Katie "Cady" McClain
Cady, born Katie, Cady McClain was born and raised in southern California. She began her career at the age of nine, with the popular commercial, "I Am Stuck on Band-Aids." Other commercials followed, as well as appearances on such television series as Cheers, St. Elsewhere, and Lou Grant. Her early film credits included playing Peter O'Toole's daughter, Tess, in My Favorite Year; and tap-dancing, 1930s-style, on a white piano, in Pennies From Heaven.
She arrived in New York at age 17, when a workshop production of Judith Viorst's Happy Birthday and Other Humiliations moved east for pre-Broadway tryouts. Despite its limited run, Cady received good reviews, and doors began to open for her in the city. A role in an episode of Spenser: For Hire was followed by a leading role in the television movie A Father's Homecoming. In addition, she appeared in the independent film Simple Justice, and Sondheim's A Little Night Music for the New York Opera Ensemble.
Craving a little stability in her life, she began to look for something that would allow her to live in one place for a while. Originally offered a screen test for the role of Dixie Cooney on All My Children while working on a pilot, she had regretfully turned it down. A few months later, All My Children came knocking at her door once again, and this time she was free to audition. Several nerve-racking weeks later, the part of Dixie Cooney was hers.
In 1990, Cady won the Daytime Emmy Award as Outstanding Juvenile Female for her portrayal of Dixie. In 1991, she won Soap Opera Digest's award for Best Heroine and received another Daytime Emmy nomination in 1992. She and her co-star, Michael E. Knight, also won Soap Opera Update's MVP Award for Best Couple. Additionally, during her time on the show, she was nominated for four other Soap Opera Digest Awards, including Hottest Female Star, and Soap Opera Update's Most Valuable Player award.
While working on All My Children, Cady continued to train with teacher Michael Howard and to work in theater, appearing as Adriana in The Comedy of Errors at the Hudson Theatre Guild; Hero in Much Ado About Nothing at Lincoln Center; Cory in Barefoot in the Park with All My Children co-star Walt Willey at the Westbury and Valley Forge Music Fair; as Tamara/Bridget in Quiet on the Set at the Westbeth; and in Self Offence at the Cucuracha.
Despite her heavy schedule, she found time to develop a talent for playing the guitar and writing music and poetry; and began performing in and around the New York area. She toured briefly with Walt Willey and company in Mackinaw Island, Michigan, and Laughlin, Nevada; and performed cabaret-style in Atlantic City's Trump Plaza. Special experiences included singing for director Jonathan Demme and others at the Directors Guild Awards, and recording a song written especially for her to sing over a montage of her character's life on All My Children.
When her contract ended in 1996, she departed All My Children. After taking a few months off, she appeared as Lady in David Ives' The Red Address at the Second Stage, opposite Kevin Anderson, which garnered excellent reviews in the New York Times, the New Yorker and the Voice. She also wrote, produced, and co-directed a surrealist one-woman piece, Mona7, and performed in Inventions of Farewell, another one-woman piece, compiled from Wallace Stevens' poetry. She spent a semester at New York's New School for Social Research, then was accepted to the School of Visual Arts as an illustration major.
Cady has appeared on VH-1 as a guest VJ, and in comedy shorts for Comedy Central. She has been a guest on Live: With Regis & Kathie Lee, and has appeared on Northwest Afternoon, Vicki, and Geraldo. She appeared on the premiere of the Lifetime Cable Network show, Biggers and Summer, where she performed one of her original songs, Harmony. She has been featured in the New York Daily News, TV Guide, and McCall's.
The Young and the Restless
Kelly Andrews
April 16, 2014 to
May 29, 2015
As The World Turns
Rosanna Cabot
April 15, 2002 to
July 29, 2005;
July 30, 2007 to
January 28, 2008;
May 21, 2009 to
December 18, 2009;
September 14 and 15, 2010
A Father's Homecoming
1998
All My Children
Dixie Cooney
October 1988 to 1996;
July 3, 1998 to
February 26, 2002;
December 23, 2005 to
January 30, 2007;
May 2, 2008 to
June 12, 2008;
April 20, 2010;
May 17, 2011 to
September 23, 2011;
April 29, 2013 to
September 2, 2013
Home Fires
1987
Who Will Love My Children?
Virginia Fray
1987
St. Elsewhere
Erin Scheinfeld
Spenser: For Hire
Laurie (Episode 3.13 "To the End of the Line")
January 23, 1988
Cheers
Joyce Pantusso (Episode 5.22 "The Godfather: Part 3")
March 19, 1987
One Big family
1986
Lou Grant
1977
The Living Room Waltz
2000
My Favorite Year
Tess
1982
Daytime Emmys Winner, Outstanding Supporting Actress (2004; for
As the World Turns)
Daytime Emmys Winner, Outstanding Juvenile Female (1990; for
All My Children)
Daytime Emmys Nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actress (2003, 2004; for
As the World Turns)
Daytime Emmys Nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actress (2001; for
All My Children)
Daytime Emmys Nomination, Outstanding Ingénue (1992; for
All My Children)
Daytime Emmys Nomination, Outstanding Juvenile Female (1990; for
All My Children)
Daytime Emmys Pre-Nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actress (2007; for
All My Children)
Daytime Emmys Pre-Nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actress (2003, 2004, 2005, 2010; for
As the World Turns)
Soap Central Dankies Winner, Outstanding Special Guest or Recurring Role (2009; for All My Children)
Soap Opera Digest Award Winner, Best Heroine (1991; for All My Children)
Soap Opera Digest Award Winner, Favorite Return (1999; for All My Children)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Burbank, California
DATE OF BIRTH: October 13, 1969
HEIGHT: 5'3"
HAIR: Blonde
EYES: Blue
News Archive: McClain will return as AMC's Dixie. [May 11, 1998]
News Archive: McClain hints she may leave AMC. [Apr 1, 2000]
News Archive: McClain, ABC enter contract talks. [Nov 13, 2000]
News Archive: McClain will exit AMC. [Nov 12, 2001]
News Archive: McClain to join cast of CBS's ATWT. [Mar 4, 2002]
News Archive: McClain inks on for extended ATWT stay. [Feb 3, 2003]
News Archive: Budget cuts may force McClain out in '04. [Dec 15, 2003]
News Archive: ATWT exec says that McClain isn't leaving. [Jan 5, 2004]
News Archive: McClain to take temporary leave from ATWT. [Feb 21, 2005]
News Archive: ATWT status prompts AMC return rumors for McClain. [Apr 25, 2005]
News Archive: ABC confirms Cady McClain to return as Dixie. [Dec 19, 2005]
News Archive: ATWT mulling recast of McClain's ATWT role. [Mar 12, 2006]
News Archive: Shocker: Dixie Martin falls victim to Satin Slayer. [Jan 22, 2007]
News Archive: McClain goes on the record about her AMC firing. [Feb 19, 2007]
News Archive: McClain inks deal to return to ATWT. [May 13, 2007]
News Archive: McClain to exit ATWT earlier than expected. [Nov 12, 2007]
News Archive: McClain headed back to AMC for short-term appearance. [Mar 24, 2008]
News Archive: GL rumored to be considering McClain as a Harley recast. [Jul 14, 2008]
News Archive: ATWT asks McClain to reprise role of Rosanna. [Mar 2, 2009]
News Archive: Is AMC's Dixie really dead? [Mar 30, 2009]
News Archive: Rosanna's time in Oakdale coming to end. [Oct 12, 2009]
News Archive: McClain: I am probably never going to work on daytime after this interview. [Nov 2, 2009]
News Archive: Exclusive interview with Cady McClain [Nov 2, 2009]
News Archive: ABC confirms short-term return of McClain to AMC. [Jan 13, 2010]
News Archive: McClain likely to return to AMC before finale. [Apr 25, 2011]
News Archive: That was fast! McClain to make AMC return this month. [May 10, 2011]
News Archive: McClain to AMC fans: Support OLTL if you want AMC to return. [Nov 15, 2011]
News Archive: McClain "confident" she'll return for AMC reboot. [Feb 7, 2013]
News Archive: Podcast: Interviews with AMC and OLTL stars from series' Red Carpet premiere [Apr 26, 2013]
News Archive: Cady McClain flips the script, goes behind the camera [Sep 23, 2013]
News Archive: Cady McClain confirms AMC's end, expresses shock and gratitude [Nov 11, 2013]
News Archive: Cynthia Watros out, AMC's Cady McClain in at Y&R. [Feb 25, 2014]
News Archive: Cady McClain, Jon Lindstrom wed. [Mar 5, 2014]
News Archive: Cady McClain spills if Y&R's Kelly is crazy in love... or just plain crazy. [Feb 5, 2015]
News Archive: Cady McClain releases statement regarding her Y&R status [Apr 30, 2015]
News Archive: Stars open up about their most life-changing moments [May 6, 2015]
News Archive: Has GH cast Cady McClain as beloved former character? [Aug 3, 2015]
News Archive: Youthful Daze snags more popular soap stars [Sep 30, 2015]
News Archive: Cady McClain's birthday surprise [Oct 9, 2015]
News Archive: Cady McClain wants an evil twin to... give her massages! [Apr 15, 2016]
News Archive: Can't Miss: AMC and Y&R alum Cady McClain shares beautiful message with fans [Aug 7, 2016]
News Archive: Cady McClain dishes on Seeing Is Believing: Women Direct [Sep 27, 2016]
News Archive: ROUGH CUTS: Things we're dying to tell you about Cady McClain, Alison Sweeney, and John-Paul Lavoisier [Nov 24, 2016]
News Archive: Cady McClain guests on Single Mom A Go-Go [Dec 28, 2016]
News Archive: AMC's Cady McClain wins audience award for Seeing Is Believing at Soho Film Festival [Jun 23, 2017]
News Archive: Cady McClain on her new web series Switch and the surprising comment that delayed her career [Aug 15, 2018]
News Archive: All My Children, As the World Turns, and The Young and the Restless alum Cady McClain offers film-making advice, mentorship via Patreon [Oct 25, 2019]
News Archive: Cady McClain remembers All My Children in touching 50th anniversary post [Jan 6, 2020]
News Archive: All My Children's Cady McClain says Dixie's death was punishment for "stepping out of line" [May 28, 2020]
News Archive: All My Children fave Cady McClain temporarily takes over as Days of our Lives' Jennifer [Sep 15, 2020]
News Archive: Cady McClain dishes on taking over the role of Days of our Lives' Jennifer Horton [Oct 24, 2020]
News Archive: Cady McClain wraps her run as Days of our Lives' Jennifer [Feb 10, 2021]
News Archive: Days of our Lives' head writer promises Jennifer Horton will "be back" [Mar 2, 2021]
News Archive: Cady McClain says her Days of our Lives stint was like "revisiting some of the golden years of what soaps can be" [Mar 9, 2021]
News Archive: Cady McClain returns as Days of our Lives' Jennifer; Matthew Ashford also back as Jack [Jun 10, 2022]
News Archive: Cady McClain pays tribute to Michael E. Knight and Tad and Dixie with throwback Snap [Mar 19, 2024]
News Archive: Emmy Winner Cady McClain is proud of making soap opera history -- as she switches career gears [May 2, 2024]
News Archive: Days of our Lives comings and goings: Cady McClain returns as Jennifer [Aug 12, 2024]