Tricia Cast
ON SOAP OPERA DIGEST AND WEEKLY ONLINE
SOAP STAR STATS
Tricia Cast (Nina, Y&R)
Vital Statistics
- Birthday:
- November 16
- Hails From:
- Medford, NY
- Marital Status:
- Has been married to Bat McGrath since July 20, 2000. Was wed to Y&R composer Jack Allocco from 1989-2000.
- Years On Show:
- 1986-2001; 2008; 2009-present
- Awards:
- In 1992, she won both the Daytime Emmy and the Soap Opera Digest Award for Younger Actress.
The 411
Long Island, NY native Tricia Cast has been acting professionally since she was 12 years old. In 1979, she played Tatum O'Neal's role in the TV version of THE BAD NEWS BEARS. Throughout the early '80s, she continued to do guest appearances in prime-time series such as LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE and IT'S A LIVING.
In 1984, she landed a starring role in the sitcom IT'S YOUR MOVE, but the series was only on the air for a year. She then went on to guest-star on MR. BELVEDERE and SIMON & SIMON.
Cast first appeared on daytime in 1985 when she played SANTA BARBARA's Christy. The next year, she joined Y&R as Nina, a pregnant teen whose baby was taken and sold on the black market. Nina was only supposed to be on for a few episodes, but the character was so popular with fans, the show kept her on and gave her a bigger storyline. In the late '80s, Nina and her best pal, Cricket, were involved in a love triangle with Phillip Chancellor III, though Nina became pregnant with Phillip's child and they wed. Then in 1989, Phillip was presumed dead in a drunk-driving accident.
Off-screen, Cast wed Y&R composer Jack Allocco in 1989. Meanwhile, Nina's romantic life also became more interesting; in the '90s as she hooked up with psycho David Kimble (whom she shot) and then Ryan McNeil (who cheated on her with a younger woman).
In 2000, Cast divorced Allocco. That same year, she wed musician Bat McGrath. In 2001, she left the show and moved to Nashville, TN.
In November, 2008, Y&R invited Cast back for a couple of appearances when Katherine was presumed dead; she agreed and appeared in the scenes for Kay's funeral. However in May 2009, Cast returned for a bigger storyline when John Driscoll joined the show as Nina and Phillip's now-grown son, Phillip "Chance" Chancellor IV. Meanwhile, Phillip returned and revealed that he's been faking his death — and that he's gay.
Et Cetera
— Her Y&R co-star Kristoff St. John (Neil) starred in BAD NEWS BEARS with her when they were kids.
— Played the sister of ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT's Jason Bateman in the sitcom IT'S YOUR MOVE.
— Cast's very first role was playing Peppermint Patty in her fourth grade class's production of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown.
— Enjoys quilting in her spare time.
Other Roles
Other Soap Roles
SANTA BARBARA (Christy Duvall, 1985)
TV Roles
CHICAGO HOPE (Mrs. Berryman, 1999)
L.A. DOCTORS (Rebecca Williams, 1998)
ER. (Mary Jo Reynolds, 1998)
MARRIED WITH CHILDREN (Starla, 1997)
SIMON & SIMON (Stacey Fielding, 1986)
MR. BELVEDERE (Jennifer Simpson, 1985)
IT'S YOUR MOVE (Julie Burton, 1984-85)
CBS AFTERNOON PLAYHOUSE (Gilly Hopkins, 1982; Tricia, 1981)
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE (Jenny, 1981)
IT'S A LIVING (Amy, 1981)
DISNEYLAND (Posie Taylor, 1980)
THE BAD NEWS BEARS (Amanda Whirlitzer, 1979)
Film Roles
Old Habits Die Hard (Mama Hollis, 2009)
Shudder (Sophie, 2007)
Fay in the Life of Dave (Fay Maloney, 2006)
Puppy Love (Connie, 2000)
TV Movies
NIGHT PARTNERS (Francine McGuire, 1983)
DESPERATE LIVES (Susan Garber, 1982)
FRIENDSHIPS, SECRETS AND LIES (1979)
Quotable Cast
"My life is so normal and these [interviews] make it sound not normal; bigger. I think the only reason anyone is interested in me is because I'm on TV."
— Soap Opera Digest, 8/3/99
"Nina has has many 180-degree changes. But it's always been logical. I have to credit the story and refer to how well it's written for making that happen."
— Digest, 12/9/97
"Nina's the most real person I've ever played. And she's got more levels than any other character I've been given to play. She's got highs, lows, in-betweens. She's funny, she's angry. I think the biggest change in Nina is that she's now a three-dimensional person."
— Digest, 11/13/90
"Being a popular actress to me isn't as important to me as being a good one. People tell me all the time, ‘Oh, dear, you really should do some publicity,' but I just never see taking an airplane to Oklahoma to cut a ribbon at a supermarket. Maybe it's selfishness — that I'd rather use the time for other things — but I don't think that it's going to make me a better actress and I certainly don't think it's going to change anybody's mind about me if I'm not all over the magazines."
—Digest, 4/5/88
