Kathryn Hays
 |
Kathryn Hays as Kim Hughes |
Kathryn Hays (born
July 26,
1933) is an
American actress. She was born in
Princeton, Illinois and grew up in
Joliet, Illinois.
An actress who played bit parts in many sitcoms and dramas throughout the
1960s and into the
1970s, she is most famous for her role as Kimberly "Kim" Sullivan Hughes on
As the World Turns. Hays has been on the
soap opera since her debut in
1972.
Long-known for her pixie-length brown hairdo, Hays has, in recent years, stopped coloring it, opting for a natural gray. The character of Kim was a pivotal heroine on the show for nearly twenty years. Hays was prominently featured in the 50th anniversary episode of the show, which aired in April 2006.
In
1968, she appeared on
Star Trek in the episode "
The Empath," portraying "Gem," a mute alien capable of assuming the pain and the injuries of others, and thereby healing them. It was this appearance that inspired creator
Gene Roddenberry to write a role for her in all of his projects, in case she wanted to return.
Prior to her role on
As the World Turns, Hays played the role of Leslie Bauer on
Guiding Light. Hays is also respected for her work on the stage, having appeared on Broadway several times, including
Dames at Sea with
Bernadette Peters.
Hays has had three marriages, most notably to actor
Glenn Ford, to whom she was married from 1966 to 1969. She currently resides in lower
Manhattan and
Bridgeport, Connecticut. She is the eldest of three generations of women to work in acting and modeling: her daughter, Sherri Hays Wells Mancusi, was successful in regional theater, most notably in the title role of "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday". Her granddaughter, Kathryn L. Wells, models for Abercrombie and Fitch from her Boston home.
