Peggy McCay: An Actor Biography

Name: Peggy McCay
Daytime Role: Caroline Brady on Days of Our Lives (1983, 1985 to 2003, 2004 to present)
Date of Birth: November 3, 1927
Marital Status: Single

Biography

Few can bear claim to Manhattan native Peggy McCay’s career achievement: she has an acting career that has spanned eight decades in theater, television and film, dating back to 1949.

Upon earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University, McCay promptly won a role in a Kraft Theater production. By age 19, she was on tour in the Tennessee Williams play Summer and Smoke with the Margo Jones Repertory Company.

McCay originated the role of Vanessa Dale on CBS’ Love of Life in 1951. Following her stint on the soap, she relocated to Los Angeles, where she was put under contract by Warner Brothers. An array of guest-starring roles followed on primetime series including The Andy Griffith Show, Perry Mason, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Ben Casey.

Watch McCay in this darling interview!

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Peggy McCay Interview -- April 14, 2011

Her career went on to include stints on The Young Marrieds (as Susan) and General Hospital (as Iris), plus guest spots on nighttime hits like Bonanza, Gunsmoke and The Waltons. In 1983, she joined Days of Our Lives as matriarch Caroline Brady, yet continued working in primetime. Stints on Cagney and Lacey and in The Trials of Rosie O’Neill brought her critical acclaim.

A longtime animal rights activist, McCay has done work for PETA, Last Chance for Animals, and Actors and Others for Animals. She currently resides in the Hollywood Hills.

Career Highlights

• Appeared as Andy Taylor’s high school sweetheart Sharon DeSpain in the most popular episode of The Andy Griffith Show, Class Reunion, in 1963
• Had a recurring role in the primetime series Lou Grant
• Won a Primetime Emmy Award as Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in The Trials of Rosie O’Neill in 1991
• Nominated for an Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Special Emmy Award in 1993 for Woman on the Run: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story
• Received five Daytime Emmy Award nominations for her role as Caroline on Days: three for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1986, 2013 and 2015 and two for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 1987 and 2016

More about Peggy McCay

• • Guess Which Days Actor Was Raised in a Small Farming Community?
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