They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but we wonder what good is a picture when you can’t recognize the subject? Above is a snapshot of a future star of soaps, but can you guess who this penned-up little lady grew up to be?
Star Of The Soaps
Obviously, this little one (now all grown up) is either currently starring in, or is an alum of, one of the four remaining daytime dramas – The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless – but that’s probably not enough of a hint.
So try these on for size. She was born and raised in Canada. She made her on-camera debut as an extra in a film directed by Abel Ferrara. She owned and operated both a bakery and a restaurant. She is a soap hopper, a Daytime Emmy Award nominee, and the recipient of multiple foreign film and television awards.
But just who can she be? Is this a photograph of Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke Logan, BB), Mary Beth Evans (Kayla Brady, DAYS), Kathleen Gati (Liesl Obrecht, GH), or Jess Walton (Jill Foster Abbott, YR)?
Katherine Kelly Lang
As a prominent member of the BB cast, Lang is the recipient of many international honors including the eight Golden Nymph statuettes they’ve won for Outstanding Daytime Drama. She is also the sole winner of two Golden Boomerang awards.
However, Lang isn’t today’s featured star. Though she has appeared in two daytime soaps – YR (ex-Gretchen; Brooke Logan) and BB – she’s also a native of Hollywood, California, and her film debut was William A Levey’s musical comedy Skatetown, U.S.A.
Mary Beth Evans
Evans has appeared in multiple daytime serials – Rituals (ex-Dakota Lane), DAYS, GH (ex-Katherine Bell), and As the World Turns (ex-Sierra Estaban) – and she’s known for her love of baking sweet treats. But she hasn’t opened her own eatery, and the first film she was cast in was David Andrew Fisher’s action flick Toy Soldiers. So she isn’t the answer to today’s identity query.
Jess Walton
And neither is Walton – this in spite of the fact that she is a soap hopper who was raised in Toronto, Canada. She was actually born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and her first film role was “student” in the 1970 anti-drug film The Strawberry Statement directed by Stuart Hagmann.
Kathleen Gati
Her acting career slowly built up. An off-Broadway play here, a walk-on in Abel Ferrara’s Ms .45 there. But Gati’s goal to become a recognized actress began to take shape. She had more substantial roles in films like Forever, Lulu, and Mr. Universe and she also landed a recurring part on All My Children (ex-Taffy Winslow).
In 1992, Gati traveled to Hungary in order to appear in Goldberg variácók – a film which would ultimately net her a Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress. Gati remained in the country for five years, during which time she continued to act and reap numerous benefits – including awards and the opportunity to open up two dining establishments.
So, if you guessed that the future star of soaps seen in the image above was Kathleen Gati – a native daughter of Montreal, Quebec – then you were absolutely correct!
