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How a Cinderella Story Led DAYS’ AnnaLynne McCord to Her Daytime Emmy Nomination

AnnaLynne McCord revealed how she uses her photographic memory and ADHD to her advantage when acting on a soap opera.

Days of Our Lives' AnnaLynne McCord.Days of Our Lives' AnnaLynne McCord opened up about her journey to becoming a major daytime star.
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On Days of Our Lives, the character of Cat Greene has come to life since being revealed as an ISA Analyst. But it took a while for the evolution to happen, with bumps and triumphs along the way. AnnaLynne McCord, who plays Cat, has quite a resume, having worked in TV and film since 2002. The 2025 Daytime Emmy nominee recently opened up about her journey to soap opera stardom.

She Thrives Under Soap Pressure

McCord sat down with Digital Journal and discussed her career in depth. She revealed that working in the intense environment of a soap opera was good for her. Soaps tend to crank out episodes with over 40 pages of scripts to film per day. And hardly any rehearsal time. The actress explained that she’s been able to use her photographic memory to her advantage in memorizing the heavy amounts of dialogue.

She’s also a bit of a perfectionist, remarking that having ADHD jives well with the fast shooting pace. Understanding the difficult nature of shooting a soap, she praised her colleagues in the industry. “I definitely see how hard everyone works. They are the unsung heroes of our industry; that’s for sure.” 

READ THIS: Take a look at what’s coming next on DAYS.

Dream Big

McCord has been nominated for Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series for the Daytime Emmys, and she explained her humble beginnings. “I grew up in American poverty, and it was a little Cinderella story,” she stated. “The rags to riches happened to me.” She remarked that people shouldn’t let anything stop them from pursuing their dreams.

“I am living proof that you can make your dreams happen,” she said, noting that she attended a recent Emmy party. It was there that she spoke to an 11-year-old actress and imparted words of wisdom on the child. “I told her to envision that future, and just move towards it,” she said, continuing with, “Don’t let anybody tell you differently. I feel that’s why I am in this moment that I am in.”

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