Quick Wiki
- Full Name Kay Piper
- Nickname Kathryn Hays
- Occupation Actress
- Nationality American
- Birthplace Princeton, Illinois, USA
- Birth Date Jul 26, 1933
- Age 91 Years, 4 Months
Kathryn Hays | Biography
Made her acting debut in the TV show 'Hawaiian Eye' in 1962In 1972, Hays landed a breakout role as Kim Hughes on 'As the World Turns' and appeared in the series for nearly four decades until 2010. The series was created by Irna Phillips and premiered back in 1956.
Kathryn Hays is an actress best known for portraying the role of Kim Hughes in the TV soap opera As the World Turns from 1972 to 2010.
Who is Kathryn Hays?
Kathryn Hays is an American television, film, and theater actress. She made her acting debut on television, appearing in the role of Jean Morgan in one episode titled ‘Total Eclipse’ of Hawaiian Eye in 1962. Hays also guest-starred as Joy Allen on Surfside 6 and Beth Rydecker on Naked City the same year.
Later, she appeared in guest-starring roles in a string of television series throughout the 1960s, including Dr. Kildare, Route 66, Bonanza, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and The High Chaparral. She also portrayed the role of Gem in one episode titled ‘The Empath’ of Star Trek: The Original Series in 1968. Simultaneously, from 1966 to 1967, she starred as Elizabeth Reynolds in the western television series The Road West as a series regular.
Hay's big break came when she joined the cast of CBS’s soap opera As the World Turns in 1972. She remained on the show until it concluded in 2010.
During that time, she also guest-starred in several other television series, including Circle of Fear, American Playhouse, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and One Life to Live.
In addition to television series, Hays appeared in television movies This Savage Land (1969), Breadout (1970), and Yuma (1971). She also has a few film credits like Ladybug Ladybug (1963), Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966), and Counterpoint (1967).
Age & Early Bio
Kathryn Hays was born Kay Piper in Princeton, Illinois, the United States, on 26 July 1933. Her father was a farmer, and her mother was a bookkeeper. Hays’ parents divorced when she was a child. Later, her mother remarried when Hays was five years old. She then moved to Joliet, Illinois, with her mother and stepfather.
Growing up in Joliet, she discovered her passion for acting. As a high school student, Hays assisted her teacher at a local children’s theater. She would later attend a summer arts program at Northwestern University. Hays also got a full-time scholarship offer at a junior college.
Later, she left the college after getting an opportunity to become a fashion model. At age 18, she was working in Chicago as a fashion photographer’s model. She then worked on TV commercials for the Chicago-based WGN-TV in the 1950s.
‘As the World Turns’
In 1972, Hays landed a breakout role as Kim Hughes on As the World Turns and appeared in the series for nearly four decades until 2010. The series was created by Irna Phillips and premiered back in 1956.
In October 2020, As the World Turns cast, including Hays, reunited to support live theater amid the coronavirus pandemic. They worked with a professional, non-profit theater called Katonah Classic Stage (KCS) for the live theater and hoped to raise money to hire music and theater artists.
Husband & Daughter
Hays has one daughter from her first marriage. However, the information about her first husband and daughter is unknown.
On 27 March 1966, she married Hollywood actor Glenn Ford, who had a son named Peter Ford from his first marriage. He was previously married to dancer and actress Eleanor Powell from 1943 to 1959. Hays’ marriage with Ford was short-lived as they divorced on 26 June 1969.
Later, she married Wolfgang G Lieschke on 15 January 1984, but their marriage was annulled in 1985.
Net Worth
Hays’ net worth has not been disclosed to date. However, her major source of income is through her decades-long acting career.
