penny Hughes Baker on As the World Turns from 1959 to 1962, and Rose Pollack (the kind-hearted mother of Nancy Pollock Karr) on The Edge of Night in 1964.[3] Reid portrayed matriarch Alice Horton on NBC's Days of our Lives since the show's premiere on November 8, 1965.[3] Reid gained mainstream attention for a 2003–2004 storyline in which Alice and several other long-running characters were seemingly murdered.[2][9] Her last appearance on Days of our Lives was on December 26, 2007 although she remained on contract with the show until her death.[1][2][5]
Reid made two guest appearances on Perry Mason starring Raymond Burr. In 1963 she played murderer Miss Givney, secretary to the guest attorney and episode's title character played by Bette Davis in "The Case of Constant Doyle." In 1965 she played defendant Lucille Forrest in "The Case of the Golden Venom."
In 1966 Reid appeared opposite Rock Hudson in the 1966 John Frankenheimer drama Seconds. In the audio commentary for the DVD version of the film, Frankenheimer called Reid one of his favorite actresses.
Marriage
Reid was married to actor Philip Bourneuf from June 27, 1940, until his death in 1979.[2][6] The couple had no children.[2]
Death
Reid died in Beverly Hills, California, in an assisted living facility, aged 95, on February 3, 2010.[1][2]
Awards
Nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Supporting Actress in 1979[10] and for Lead Actress in 1987,[11] Reid was awarded a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.[2][3] She won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Actress in a Mature Role in 1978,[12] 1979,[13] 1984,[14] and 1985,[15] and was inducted into the Television Academy's archives in 2003.[4]
Filmography
- The Andromeda Strain (1971) — Clara Dutton
References
- Greenblatt, Leah (February 4, 2010). "Frances Reid, Days of our Lives matriarch, dies at 95". Entertainment Weekly. EW.com. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
- Donaldson-Evans, Catherine (February 4, 2010). "Days of Our Lives Matriarch Dies at 95". People. People.com. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
- "Soap Star Stats". SoapOperaDigest.com. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
- "Days of our Lives actor biography: Frances Reid". NBC.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
- "Days of our Lives recap (12/26/07)". Soaps.com. December 26, 2007. Archived from the original on July 6, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
- "Frances Reid Biography". FilmReference.com. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
- "Frances Reid". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
- Garfield, David (1980). "Birth of The Actors Studio: 1947-1950". A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 52. ISBN 0-02-542650-8.
Also [in Lewis' class were] Henry Barnard, Jay Barney, John Becher, Philip Bourneuf, Joan Chandler, Peter Cookson, Stephen Elliott, Robert Emhardt, Joy Geffen, William Hansen, Will Hare, Jane Hoffman, George Keane, Don Keefer, George Matthews, Peggy Meredith, Ty Perry, Margaret Phillips, David Pressman, William Prince, Elliot Reid, Frances Reid, Kurt Richards, Elizabeth Ross, Thelma Schnee, Joshua Shelley, Fed Stewart, John Straub, Michael Strong, John Sylvester, Julie Warren, Mary Welch, Lois Wheeler, and William Woodson.
- Fonseca, Nicholas (May 28, 2004). "Daytime's Secret Weapon". Entertainment Weekly. EW.com. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
- "Daytime Emmy Winners & Nominees: 1979". SoapOperaDigest.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2006. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
- "Daytime Emmy Winners & Nominees: 1987". SoapOperaDigest.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2004. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
- "The Soap Opera Digest Awards: 1978". SoapOperaDigest.com. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
- "The Soap Opera Digest Awards: 1979". SoapOperaDigest.com. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
- "The Soap Opera Digest Awards: 1984". SoapOperaDigest.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2006. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
- "The Soap Opera Digest Awards: 1985". SoapOperaDigest.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2006. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
External links
- Frances Reid at IMDb
- Frances Reid at the Internet Broadway Database
- Frances Reid at Find a Grave
- Frances Reid Archive of American Television Interview
- Kroll, Dan J. (February 4, 2010). "Frances Reid, Days of our Lives' beloved Alice Horton, dead at 95". Soapcentral. Retrieved February 4, 2010.