All The Soap Opera Characters Played By Days Of Our Lives' Cady McClain
Cady McClain has been working in the television business for decades, and she's become a staple for those who love to tune into daytime TV. The actress is a Southern California native and began her acting career at the age of just 9 years old when she landed a part in a classic Band-Aid commercial. She later made her way to New York City, where she tried her hand at Broadway, per Soap Central.
Over the years, McClain has appeared in movies such as "Pennies from Heaven," "My Favorite Year," "Simple Justice," "Alma Mater," "Retreat," "Soldier's Heart," and "Home Movie," per IMDb. She's also landed parts on popular TV shows like "St. Elsewhere," "Cheers," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and "Spenser: For Hire." In 1987 she also appeared in an "ABC Afterschool Special."
However, it has been McClain's roles on fan-favorite soap operas that have made her a household name in the daytime television community.
Cady McClain played Dixie Cooney on All My Children for many years
In 1988, Cady McClain landed her first big soap opera role as the character of Dixie Cooney on "All My Children." The character was introduced to Pine Valley when she and her brother, Will, came looking for her uncle, Pete Cooney (via Soap Central). She later got a job as a maid and then went on to work as a nanny for Laura Cudahy and Adam Chandler. Because the two weren't able to have any more children, Adam seduced Dixie in hopes of fathering a son.
Over the years, Dixie faced a lot of adversity when she was declared legally insane by Adam, who wanted to keep their son all to himself. She also had her kidney taken and given to her half-brother, Del Henry. She also created plenty of drama for herself by having an affair with David Hayward and helping to fabricate evidence.
In 2007, Dixie was presumed dead after she ate a stack of poisonous pancakes and became the third victim of the Satin Slayer, per Soaps. In 2008, Dixie's ghost began to haunt Adam, and a year later the character was revealed to be alive. McClain appeared as her famed character, Dixie, throughout the decades until the series officially ended in 2011, per Outsider.
Cady McClain previously played Rosanna Cabot on As The World Turns
During a stint away from "All My Children," Cady McClain stepped into the role of Rosanna Cabot on "As The World Turns." The role had previously been portrayed by actress Yvonne Perry. McClain debuted on the sudser in 2002. Rosanna was a character that came to Oakdale after her mother's death and was later revealed to be the daughter of wealthy businessman Alexander Cabot, per Soap Central.
Over the years, Rosanna had many romantic relationships with characters such as Hutch Hutchinson, Evan Walsh, Mike Kasnoff, Scott Eldridge, Brad Snyder, Craig Montgomery, Jordan Sinclair, and more. During McClain's run as Rosanna, the character suffered some health issues such as undergoing a hysterectomy, getting injured in a car accident and falling into a coma, and suffering a second coma due to stress.
According to Soaps, Rosanna also stirred up trouble by drugging and hypnotizing Emily, blackmailing the Governor of Illinois, and attempting to buy Carly's unborn child. McClain portrayed the character off and on from 2002 until December 2009, but "As The World Turns" fans remember the actress' portrayal of Rosanna very well.
Cady McClain replaced Cynthia Watros as Kelly Andrews on The Young and the Restless in 2014
After Cady McClain's role in "All My Children," she moved on to "The Young and the Restless." The actress took over the role of Kelly Andrews from Cynthia Watros. The character of Kelly was a former kindergarten teacher who came to Genoa City and took a liking to Billy Abbott, per Soap Central.
The two bonded and eventually got romantic. McClain stepped into the role in 2014 and added a bit of flair to the character when Kelly got intimate with Jack Abbott and also held him captive. In addition, Kelly was arrested for falsely claiming that Phyllis had poisoned her.
Soaps notes that the character of Kelly Andrews also had a soft side as "The Young and the Restless" fans watched her grieve the death of her young son, Sam, who had been killed in an accident. Sadly, McClain didn't stay in the role long and left the sudser in May 2015. She later replaced another fan-favorite soap actress on "Days of Our Lives."
Cady McClain won an Emmy for her short stint as Jennifer Horton on Days of Our Lives
"Days of Our Lives" fans know actress Melissa Reeves as the character of Jennifer Horton. However, following the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, Reeves opted not to immediately return to work on the NBC soap opera, leaving the role vacant. That's when Cady McClain stepped in to fill Jennifer's shoes. Although soap fans usually aren't happy about character recasts, McClain wowed viewers and critics alike with her portrayal of the beloved character. McClain even won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Performance in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Jennifer (via Deadline). After leaving the role, Reeves reprised the part. However, in 2022, McClain returned to "Days of Our Lives" as Jennifer due to scheduling conflicts with Reeves (via Soap Opera Network).
McClain has proven herself to be the ultimate soap vet, and she's got the accolades to prove it, per Soaps in Depth. In addition to her Emmy win for "Days of Our Lives," she also won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2004 for her portrayal of Rosanna Cabot on "As the World Turns," and in 1990 she took home the award from Outstanding Juvenile Female in a Drama Series for the role of Dixie on "All My Children."
It's no secret that McClain is a talented soap opera actress, and viewers have absolutely loved seeing her in her multiple roles over the years.