# Rachel Ames

Rachel Ames (born Rachel Kay Foulger; November 2, 1929) is an American actress. She is known for playing the role of Audrey Hardy on the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital (1964 to 2007, returning for appearances in 2009, 2013, and 2015). At her last appearance on the show, Ames' GH role as Audrey was the longest-running and earliest appearing, spanning over 50 years and earning her three Daytime Emmy Award nominations. She received the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. Ames also played the role of Audrey on Port Charles, a spin off of General Hospital, from 1997 to 1998.

## Early life

Ames was born Rachel Kay Foulger in Portland, Oregon. She is the daughter of actress (and later college drama instructor) Dorothy Adams and actor Byron Foulger. She has one younger sister, born in 1942. Through her father, she is of English descent, the fourth generation of English immigrants from Norfolk, who settled in the Salt Lake City area.
Ames spent her early life in Portland, but her family relocated to California so her parents could work, perform and teach at the Pasadena Playhouse. She graduated from University High School and later enrolled at University of California, Los Angeles, where her mother was a professor in the university's drama department. Ames performed in theater productions during high school and college. She left UCLA after eighteen months when she was signed to a film contract with Paramount Pictures.

## Career
### 1949-1954: Early work

In 1949, Ames made her professional acting debut in Pilgrimage Play. She co-starred with her parents in One Foot in Heaven at the Pasadena Playhouse. She also appeared in productions of Broadway Jones, The Circle, and King of Hearts at the same venue. She co-starred with her father on stage in Cradle Song. Ames' other theater credits include The Immortalist, Mary Rose, and Golden Boy.
She transitioned into film under the stage name Judith Ames. She was under contract with Paramount Pictures for three years in the early 1950s. Her first feature film was When Worlds Collide (1951), a science-fiction thriller based on the 1933 novel of the same name. She played the role of Julie Cummings. The same year, she appeared in Toast to Our Brother, a short film documenting fraternity life at UCLA, where she was a student at the time.
She had an uncredited role in the film noir The Turning Point (1952). She also had an uncredited role as Mrs. Kirk in the Western film Arrowhead (1953), co-starring with Charlton Heston. The following year, she had a supporting role as Betsy Williams in the Western comedy film Ricochet Romance (1954).

### 1954-1964: Television

In the mid–1950s, Ames, began appearing on television (still using the stage name Judith Ames). From 1954 to 1957, she guest starred on The Public Defender, I Led 3 Lives, Science Fiction Theatre, The Millionaire, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, You Are There, Highway Patrol, Broken Arrow, The Loretta Young Show, Cavalcade of America, General Electric Theater, Tales of Wells Fargo, and The Californians. She made a brief return to film, playing Marion Erschick in the Western Oregon Passage (1957).
From 1958 to 1959, Ames guest starred on Telephone Time, Trackdown, Perry Mason, Man Without a Gun, Lassie, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre, Wagon Train, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Cimarron City, and Wanted Dead or Alive. In her only regular role on primetime television, Ames played Policewoman Sandy McAllister on The Lineup in the series' final season in 1959.
She played Alice Hainline in the Western film Gunfighters of Abilene (1960), co-starring with Buster Crabbe and Barton MacLane. Ames guest starred on Thriller, Laramie, Stagecoach West, Whispering Smith, 77 Sunset Strip, The Andy Griffith Show, The Fugitive, Arrest and Trial, and Ben Casey.

### 1964-2015: General Hospital

On February 23, 1964, Ames debuted on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital, playing Audrey Hardy (then known as Audrey March). Ames was initially put on contract for only thirteen weeks because Audrey was dying from lymphoma. Her performance was well received by the show's producers and the illness was eventually forgotten. Ames' tenure in the role became the longest running in the network's history, spanning five decades. The character, a registered nurse, was paired romantically with Dr. Steve Hardy (John Beradino). When Audrey and Steve were married, Ames' father, Byron Foulger, played the priest who performed the ceremony.
During her time on General Hospital, Ames had an uncredited role as Dr. Parkington's Nurse in the thriller film Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1969), co-starring with her husband, Barry Cahill. The same year, she guest starred on Ironside and The Virginian.
In 1974, Ames was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her work on General Hospital. She was nominated again in the same category in 1975. In 1979, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
In 1997, she appeared as Audrey Hardy on ABC's special two-hour primetime preview of a new daytime soap opera Port Charles, a spin-off of General Hospital. Ames had a recurring role as Audrey on Port Charles from 1997 to 1998.
Her contract was not renewed for General Hospital in 2003, but she still appeared as a recurring character. In 2004, Ames was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 31st Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. In 2007, Ames retired from General Hospital after 43 years. She made a return appearance as Audrey on October 20, 2009, after a two-year absence from the show.
Ames returned to General Hospital for the show's 50th anniversary on March 29, 2013. She reprised the role of Audrey again for one episode on October 30, 2015.

## Personal life

Ames married Jack Genung on January 31, 1952, in Los Angeles. They had one daughter.
She married her second husband, Canadian-born actor Barry Cahill in June 1968. They had a daughter and two grandchildren. Cahill died in April 2012. They had been married for 42 years.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1951 | When Worlds Collide | Julie Cummings | Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1951 | Toast to Our Brother | | Short film Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1952 | The Turning Point | Girl | Uncredited |
| 1953 | Arrowhead | Mrs. Kirk | Uncredited |
| 1954 | Ricochet Romance | Betsy Williams | Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1957 | Oregon Passage | Marion Erschick | Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1960 | Gunfighters of Abilene | Alice Hainline | Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1969 | Daddy's Gone-A-Hunting | Dr. Parkington's Nurse | Uncredited |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1954 | Your Favorite Story | Lucy Kilgore | Episode: "The Crime" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1954 | The Public Defender | Shirley Selvey | Episode: "The Do-Gooder" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1954 | City Detective | June | Episode: "Her Sister's Keeper" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1954; 1955 | I Led 3 Lives | Comrade Jeanette; Margaret | Episodes: "Love Story", "Second Courier" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1955 | Soldiers of Fortune | Ellen Thayer | Episode: "The Black Scarab" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1955 | The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse | | Episode: "I'll Be Waiting" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1955–1957 | Science Fiction Theatre | Various | 6 episodes Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1955; 1958 | NBC Matinee Theater | | Episodes: "The Shot", "Found Money" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1955; 1960 | The Millionaire | Georgette French; Jessica March | Episodes: "The Cobb Marley Story", "Millionaire Jessica March" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1956 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Laura | Episode: "The Hidden Thing" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1956 | Dr. Christian | Julie | Episode: "Insurance Policy" |
| 1956 | You Are There | Mrs. Fowler | Episode: "V-J Day (September 2, 1945)" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1956 | Highway Patrol | Anne Reynolds | Episode: "Scared Cop" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1956 | Studio 57 | Jenny; Janet | Episodes: "The Black Road", "Out of Sight" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1956 | Broken Arrow | Terry Wilson | Episode: "The Mail Riders" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1956 | The Loretta Young Show | Alice Fuller; Nurse Holste | Episodes: "The Years Between", "Three and Two, Please" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1956; 1957 | Crossroads | Mrs. Edith Brissie; Marian | 3 episodes |
| 1956; 1959 | State Trooper | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1957 | Cavalcade of America | Carol | Episode: "The House of Empty Rooms" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1957 | Whirlybirds | Eve Douglas | Episode: "Lynch Mob" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1957 | General Electric Theater | Mary; Edie Duncan | Episodes: "No Skin Off Me", "Too Good with a Gun" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1957 | Code 3 | Maggie Porter | Episode: "The Bite" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1957; 1958 | Tales of Wells Fargo | Ellen Craig; Maude Kimball | Episodes: "A Time to Kill", "Special Delivery" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1957; 1959 | The Californians | Ann Sloan; Madge Dorsett | Episodes: "The Avenger", "A Turn in the Trail" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1958 | Meet McGraw | Sue Walters | Episode: "Time for Dying" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1958 | Telephone Time | Joan Yedor | Episode: "The Checkered Flag" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1958 | Trackdown | Jenny Krail; Melinda Curry | Episodes: "The Farrand Story", "The House" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1958 | M Squad | Greta Loder | Episode: "The Fight" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1958 | Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer | Mrs. Armstrong | Episode: "For Sale, Deathbed, Used" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1958 | Perry Mason | Marian Shaw | Episode: "The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1958 | Man Without a Gun | | Episode: "The Last Bullet" |
| 1958 | The Silent Service | Jeanne McFarland | Episode: "The Sandshark Story" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1958 | Lassie | Mrs. Bridell | Episode: "Lassie's Decision" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1958 | Colgate Theatre | Alice Beekman | Episodes: "The Last Marshal", "If You Knew Tomorrow" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1958 | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | Martha Bream; Ellen Larkin | Episodes: "The Stranger", "Homecoming" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1958–1960 | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1958–1964 | Wagon Train | Various | 5 episodes |
| 1959 | Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | Muriel | Episode: "Trial at Devil's Canyon" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1959 | Man with a Camera | Lila | Episode: "Mute Evidence" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1959 | Cimarron City | Emily Barton | Episode: "The Unaccepted" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1959 | Frontier Doctor | Nancy Turner | Episode: "The Big Gamblers" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1959 | Wanted Dead or Alive | Ellie Morgan; Sarah Buchanan | Episodes: "The Corner", "Angels of Vengeance" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1959 | Union Pacific | Sarah Morgan | Episode: "To the Death" Credited as Judith Ames |
| 1959–1960 | The Lineup | Sandy McAllister | Series regular, 15 episodes |
| 1960 | Thriller | Betty Follett | Episode: "The Mark of the Hand" |
| 1960 | Laramie | Helen Bentley; Mrs. LuBell | Episodes: "Cemetery Road", "A Sound of Bells" |
| 1961 | Stagecoach West | Cecilia Barnes | Episode: "The Root of Evil" |
| 1961 | Whispering Smith | Jodie Tyler | Episode: "The Jodie Tyler Story" Credited as Rachel Foulger |
| 1962 | G.E. True | Kate | Episode: "Circle of Death" |
| 1963 | 77 Sunset Strip | Agnes Hoyt | Episode: "Reunion at Balboa" |
| 1963 | The Andy Griffith Show | Rosemary | Episode: "A Wife for Andy" |
| 1963 | The Bill Dana Show | | Episode: "You Gotta Have Heart" |
| 1963 | The Fugitive | Ann Gerard | Episode: "Never Wave Goodbye: Part 1" |
| 1964 | Ben Casey | Ethel Beldon | Episode: "I'll Get on My Ice Floe and Wave Goodbye" |
| 1964 | Arrest and Trial | Mrs. Harmon | Episode: "Funny Man with a Monkey" |
| 1964–2003; 2007, 2009, 2013, 2015 | General Hospital | Audrey March Hardy | Contract role: 1964–2003, Recurring role and guest appearances: 2007–2015 |
| 1968 | Off to See the Wizard | Nellie Malone | Episode: "Mike and the Mermaid" |
| 1969 | Ironside | Carolyn Channing | Episode: "Up, Down and Even" |
| 1969 | The Virginian | Mary Kinkaid | Episode: "Death Wait" |
| 1969 | This Is the Life | | Episode: "Adrift" |
| 1970 | The Name of the Game | Mrs. Bailey | Episode: "The Glory Shouter" |
| 1997–1998 | Port Charles | Audrey March Hardy | Recurring role |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Results |
| 1974 | 1st Daytime Emmy Awards | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | General Hospital | Nominated |
| 1975 | 2nd Daytime Emmy Awards | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | General Hospital | Nominated |
| 1979 | 6th Daytime Emmy Awards | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | General Hospital | Nominated |
| 2004 | 31st Daytime Emmy Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award | | Won |