Soap Opera Veteran Jaime Lyn Bauer Celebrates Her Birthday

Though it’s been a while since The Young and the Restless‘ Lorie Brooks endowed her alma mater, Walnut Grove, with a scholarship in honor of her late father, Jaime Lyn Bauer, the woman who embodied the tenacious temptress, is just as busy as ever and celebrating a significant milestone.

Happy Birthday, Jaime Lyn Bauer

That’s because she was born on March 9, 1949, in Phoenix, Arizona, which means that this talented performer is turning 75 years old today! After snagging the title Miss Chicago, the model and aspiring actress, landed a small role in the bawdy comedy The Sexpert and a guest part in The FBI.

In 1973, she struggled with a dilemma: accept a seven-year contract with Universal Pictures or a three-year contract with the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless. After choosing the latter, she debuted as romance novel author and pot-stirrer Lauralee “Lorie” Brooks.

Her decision to exit the soap in 1982 led series creator William J. Bell to refocus the narrative from a story concerning the exploits of the Brooks and the Fosters to one concerning the Abbotts, the Williamses, Jill Foster (Jess Walton), Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper), and Victor Newman (Eric Braeden).

Two years later, Jaime Lyn Bauer reprised the role when Lorie’s presence was requested to celebrate the much-ballyhooed wedding of Victor and Nikki Reed (Melody Thomas Scott). A much longer return occurred in 2002, and again in 2018, she was back to celebrate the show’s 45th anniversary.

Throughout the 1980s, Bauer was a staple of primetime television. In 1983, she was tapped to replace Donna Mills in the NBC continuation of Bare Essence (formerly a CBS miniseries). One year later, she could be seen in episodes of Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, The New Mike Hammer, and Lottery!

In 1993, Bauer made a much-heralded return to daytime when she accepted an offer to portray Dr. Laura Spencer Horton, one of Days of our Lives‘ most popular (and most recast) heroines.

She remained a main cast member until 1999, though she has made multiple return visits until 2021, when the character was killed off. Soap Hub would like to wish Jaime Lyn Bauer a very happy birthday and many more.