CONSTANCE POWERS
Information From IMDb
Date of Birth
20 May 1933, Whitefish, Montana, USA
Birth Name
Constance Mary Towers
Spouse
John Gavin (8 September 1974 - present)
Eugene McGrath (2 April 1959 - September 1966) (divorced) 2 children
Mini Biography
This elegant singer/actress initially had designs on becoming an opera singer. Born in Montana on May 20, 1933, and christened Constance Mary Towers, she appeared on radio as a child singer. Her family moved to New York where she subsequently studied at the Julliard School of Music and the American Academy of the Dramatic Arts (AADA). A chance casting in a summer production of "Carousel" led her away from her operatic aspirations and into the musical theater arena. Before she settled into this, however, she gained early exposure on the chic nightclub circuit and fostered an attempt at stardom via films. She co-starred with Frankie Laine playing a school teacher in the modest movie musical Bring Your Smile Along (1955), and appeared in exceptionally strong ingénue roles in the movie dramas The Horse Soldiers (1959) starring John Wayne and Sergeant Rutledge (1960) opposite Jeffrey Hunter. Director Samuel Fuller cast her against type in some of his highly offbeat dramas in the early 1960s. She played a stripper girlfriend in Shock Corridor (1963) and in The Naked Kiss (1964) gave a no-holds-barred performance as a former prostitute trying to clean up her act. Films, however, were few and far between.
By this time she was starting to settle in as a pristine musical leading lady. After a 1960 performance as missionary Sarah in "Guys and Dolls," Constance made her Broadway debut in the title role of "Anya" (1965), in which she played the title role of the Russian princess Anastasia. Heralded performances in "Carousel" (1966) and "The Sound of Music" (1967), in which she won the Outer Critic's Circle Award as Maria, not to mention a Broadway revival of "The King and I" opposite Yul Brynner truly put her on the musical map. Her run with Brynner lasted nearly 800 performances. She had earlier played the school teacher Anna off-Broadway opposite Michael Kermoyan in 1972. Other sterling stage appearances included "Kiss Me Kate," "42nd Street," "Oklahoma!," "Camelot" and "Mame." She also starred in the musical "Ari," an adaptation of the Leon Uris novel "Exodus."
TV proved a sturdy medium as well. In her early days, she made singing appearances on Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town" (1948) and, in dramatic roles, was a frequent glamorous suspect on "Perry Mason" (1957). As she matured, her sharp, glacial, strikingly handsome features also worked very well for her in unsympathetic aristocratic roles on daytime. Winning regular spots on "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing" (1967), "The Young and the Restless" (1973) and "Sunset Beach" (1997), she did her most consistent work on "Capitol" (1982), in which she played Clarissa McCandless for five seasons. She is currently courting favor with audiences and stealing scenes on a regular basis on "General Hospital" (1963), in which she plays, at age 72, the inherently wicked Helena Cassadine, a role originated by the legendary Elizabeth Taylor. Recent films have included The Next Karate Kid (1994), The Relic (1997) and A Perfect Murder (1998) starring Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow, in which she played Paltrow's mother. Constance also enjoyed a resurgence on prime-time TV with a sprinkling of guest parts on "L.A. Law" (1986), "Designing Women" (1986), "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990), "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993), "Caroline in the City," "Frasier" (1993), "Baywatch" (1989), and "Providence" (1999). She received an Emmy nomination for her role in the single episode drama special on "CBS Daytime 90" (1974) entitled "Once in Her Life."
Constance has been married since 1974 to one-time actor and former Mexican ambassador John Gavin. It was the second marriage for both. The handsome couple have two children: Cristina and Maria Gavin. Constance also has two children, Michael and Maureen McGrath, from her prior marriage to Panamanian businessman Eugene McGrath. As a result of her current husband's civic work, she became actively involved in a multitude of charities. "Project Connie" not only offered aid to those in need of medical and rehabilitation assistance after the Mexican earthquake of 1985, it has served as an adoption placement agency to hundreds of children from Mexico to El Salvador. She has also involved herself with the Children's Bureau of California, the National Health Foundation, and the Red Cross and the Blue Ribbon of Los Angeles.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh
Trivia
Married to actor John Gavin, who was at one time President of the Screen Actors Guild and also U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.
Has had a varied career, from playing a bald prostitute in the cult classic The Naked Kiss (1964), to singing on Broadway opposite Yul Brynner in a 1970's revival of "The King and I", to playing Gwyneth Paltrow's mother in A Perfect Murder (1998).
Was one of the judges in the Miss Universe pageant of 1979.
Filmography
Actor
2000-2010 General Hospital (TV series)
– Episode #1.12116 (2010) … Helena Cassadine
– Episode #1.12115 (2010) … Helena Cassadine
– Episode #1.12114 (2010) … Helena Cassadine
– Episode #1.12105 (2010) … Helena Cassadine
– Episode #1.12104 (2010) … Helena Cassadine
In all 87 episodes »
2009 Cold Case (TV series)– Libertyville (2009) … Caroline Kemp/Bellowes '09
2008 The Awakening of Spring...Mrs. Gable
2007 The 4400 (TV series)– Audrey Parker's Come and Gone (2007) … Audrey Parker
2006 Criminal Minds (TV series)– Riding the Lightning (2006) … Deb Mason
2000 Providence (TV series)– Syd in Wonderland (2000) … Candice Whitman/Cromwell
1998 A Perfect Murder...Sandra Bradford
1998 Kelly Kelly (TV series)– The Kilt Show (1998) … Kate
1997 Sunset Beach (TV series)Julianna Deschanel
– Episode #1.111 (1997) … Julianna Deschanel (uncredited)
– Episode #1.109 (1997) … Julianna Deschanel (uncredited)
– Episode #1.108 (1997) … Julianna Deschanel (uncredited)
– Episode #1.105 (1997) … Julianna Deschanel (uncredited)
– Episode #1.104 (1997) … Julianna Deschanel (uncredited)
In all 9 episodes »
1997 The Relic...Mrs. Blaisedale
1996 The Young and the Restless (TV series)...Audrey North
1995 High Society (TV series)– Tomb with a View (1995) … Boatie
1995 Caroline in the City (TV series)– Caroline and the Folks … Barbara
1995 Thunder in Paradise 3 (video)...Cavanna
1994 Silk Stalkings (TV series)– Ask the Dust … Karen Krane
1994 Thunder in Paradise (TV series)
– Deadly Lessons: Part 2 (1994) … Cavanna
– Deadly Lessons: Part 1 (1994) … Cavanna
1994 Frasier (TV series)– Slow Tango in South Seattle (1994) … Clarise Warner
1994 The Next Karate Kid...Louisa Pierce
1993 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV series)– The Forsaken (1993) … Taxco
1992 The Sands of Time (TV movie)
1992 Civil Wars (TV series)– Das Boat House (1992)
1992 The Nutt House...Mrs. Henderson
1992 2000 Malibu Road (TV series)...Camilla
1992 Baywatch (TV series)– Sea of Flames (1992) … Maggie James
1991 Memories of Midnight (TV movie)
1991 Matlock (TV series)– The Suspect (1991) … Alice Windemere
1990 Designing Women (TV series)– The Mistress (1990) … Louise Pollard
1989 Christine Cromwell (TV series)– Things That Go Bump in the Night (1989) … Sassy Taggart
1989 MacGyver (TV series)– Ma Dalton (1989) … Francine Leyland Dalton
1989 Midnight Caller (TV series)– Blood Red (1989) … Teresa Chandler
1987-1988 L.A. Law (TV series)
– Full Marital Jacket (1988) … Charlotte Kelsey
– Rohner vs. Gradinger (1987) … Charlotte Kelsey
1988 The Loner (TV movie)...Kate Shane
1987 Murder, She Wrote (TV series)– Murder, She Spoke (1987) … Margaret Witworth
1984-1987 Capitol (TV series)
– Episode #1.1270 (1987) … Clarissa McCandless
– Episode #1.1268 (1987) … Clarissa McCandless
– Episode dated 16 July 1986 (1986) … Clarissa McCandless
– Episode dated 21 November 1984 (1984) … Clarissa McCandless
– Episode dated 30 May 1984 (1984) … Clarissa McCandless
1986 On Wings of Eagles (TV mini-series)...Margot Perot
1985 Sylvester...Muffy
1985 Fast Forward...Jessie Granger
1979-1981 Fantasy Island (TV series)
– Perfect Husband, The/Volcano (1981) … Maggie Dunphy
– Hit Man/The Swimmer (1979) … Shirley Forbush
1979 The Rockford Files (TV series)
– The Big Cheese (1979) … Sally Packard/IRS Agent Sally Sternhagen
1977 Lanigan's Rabbi (TV series)– In Hot Weather, the Crime Rate Soars (1977)
1975 Hawaii Five-O (TV series)– Death's Name Is Sam (1975) … Mrs. Thorncrest
1974 CBS Daytime 90 (TV series)
– Once in Her Life (1974) … Joan Baldwin
1967 Love Is a Many Splendored Thing (TV series)...Marian Hiller (1971-1972)
1961-1965 Perry Mason (TV series)
– The Case of the Laughing Lady (1965) … Leona Devore
– The Case of the Tragic Trophy (1964) … Joanne Pennington
– The Case of the Ugly Duckling (1964) … Natalie Graham
– The Case of the Prankish Professor (1963) … Esther Metcalfe
– The Case of the Missing Melody (1961) … Jonny Baker
1965 Theatre of Stars (TV series)– Exit from a Plane in Flight (1965) … Louise Menke
1964 The Outer Limits (TV series)– The Duplicate Man (1964) … Laura James
1964 The Naked Kiss...Kelly
1964 Fate Is the Hunter...Peg Burke
1963 Shock Corridor..Cathy
1961 Zane Grey Theater (TV series)– Knight of the Sun (1961) … Beth Woodfield
1960 The Renegade (TV movie)...Felicia Post
1960 Adventures in Paradise (TV series)
– Sink or Swim (1960) … Laura Knight
1960 Sergeant Rutledge...Mary Beecher
1959 The Horse Soldiers...Miss Hannah Hunter of Greenbriar
1958 The Bob Cummings Show (TV series)– Bob's Forgotten Fiancée (1958) … Pat
1958 Mike Hammer (TV series)– Overdose of Lead (1958) … Jean Barr (as Connie Towers)
1957 State Trooper (TV series)– Beef ala Murder (1957) … Doris Woodley
1956 Over-Exposed...Shirley Thomas (as Shirley Thomas)
1955 Bring Your Smile Along...Nancy Willows
1952 Tales of Tomorrow (TV series)– Seeing-Eye Surgeon (1952) … Martha