Eileen Davidson - Career

Career

Davidson started her career as a model in Mexico City and California, eventually adding commercials and print work in Europe. Her agent had recommended that she take acting classes to get work in commercials, but she took to acting so well that she was sent out to auditions for acting roles. She originated the role of Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless in March 1982, beating out more than 100 candidates. The character of Ashley became a front-burner character, and Davidson became an integral part of the show. She quit the show in December 1988 and the producers took her recommendation of hiring a look-alike actress named Brenda Epperson Doumani, whom Davidson had discovered waiting tables at a charity function.

Davidson then appeared in primetime television, but her show, Broken Badges (1990–1991), was canceled. She returned to daytime when she assumed the role of Kelly Capwell on Santa Barbara from May 1991 until the soap's cancellation in January 1993. She next appeared as Kristen Blake on Days of our Lives beginning in May 1993. As originally conceived, Kristen was a heroine, who had an Achilles' heel in that the show's supervillain, Stefano, had raised her after the death of her parents. James E. Reilly, who assumed head writing reins in 1993, began to make Kristen more of a villainess. Reilly eventually developed an outrageous second role for Davidson, having her play Susan Banks, a Kristen look-alike. Reilly eventually penned three more roles for Davidson (Sister Mary Moira, Thomas, and Penelope). Her character, Kristen, intended to keep her other character, Susan, prisoner on an island, but Susan ultimately prevailed and Kristen has remained on the island and has not been heard from since. All related characters were last seen in May 1998. Davidson's five roles earned her a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1998.

After a year-long vacation, she returned to her role on The Young and the Restless in March 1999. After a successful return as Ashley Abbott, which included Davidson's second Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress, Davidson was fired from the show. In December 2006, Davidson told TV Guide that she was fired from The Young and the Restless due to lack of storyline. Her last airdate as Ashley was January 11, 2007. According to co-star Melody Thomas Scott, the firing was protested behind the scenes of The Young and the Restless and was seen as unfair. Scott said: "That was so heartbreaking. We're still upset about that. That was a blow. Terrible. Eileen Davidson was such a part of the core of the show and such a brilliant actress; beautiful and always prepared. It was crazy. I'm not the only one who feels that way."

In a surprise move a few months later, Davidson signed a three-year contract with The Young and the Restless's sister soap The Bold and the Beautiful to once again play her The Young and the Restless character Ashley Abbott at the request of The Bold and the Beautiful executive producer Bradley Bell. She first aired on March 9, 2007.

Ken Corday called Davidson about a week before she was fired from The Young and the Restless to get permission to use a picture of her on Days of our Lives. The picture, which featured Davidson as Susan, was shown in December 2006.

After she was fired from The Young and the Restless but before being cast in The Bold and the Beautiful, her niece Devon Martt, a fashion designer, approached her about designing clothes together. Davidson liked the idea and formed a clothing company called Femmeology.

Davidson co-wrote her first novel with author Robert J. Randisi, a mystery set in the soap opera world titled Death in Daytime, released in October 2008. She followed it up with three sequels: Dial Emmy for Murder (2009), Diva Las Vegas (2010), and Swinging in the Rain (2011).

In July 2008, Eileen was downgraded to recurring status at The Bold and the Beautiful. She returned to The Young and the Restless full-time as Ashley on September 26, 2008.

In 2012, Nelson Branco announced that Sony Pictures Entertainment wanted Davidson on both The Young and the Restless and Days of our Lives, but that Y&R would not share the actress, leading Sony to terminate her contract with them. Thus, it was announced that Davidson would reprise her dual roles of Kristen Blake and Susan Banks on Days of our Lives.