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PROFILE

Pamela Payton-Wright

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SOAP STAR STATS

Pamela Payton-Wright (Addie, OLTL)

— DONNA SVENNEVIK/ABC

Vital Statistics

Birthday:: November 1
Hails From:: Pittsburgh, PA
Years On Show:: 1992-present

THE 411

Long before Pamela Payton-Wright began recurring as Addie, the actress made her mark on Broadway and in television, earning a prime-time Emmy Award nomination for her role as John Quincy Adams's wife in the 1976 TV miniseries THE ADAMS CHRONICLES. She first appeared on OLTL in 1992 as Blair's mentally challenged mother who'd been institutionalized most of her life (and raped, producing Blair). But thanks to a breakthrough treatment, Addie was released from St. Ann's on Christmas Eve 2007 with a fancy makeover and a whole new lease on life. Prior to Addie's transformation, her portrayer had been working in Baltimore on a production of Arsenic and Old Lace when she got a call from Executive Producer Frank Valentini asking her to clear the next two months. Since then, Payton-Wright has delivered endless laughs as Addie checks one daring item after another off her "list," including a marriage to Dorian's ex, David. "It's been quite a ride," says the actress.

ET CETERA

— Her only non-acting job was a temporary job as a secretary, which she treated as another role. "I went to my closet and opened the door and said, 'Well, what does a secretary wear?' And I got my costume all set," recalls Payton-Wright.
— OLTL planned to kill off her character when Addie was hiding under someone else's covers at St. Ann's, but co-stars Robin Strasser (Dorian) and Kassie DePaiva (Blair) campaigned to save the character.
— She was a class ahead of co-star Erika Slezak (Viki) at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London
— Received a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance in Mourning Becomes Electra

SLIDESHOW >>>

OTHER ROLES

Other Soap Roles
ANOTHER WORLD (Hazel Parker, 1979-80)

Guest-Starring TV Roles
LAW & ORDER (Vivian McBride, 1999)
HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET (Sister Magdalena Weber, 1994, 1997)
LAW & ORDER (Katherine McKinnon, 1993)
SPENSER: FOR HIRE (Karen Fuller, 1987)
THE ADAMS CHRONICLES (Louisa Catherine Adams, 1976)
MOVIN' ON (Francie Simms, 1974)
WIDE WORLD MYSTERY (Rosalind, 1973)
MEDICAL CENTER (Jessie, 1971, 1972)
BONANZA (Zeena Harris, 1972)
GUNSMOKE (Emma Donavan, 1972)
MANNIX (1971)
CANNON (Ginger, 1971)
NET Playhouse (1971)

Film Roles
Saving Face (Dr. Morgan, 2004)
In Dreams (Ethel, 1999)
Me and Veronica (Agnes, 1993)
The Freshman (Liz Armstrong, 1990)
Starlight: A Musical Movie (1988)
Ironweed (Mother, 1987)
My Little Girl (Delly Bettinger, 1987)
The Dark End of the Street (Mary Ann, 1981)
Resurrection (Margaret, 1980)
Going In Style (Kathy, 1979)
Brother To Dragons (1975)
Corky (Rhonda, 1972)
Look Homeward, Angel (Laura James, 1972)

Broadway Roles
Long Day's Journey Into Night (Mary Cavan Tyrone - replacement, 2003)
Garden District (Grace, 1995)
The Night of the Iguana (Miss Judith Fellowes, 1988-90)
M. Butterfly (Helga - replacement, 1977)
Romeo and Juliet (Juliet, 1977)
The Glass Menagerie (The Daughter, 1975-76)
All Over Town (Millie, 1974-75)
Mourning Becomes Electra (Lavinia Mannon, 1972)
The Crucible (Abigail Williams, 1972)
Jimmy Shine (Constance Fry, 1968-69)
The Cherry Orchard (Anya, 1968)
Exit the King (Juliette, 1968)
The Show Off (Amy, 1967-68)

MEMORABLE QUOTES

"I'd say nine times out of 10, I have my back to the camera. I don't know where the camera is. I don't understand it. Where is the audience?" — on returning to OLTL in 2007 after consistently working in theater, www.soapoperadigest.com