It is hard to believe that Nancy Lee Grahn, who currently stars as Alexis on General Hospital, has been part of the daytime community for 47 years. She got her start in New York playing Beverly Wilkes on One Life To Live and remained on the show until 1982. In 1986, she took on the role of Julia Wainwright on Santa Barbara, where she stayed until the show was cancelled in 1993. After a three-year break, the actress worked on primetime shows like Models Inc., 7th Heaven, Melrose Place, and Murder One. Grahn would rejoin the soap opera community in 1996, playing Alexis Davis, where she remains front and center heading into her 30th year.
Key Takeaways
- Nancy Lee Grahn Is Writing A Tell-All: The Soap Star Is Currently Penning Her Autobiography.
- Soap Opera Legend Erika Slezak Once Risked Her Career to Defend Nancy Lee Grahn in a Major Lawsuit.
- Mason and Julia Forever! Nancy Lee Grahn and Lane Davies’ Iconic Soap Duo Reunited for a Major General Hospital Arc.
- Grahn Joins Elite Club with Her Third Daytime Emmy Win, Clinching Lead Actress in 2025.
- Did You Catch It? Nancy Lee Grahn’s Surprising Crossover With Fellow Soap Alum Nathan Fillion on Castle.
A Star Is Born
Nancy Lee Grahn was born in Evanston, Illinois, on April 28 and grew up in Skokie, Ill. She made her stage debut in Guys and Dolls as a teen and made the move to New York, where she notched her first daytime role in 1978. The actress has a daughter, Kate, who was born in 1988. Grahn is penning her autobiography, though no details of a release date have been announced.
Slezak Protected Grahn
One of Grahn’s first jobs was playing OLTL’s Beverly Wilkes, Marco Dane’s (Gerald Anthony) secretary from 1978-1982. Although she appeared frequently, she was not on contract and only had to give the show seven days’ notice that she was leaving. She did just that when she was being considered for the role of Stella Siegel on NBC’s The Gangster Chronicles.
One of OLTL’s producers, Joe Stuart, sued the actress for her abrupt departure, and Grahn asked Erika Slezak (Viki) for advice. Slezak marched right into her boss’s office and delivered an ultimatum, calling his actions “mean and unwarranted.” She willingly got involved in a major lawsuit to defend a colleague she believed was being unfairly targeted.
The ladies would reconnect over 40 years later, when Erika joined GH as Ronnie Bard. They even had the chance to act together on-screen at the reading of Monica Quartermaine’s (Leslie Charleson) will.
Grahn & Davies: An On-Screen Love Story Spanning Decades
Nancy Lee Grahn and Lane Davies were first paired together on the NBC soap opera Santa Barbara in 1986, where they played Julia Wainwright and Mason Capwell. The duo was one of the show’s most popular couples. Davies left the show in 1989.
The pair first reunited at GH from 2002 to 2004, when Davies was brought on as Dr. Cameron Lewis, Xander’s (Chad Brannon) father. While they did not cross paths onscreen often, that would change in 2024, when Davies returned to the show as Fergus Byrne, an attorney who went up against Alexis. The appearance was to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Santa Barbara.
Friendly Competition
Grahn has been nominated for 13 Daytime Emmys and has taken home the gold statue three times. In 1989, she tied with actress Debbi Morgan, who played Angie on All My Children, for the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award. Grahn then went on to win in the same category in 2012 for her role as Alexis. She earned the Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy in 2025 for her heartbreaking work as Alexis struggled with the loss of her daughter, Sam (Kelly Monaco).
Grahn Pushes Things Too Far on Castle
It is always fun to see two soap actors share scenes in the primetime world. Nathan Fillion, who played Joey Buchanan on OLTL, headlined the show Castle from 2009 to 2016 as Richard Castle. In the show’s 10th episode of the 5th season, Grahn played Samantha Voss in the episode titled “Significant Others.”
