General Hospital Spoilers: Before She Was Evil Helena Cassadine, Constance Towers Was an Oh-So-Sweet Hollywood and Broadway Star!
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Since 1997, General Hospital’s Constance Towers has struck terror in the hearts of Port Charles residents, and even her own family, as the evil Helena Cassadine. Although the role was originated by Elizabeth Taylor, Towers brilliantly filled her shoes and showed that even death can’t keep the grand dame of the Cassadine clan down. But long before she took up residence in PC as Helena and began plotting the demise of all who stood in her way, Towers was a fresh faced Irish beauty from Montana.
Born Constance Mary Towers, she was the child of Irish immigrants. She was a talented singer and starred on radio shows as a child performer. She was even offered a movie deal by Paramount at the tender age of 11, but her parents turned it down and instead moved with their talented daughter to New York so she could study at Julliard and pursue her dream of becoming an opera singer. But Connie, as she likes to be called, was soon drawn to musical theater and the silver screen.
Connie starred alongside John Wayne and made several well-reviewed movies, but movie fame ultimately eluded her. She returned to the stage, her first love, where she appeared in a number of highly successful runs on Broadway, always playing a clean cut innocent. She played a missionary in Guys and Dolls, played Princess Anastasia in Anya and Maria in The Sound of Music. She then enjoyed an extended run playing Anna opposite Yul Brynner in 800 performances of The King and I.
Aside from playing sugar and spice on Broadway, Connie also appeared in guest spots on many iconic TV shows of the 70s and 80s including The Rockford Files, Perry Mason, Baywatch, Frasier, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, LA Law and Hawaii Five-O. She even did a stint on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. And before coming to GH, Connie also starred on other soaps where she was a sweetie. On Capitol, a DC-centric political soap in the mid-80s, she played a kindly matriarch who cared for her brood.
She also enjoyed a turn on the Young & the Restless as Audrey North, John Abbott’s smitten secretary. Yet despite her lengthy resume of kindly stage and screen roles, Connie has made her biggest impression as the rotten-to-the-core Helena Cassadine. Who doesn’t get a little shiver when they see her regal profile wrapped in one of her ice-white furs explaining to Nicolas that she’s killing (again) all to protect her little prince?
Never one to let death be an obstacle to what she wants from life, Helena survived being shot by Luke Spencer in 2013. Son Stavros Cassadine put his mommy dearest in life-saving stasis and later held Robin Scorpio-Drake captive until she found a way to revive Helena. Thankfully, she did and everybody’s favorite big bad is back and making trouble around Port Charles again, most recently plotting with Fluke to blow up the Haunted Star and take out the Who’s Who of PC.
Screen work aside, Connie has a heart of gold as a devoted mom of four and a grandma. She’s been married for 32 years to John Gavin, a former actor himself who served as the US Ambassador to Mexico. She founded Project Connie that helps pair orphaned children in Central America with adoptive parents and assists with disaster relief in the region. She also volunteers with the Children’s Bureau of California, the Red Cross and the National Health Foundation.
We may love to hate Helena Cassadine, but you’ve got to just plain love the woman who plays her – Constance Mary Towers.
What a lovely bio of a classy, beautiful, and elegant lady! I have had the good fortune of meeting Ms. Towers and corresponding with her via handwritten letters and, as you wrote, she is as kind in real life as she is evil as Helena. I’ll spread the word by linking to this page on my GH blog and I wish you the very best!
Thank-you for the kind words. Sometimes people have trouble separating the character from the actor or actress and I thought it was important to remind people that the actress that plays Helena, Constance is a wonderful actress and person!
I think the mark of a great actor or actress is that people forget that they aren’t ACTUALLY the character that they’re pretending to be. When you make me forget that you’re someone else, you’ve done your job.
I think it is WAY more fun to play evil than good. I bet she has had a laugh every day at her characters outrageous behavior. I love that she had a well rounded life off stage. I imagine that with a 32 year marriage she knows that being real and caring towards others is the better way to live. but what fun to get to pretend!
I wish I had more time to watch soap operas. It’s fun to just enjoy guilty pleasures ever once in a while.
I haven’t watched a soap opera in forever. I have always heard that this one is a good one, though. 🙂
What a beautiful woman. I’m not familiar with her or her acting, but I was immediately struck by her witty smile! She has aged so gracefully!
This is a great post. My mom was a huge fan. She would have loved this. What a beautiful actress.
My mom used to watch GH years ago. I think she has given it up, but I remember she always had to be home for her “stories”.
I use to watch these shows with my mother all the time. I actually miss watching this show! I love soap operas!
Very interesting post. I haven’t seen General Hospital in years but used to watch it growing up. Thank you for sharing.
Why I had no idea she had such a career! I remember her on General Hospital! Those were the days!
I didn’t know this about her. Not a big fan, but I love her work!
I totally love her! I’m familiar with her career and John Gavin! I am an old time movie lover and had no clue she was on a soap!
I don’t watch soap operas, therefore I’m not familiar with her. However, she sounds like a wonderful lady!
I have really no clue as to who she is, but that is quite the impressive resume. I do enjoy Broadway and musicals and I think I may have seen her in a movie with John Wayne.
I don’t really watch her shows but I do love her! She’s got such a timeless beauty too!
She sounds like such a wonderful woman, mother and actor though i am not familiar with her or even seen her in anything i watch but thanks for the intro
Wow, I’m amazed at her long career. It is great to see how gorgeous she’s always been too.
I remember my mom always watching General Hospital when I was younger. I think she still watches it today.
You know I have never really watched General Hospital. But I do remember my mom and grandma watching it as a kid. How crazy is that.
What a career! I haven’t watched soap operas in a long time!
Fun fact about Elizabeth Taylor. I had no idea she’d done soaps.