Constance Towers

Constance Towers

Towers in a 1963 publicity photo
Born Constance Mary Towers
(1933-05-20) May 20, 1933
Whitefish, Montana, U.S.
Occupation Actress, singer
Years active 1952–present
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Spouse(s) Eugene McGrath (m. 1959–66)
John Gavin (m. 1974)
Children 2

Constance Mary Towers (born May 20, 1933)[1] is an American actress and singer. A native of Montana, Towers began her career doing radio plays as a child in the Pacific Northwest before relocating to New York City where she professionally studied at the Juilliard School of Music.

She made her film debut in the Technicolor picture Bring Your Smile Along (1955) before earning recognition for her roles in John Ford's westerns The Horse Soldiers (1959) and Sergeant Rutledge (1960). She would later appear in two controversial roles in Samuel Fuller's experimental thrillers Shock Corridor (1963) and The Naked Kiss (1964).[2]

Beginning in 1965, Towers embarked on a career in theater, making her Broadway debut in the musical Anya, opposite Lillian Gish, followed by a 1966 production of Show Boat at Lincoln Center. Towers would star in four other Broadway productions throughout the 1970s, most notably as Anna in The King and I from 1977–1978. Her later career has largely been based in television, with notable roles as matriarch Clarissa McCandless on the daytime drama Capitol, and the villainous Helena Cassadine on General Hospital, the latter of whom she began portraying in 1997.

Early life

Towers was born in Whitefish, Montana,[3] the daughter of Ardath L. (née Reynolds) and Harry J. Towers, both Irish Catholic immigrants.[4] Her father worked as a pharmacist to support the family.[3] In 1940, when Towers was in first grade, she was discovered by talent scouts visiting Montana in search of child actors for radio programs.[5] Towers then worked as a child voice actor in Pacific Northwest-based radio programs for three years.[5] According to her official website, she was offered a contract with Paramount Pictures at age 11, but the offer was declined by her parents. At age 12, Towers worked at a small local movie theater in her hometown of Whitefish.[3]

In her adolescence, her family relocated to New York City for her father's work.[5] There, she attended Juilliard School of Music and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.[6] She studied singing with well known voice teacher Beverley Peck Johnson.[7]

Career

1955–1964: Early film work

Towers in The Horse Soldiers (1959).

Towers made her film debut in a supporting part in the Technicolor film Bring Your Smile Along (1955),[8] followed by a supporting part in the crime thriller Over-Exposed (1956). In 1958, Towers was cast in her first lead role as Hannah Hunter in John Ford's Western The Horse Soldiers (1959), opposite John Wayne and William Holden.[5] The following year, she appeared in Ford's followup film Sergeant Rutledge (1960), a racially-themed crime Western.[9]

In 1963, Towers was cast in a supporting role in Samuel Fuller's experimental thriller Shock Corridor (1963), which tells the story of a journalist who commits himself to a psychiatric hospital to solve a murder. Her role as a stripper in the film was described by Bosley Crowther of The New York Times as "hard, driving and realistic."[10] In preparation for the role, Towers spent time at exotic dance clubs in Los Angeles.[3]

Fuller cast Towers again in a lead role in his following film The Naked Kiss (1964), another lurid and hard-edged thriller, in which she plays a crazed prostitute who attempts to assimilate in suburbia after having murdered her pimp.[11] Though critics remarked the film's outrageous subject matter, it received some critical acclaim; Eugene Archer of The New York Times commented on the film, saying: "Patently absurd as the plot may be, Mr. Fuller has filmed it with flair, and he has drawn a richly amusing performance from Miss Towers. Between his stylish handling of sensational nonsense and Mr. Marton's turgid floundering around a serious theme, Mr. Fuller's wild little movie has a decided edge."[12]

The same year, Towers appeared in the thriller Fate Is the Hunter, which chronicles the investigation of an airline crash. She also worked as a model for the Heart Fund Benefit at a fashion show held in Reno, Nevada.[3] Between 1961 and 196, she had five guest roles on the series Perry Mason; In her first two appearances she played the murderer: Jonny Baker in "The Case of the Missing Melody" (1961) and Esther Metcalfe in "The Case of the Prankish Professor" (1963).

1965–1990: Theater career

Towers in a Broadway production of The King and I, 1977.

After several film, television and stage roles (including a West Coast tour of Guys and Dolls), Towers made her Broadway debut playing the title role in the short-lived 1965 musical, Anya, opposite Lillian Gish.[13] Towers appeared as Julie in a 1966 production of Show Boat at Lincoln Center.[14] She also starred in Carousel in 1966 and The Sound of Music in 1967, which she would reprise in 1970 and 1971 at the Jones Beach Theater in Long Island, New York.[3]

She played Anna Leonowens in 1968 briefly, and later opposite Yul Brynner in a long-running revival of The King and I on tour and then on Broadway (1976–1978).[15] Clive Barnes praised Towers in the role,[16] and theatre writer John Kenrick calls her performance on the 1977 cast album "great."[17] In 1985, she played the role of Phyllis in a tour of Stephen Sondheim's Follies with Tony Award-winning actress Judy Kaye cast as Sally.

From the mid-1960s until the 1990s, Towers' career was primarily focused on theater, though she did appear in films occasionally. She starred in the 1974 television film Once in Her Life, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Special Program. She also appeared on television, playing Marian Hiller, the wheelchair-bound wife of Dr. Sanford Hiller in Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1971-72). She had a starring as noble widow Clarissa McCandless in Capitol (1982-1987, the show's entire run), playing rival to the scheming matriarch Myrna Clegg (Carolyn Jones, Marla Adams, Marj Dusay) in trying to see her son succeed in politics and the long-term love of powerful Senator Mark Denning (Ed Nelson). A memorable storyline had her being shot by Mark's mentally ill wife Paula (Julie Adams) and later finding out that her husband Baxter (Ron Harper) was still alive. For this part, she received a Soap Opera Digest Nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

1991–present: Television; General Hospital

Towers during a visit to the set of the television show General Hospital as part of Los Angeles Navy Week 2011.

Towers had a supporting part in the film The Next Karate Kid (1994) opposite Hilary Swank, and appeared on television as John Abbott's former secretary, Audrey North, on The Young and the Restless (1996). She would also play Madame Julianna Deschanel on Sunset Beach (1997). In 1998, Towers had supporting parts in the horror film The Relic (1998), and the thriller A Perfect Murder (1998), playing the mother of Gwyneth Paltrow.

Towers' best-known soap part is as villainous Helena Cassadine, a role originated by Elizabeth Taylor, on General Hospital which she began playing late in 1997, continuing on and off ever since. [6] During her stint, it was revealed that Helena had murdered the mistress of her husband Mikkos, slicing her throat in full view of Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) who was Mikkos's illegitimate daughter. She was also involved in the deaths of several other major characters on the show in her efforts to protect the Cassadine legacy, making Helena perhaps the most dangerous woman on soaps. In 2001, a storyline involving Helena's bringing late son Stavros (Robert Kelker Kelly) back from the dead was ended early because of the 9/11 attacks and certain similarities about terrorism where the storyline had been slowly heading. While her appearances were greatly reduced, Constance would appear as storyline dictated, even becoming a cohort of the not-quite-as-villainous Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) to keep Emily Quartermaine from marrying her grandson, Nikolas. The role appeared to end in early 2013 when her character was allegedly shot to death by longtime rival Luke Spencer. Constance made several "flashback" appearances on the show after the character died, and in 2014 was revealed to have been brought back to life, being crucial in a storyline where Luke developed a second personality and utilized Helena in his schemes to take over ELQ. While that storyline ended in early 2015, Towers returned as part of Anthony Geary's sendoff on July 9th. She returned once again the following November when a bedridden Helena cursed her enemies and allegedly died, although Towers would return for the filmed reading of Helena's will and several nightmare sequences of various characters.

Towers guest-starred in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Forsaken" in 1993. She also appeared in Designing Women, Frasier, Baywatch and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Other television roles include State Trooper, Hawaii Five-O, The Rockford Files, L.A. Law, The 4400, and Cold Case.[18]

In 2008, Towers starred in the Los Angeles revival of Arthur Allan Seidelman's production of Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, opposite Jason Graae;[19] the play premiered at the Geffen Playhouse in 2001 with Uta Hagen and David Hyde Pierce in the two roles.[20]

Personal life

Towers was first married to Eugene McGrath, and since 1974 has been married to actor and former ambassador to Mexico John Gavin.[21] She has two children from her first marriage: Michael, born in July 1960, and Mary, born December 29, 1961.[3] She also has two stepchildren by her marriage to Gavin.[22]

She serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Blue Ribbon of the Los Angeles Music Center.[23]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1955 Bring Your Smile Along Nancy Willows
1956 Over-Exposed Shirley Thomas
1959 The Horse Soldiers Miss Hannah Hunter of Greenbriar
1960 Sergeant Rutledge Mary Beecher
1963 Shock Corridor Cathy
1964 Fate Is the Hunter Peg Burke
1964 The Naked Kiss Kelly
1974 Once in Her Life Joan Baldwin Television film
Nominated – Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Special Program
1985 Fast Forward Jessie Granger
1985 Sylvester Muffy
1991 Memories of Midnight Television film
1992 The Nutt House Mrs. Henderson
1992 The Sands of Time Television film
1994 The Next Karate Kid Louisa Pierce
1995 Thunder in Paradise 3 Cavanna
1997 The Relic Mrs. Blaisedale
1998 A Perfect Murder Sandra Bradford
2008 The Awakening of Spring Mrs. Gable
2013 A Fuller Life Herself Documentary film
2015 Aghápe Mature Leean Short film
2017 The Storyteller Rosemary

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1952 Tales of Tomorrow Martha Episode: "Seeing-Eye Surgeon"
1957 State Trooper Doris Woodley Episode: "Beef ala Murder"
1958 Mike Hammer Jean Barr Episode: "Overdose of Lead"
1957-1958 The Bob Cummings Show Patricia Plumber Episodes: "Bob Gives Psychology Lessons" and "Bob's Forgotten Fiancée"
1960 Adventures in Paradise Laura Knight Episode: "Sink or Swim"
1961 Zane Grey Theater Beth Woodfield Episode: "Knight of the Sun"
1964 The Outer Limits Laura James Episode: "The Duplicate Man"
1965 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Louise Menke Episode: "Exit from a Plane in Flight"
1961–1965 Perry Mason Various roles 5 episodes
1971–1972 Love Is a Many Splendored Thing Marian Hiller Series regular
1975 Hawaii Five-O Mrs. Thorncrest Episode: "Death's Name Is Sam"
1977 Lanigan's Rabbi Vinnie Barcas Episode: "In Hot Weather, the Crime Rate Soars"
1979 The Rockford Files IRS Agent Sally Sternhagen Episode: "The Big Cheese"
1979 Fantasy Island Shirley Forbush Episode: "Hit Man/The Swimmer"
1981 Fantasy Island Maggie Dunphy Episode: "Perfect Husband, The/Volcano"
1982–1987 Capitol Clarissa McCandless Series regular
1986 On Wings of Eagles Margot Perot Miniseries
1987 Murder, She Wrote Margaret Witworth Episode: "Murder, She Spoke"
1988 The Loner Kate Shane Pilot
1987–1988 L.A. Law Charlotte Kelsey Episodes: "Rohner vs. Gradinger" and "Full Marital Jacket"
1989 MacGyver Francine Leyland Episode: "Ma Dalton"
1989 Midnight Caller Teresa Chandler Episode: "Blood Red"
1990 Designing Women Louise Pollard Episode: "The Mistress"
1991 Matlock Alice Windemere Episode: "The Suspect"
1992 Baywatch Maggie James Episode: "Sea of Flames"
1992 2000 Malibu Road Camilla O'Keefe Series regular, 6 episodes
1992 Civil Wars Harriet Guilford Episode: "Das Boat House"
1993 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Taxco Episode: "The Forsaken"
1994 Frasier Clarice Warner Episode: "Slow Tango in South Seattle"
1994 Thunder in Paradise Cavanna Episodes: "Deadly Lessons: Part 1" and "Deadly Lessons: Part 2"
1994 Silk Stalkings Karen Krane Episode: "Ask the Dust"
1995 Caroline in the City Barbara Episode: "Caroline and the Folks"
1995 High Society Boatie Episode: "Tomb with a View"
1996 The Young and the Restless Audrey North Recurring role
1997 Sunset Beach Madame Julianna Deschanel Recurring role, 9 episodes
1997–2007
2009–13
2014—present 		General Hospital Helena Cassadine Series regular (1997-2002), Recurring guest star (2003—)
Nominated – Daytime Emmy Award for America's Favorite Villain (2002)
1998 Kelly Kelly Kate Episode: "The Kilt Show"
2000 Providence Candice Whitman Episode: "Syd in Wonderland"
2006 Criminal Minds Deb Mason Episode: "Riding the Lightning"
2007 The 4400 Audrey Parker Episode: "Audrey Parker's Come and Gone"
2009 Cold Case Caroline Kemp Episode: "Libertyville"
2013 1600 Penn Bunny Thoroughgood Episode: "So You Don't Want to Dance"
2014 Men at Work Mary Episode: "Suburban Gibbs"
2016 11.22.63 Old Sadie Episode: "The Day in Question"

Stage credits

Stage performances[4][24]
Year Title Role Location
1960 Guys and Dolls Sarah Brown Civic Light Opera Company, Los Angeles, California
1965 Anya Anya Ziegfield Theatre, New York City
1966 Show Boat Julie New York State Theatre, New York City
1966 Carousel Julie Jordan City Center Theatre, New York City
1967 The Sound of Music Maria Rainer
1967 Dumas and Son Marie Los Angeles Civic Light Opera
1970 The Engagement Baby Vivian Whitney Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City
1971 Ari Kitty Fremont Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City
1972 I Do! I Do! Agnes Chateau de Ville, Saugus, Massachusetts
1973 My Fair Lady Eliza Doolittle Indianapolis, Indiana
1973 Mame Mame Springfield, Missouri
1973 The Desperate Hours Eleanor Hilliard Arlington Park, Illinois
1977–79 The King and I Anna Leonowens Uris Theatre, New York City

References

  1. ↑ "Constance Towers". Master Works Broadway. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  2. ↑ "The Complete Samuel Fuller". Harvard Film Archive. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Constance Towers". Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Constance Towers profile at FilmReference.com". Film Reference. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Thomas, Nick (July 21, 2014). "Tinseltown Talks: Constance Towers recalls two John Ford classics". Victorville Daily Press. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Constance Towers Playing Helena Cassadine on General Hospital - Soaps.com". Soaps.sheknows.com. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  7. ↑ Anthony Tommasini (January 22, 2001). "Beverley Peck Johnson, 96, Voice Teacher". The New York Times. The New York Times Company.
  8. ↑ "Bring Your Smile Along (1955)". Turner Classic Movies. Rovi. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  9. ↑ Crowther, Bosley (May 26, 1960). "Movie Review: Sergeant Rutledge". The New York Times. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  10. ↑ Crowther, Bosley (September 12, 1963). "Screen: Romantic Middle-Aged Men and Women:'Of Love and Desire' Stars Merle Oberon 3 Other Films Arrive at Local Theaters 'Shock Corridor' Leave It to the Girls". Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  11. ↑ "The Naked Kiss (1964)". Turner Classic Movies. Rovi. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  12. ↑ Archer, Eugene (October 29, 1964). "' Thin Red Line' and 'Naked Kiss' Open". The New York Times. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  13. ↑ Affron 2002, p. 329.
  14. ↑ Rodgers 2002, p. 316.
  15. ↑ "Biography - Constance Towers". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  16. ↑ Barnes, Clive (May 3, 1977). "King and I, reminder of golden age". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. p. 50. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  17. ↑ Kenrick, John. "Comparative CD Reviews: Part III. The King and I" (Copyright 1998–2003), accessed January 30, 2011
  18. ↑ "Constance Towers Credits". TV Guide. NTVB Media (magazine) CBS Interactive (CBS Corporation) (digital assets). November 28, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  19. ↑ Stoudt, Charlotte (5 November 2008). "'Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  20. ↑ Oxman, Steven (10 June 2001). "Review: 'Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks'". Variety. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  21. ↑ Bacon, Doris Klein (August 29, 1983). "John Gavin Is Our Man in Mexico and Constance Towers Is His Woman in the (TV) Capitol". People.
  22. ↑ Bacon, Doris Klien (August 29, 1983). "John Gavin Is Our Man in Mexico and Constance Towers Is His Woman in the (TV) Capitol". People. Time Inc. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Los Angeles Music Center: Blue Ribbon: Board of Directors". Music Center. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Constance Towers". Playbill Vault. Retrieved November 11, 2016.

Bibliography

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