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Louise Shaffer (born July 5, 1942) is an American actress, script writer, and author.


Biography

Shaffer was born in
Woodbridge, Connecticut Woodbridge is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,087 at the 2020 census. The town center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Woodbridge Green Historic District. Woodbridge is part of ...
, where she showed an interest in acting early on in her life. After finishing high school, she attended
Connecticut College Connecticut College (Conn College or Conn) is a private liberal arts college in New London, Connecticut. It is a residential, four-year undergraduate institution with nearly all of its approximately 1,815 students living on campus. The college ...
for Women, then
Yale Drama School The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University is a graduate professional school of Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1924 as the Department of Drama in the School of Fine Arts, the school provides training in e ...
. Shaffer is a
coloratura soprano A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano voice that specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs, leaps and trills. The term '' coloratura'' refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component o ...
, and was trained at
Juilliard The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most e ...
.


Career


Actress

Throughout her life, Shaffer has appeared in numerous
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
s, including ''
Search for Tomorrow ''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show foc ...
'', ''
Hidden Faces People often see hidden faces in things. Depending on the circumstances, this is referred to as pareidolia, the perception or recognition of a specific pattern or form in something essentially different. It is thus also a kind of optical illusion ...
'' (1968–1969),'' and Where the Heart Is''. From 1975 to 1976, she he played split personality Serena Faraday/Josie on ''
The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American television mystery crime drama series and soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that networ ...
''. From 1977 to 1984, Shaffer played journalism magnate
Rae Woodard This is a list of characters that appear on the ABC soap opera ''Ryan's Hope'' from 1975 to 1989. A ;Sheik Haroun Al Raschid :(Played by Kaleel Sakakeeny, 1981) ::Financial backer of archaeological excavations ;Ken Alexander :(Played by Will ...
on ''
Ryan's Hope ''Ryan's Hope'' is an American soap opera created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, airing for 13 years on ABC from July 7, 1975, to January 13, 1989. It revolves around the trials and tribulations within a large Irish-American family in ...
'' and then reprised the role for the show's finale in 1989. In the summer of 1987, she was brought onto ''
All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2013, via Hulu, Hulu Plus, and ...
'', playing Erica's evil stepmother, Goldie Kane. After several years as a script writer on various soaps, she had brief roles on ''
Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...
'' as Lewis oil client Mrs. Humphreys (1993), and a stint as the judge in the Peter Lewis custody battle (1994). She was nominated for two
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
s for her portrayal of Rae Woodard on ''Ryan's Hope''; she won the award in 1983. In addition to her daytime roles, Shaffer also had a role on the short-lived
Norman Lear Norman Milton Lear (born July 27, 1922) is an American producer and screenwriter, who has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear is known for many popular 1970s sitcoms, including the multi-award winning ''All in the Famil ...
serialized sitcom '' All That Glitters''.


Author

Shaffer began writing for soap operas instead of acting on them. Since the late 1980s, she has written for ''
Ryan's Hope ''Ryan's Hope'' is an American soap opera created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, airing for 13 years on ABC from July 7, 1975, to January 13, 1989. It revolves around the trials and tribulations within a large Irish-American family in ...
'', ''
Loving Loving may refer to: * Love, a range of human emotions * Loving (surname) * ''Loving v. Virginia'', a 1967 landmark United States Supreme Court civil rights case Film and television * ''Loving'' (1970 film), an American film * ''Loving'' (1 ...
'', '' General Hospital'', and ''
As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other soa ...
''. In addition to scriptwriting, Shaffer has written numerous books.


Personal life

Shaffer was formerly married to actor Toby Tompkins. She is currently married to Roger Crews, who also wrote for ''
Ryan's Hope ''Ryan's Hope'' is an American soap opera created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, airing for 13 years on ABC from July 7, 1975, to January 13, 1989. It revolves around the trials and tribulations within a large Irish-American family in ...
'' and ''
Search for Tomorrow ''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show foc ...
''.


Acting credits


Writing credits

* ''
All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2013, via Hulu, Hulu Plus, and ...
'' (2000–2002) * ''
As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other soa ...
'' (1994–2000) * '' General Hospital'' (1992–1993) * ''
Loving Loving may refer to: * Love, a range of human emotions * Loving (surname) * ''Loving v. Virginia'', a 1967 landmark United States Supreme Court civil rights case Film and television * ''Loving'' (1970 film), an American film * ''Loving'' (1 ...
'' (1990–1991) * '' Another World'' (1989) * ''
Ryan's Hope ''Ryan's Hope'' is an American soap opera created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, airing for 13 years on ABC from July 7, 1975, to January 13, 1989. It revolves around the trials and tribulations within a large Irish-American family in ...
'' (1987–1989)


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * *


External links


Interview on Show #9 with Robert Reid, on Robert Reid Live

Louise Shaffer - IMDB
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaffer, Louise American soap opera actresses American soap opera writers Yale School of Drama alumni 1942 births Living people People from Woodbridge, Connecticut Daytime Emmy Award winners Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series winners American stage actresses 20th-century American actresses American women screenwriters Women soap opera writers Actresses from Connecticut Connecticut College alumni Juilliard School alumni Screenwriters from Connecticut 21st-century American women