Eileen Davidson
Eileen Marie Davidson (born June 15, 1959) is an American actress and author. Best known for her work in soap operas, Davidson is most notable for her roles as Ashley Abbott on CBS's The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, Kristen DiMera and Susan Banks on NBC's Days of Our Lives and as the final portrayal of Kelly Capwell on Santa Barbara. Her work has earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her roles in Days of Our Lives (2014) and The Young and the Restless (2018).
Also recorded as Eileen Marie Davidson
Eileen Davidson

Mingle MediaTV · File:Eileen Davidson - DSC 0217.jpg from Eileen Davidson - DSC_0217 · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Born
- 1959. · Artesia.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Occupation
- actress.
- Education
- St. Paul High School.
- Languages
- English.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Eileen Marie Davidson (born June 15, 1959) is an American actress and author. Best known for her work in soap operas, Davidson is most notable for her roles as Ashley Abbott on CBS's The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, Kristen DiMera and Susan Banks on NBC's Days of Our Lives and as the final portrayal of Kelly Capwell on Santa Barbara. Her work has earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her roles in Days of Our Lives (2014) and The Young and the Restless (2018).
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Eileen Davidson. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q265887 · wikipedia · Eileen Davidson
In this article
Early life
Early life
Davidson also starred in the slasher film The House on Sorority Row (1983), had a leading role in the short-lived CBS crime series Broken Badges (1990–91), and wrote a number of mystery novels in the 2000s. In 2014, Davidson joined the cast of Bravo's reality television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, appearing full-time on the program until 2017.
Davidson, the youngest of seven children, was born in Artesia, California, to Charlotte (née Burkhard) Davidson, a homemaker, and Richard Davidson, an airplane parts manufacturer. She was raised Roman Catholic. She attended Corona Del Mar High School in Newport Beach, California and Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.
Career
Career
Davidson 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. In 1987, Davidson had been offered a role on All My Children playing opposite of Walt Willey's character, but turned it down as she could not afford to move to New York with her five dogs. She quit Y&R in December 1988 and the producers took her recommendation of hiring a look-alike actress named Brenda Epperson, whom Davidson had discovered waiting tables at a charity function. Throughout the 1980s, Davidson starred in two films: The House on Sorority Row (1983), and Easy Wheels (1989), playing opposite Ted Raimi. 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 November 1991 until the soap's cancelation in January 1993. Beginning in May 1993, she captured the role of Kristen Blake on Days of Our Lives. 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 remained on the island until she returned to Salem in 2012. All other 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 from acting, she returned to The Young and the Restless in March 1999 to reprise the role of Ashley Abbott. After a successful return, Davidson's was nominated for the Soap Opera Digest Award for Favorite Return. In November 2006, Davidson was fired from the show. Davidson told TV Guide the following month that she was fired from the show due to a 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 February 2007, Davidson signed a three-year contract with The Bold and the Beautiful (The Young and the Restless's sister soap) to once again play her Y&R character Ashley Abbott at the request of B&B executive producer Bradley Bell. Her Bold and the Beautiful debut 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. Since 2008, Davidson has written four novels as a part of her Soap Opera Mystery series; following a soap opera actress named Alexis Peterson. The Soap Opera Mystery series includes Death in Daytime (2008), Dial Emmy for Murder (2009), Diva Las Vegas (2010), and Swinging in the Rain (2011). In July 2008, Davidson was downgraded to recurring status at The Bold and the Beautiful; leading to her full-time return to The Young and the Restless on September 26, 2008, and her definitive exit from The Bold and the Beautiful in November. In May 2012, Davidson announced per her Twitter account that she had been fired from The Young and the Restless. In July, journalist Nelson Branco explained 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, resulting in Sony terminating her contract with them. Thus, it was announced that Davidson would reprise her role as Kristen Blake DiMera on Days of Our Lives.Davidson made a brief appearance on The Young and the Restless in February 2013 for the soap's 40th anniversary. In July 2013, Davidson made the decision to leave Days of Our Lives one year after her return. Her intended final on-screen appearance as Kristen aired on November 13, however, Davidson returned for an episode on December 3, 2013. In January 2014, TV Guide reported Davidson would formally return to Days in the summer of 2014. On May 1, 2014, Davidson was revealed as a nominee for the Daytime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series for her role as Kristen DiMera. It was her third Daytime Emmy Award nomination, her second for Days; she won her first Daytime Emmy Award at the 41st Daytime Emmy Awards, making her the second actress to win a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of "Lead Actress" for the soap. On June 17, 2014, Soap Opera Digest confirmed Davidson had signed a contract to return to The Young and the Restless. Subsequently, Davidson revealed that her Y&R contract was for two years and that it included a stipulation that she could continue doing Days of Our Lives (which she had finished filming for two weeks prior) in the future, as well as having the option of taking a break if work became too hectic. The following month, Davidson was confirmed to be joining the cast of the fifth season of the Bravo reality television series, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, her first appearance on reality television. On November 17, 2014, it was announced that Davidson was back on-set of Days of Our Lives, with a stint set to air in spring 2015. She appeared from April 15–30, 2015. On June 12, 2017, Davidson was confirmed to be returning to Days of Our Lives in an unknown capacity and role. In July, Davidson announced her departure from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills after three seasons due to work scheduling. She appeared on Days from November 2–21, portraying the role of Susan, and briefly reprising the roles of Kristen and Sister Mary Moira. In April 2018, Davidson won her second Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series for her role as Ashley Abbott; her first award for her work on The Young and the Restless. In late June, Davidson announced she would be departing Y&R in September, after wanting more control of her "day-to-day life." Davidson reprised the role of Ashley on Y&R from March 28–29, 2019. In September 2019, she starred as KC in the comedy film 7 Days to Vegas directed by Eric Balfour, and co-written by her husband, Vincent Van Patten. The following year, she starred in the Christmas film Middleton Christmas (2020) as Alana D'Angelo, the dean of a prestigious high school. From 2021 to 2022, she starred in the Peacock limited series, Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem reprising her previous roles of Kristen, Thomas Banks, and Sister Mary Moira Banks. She also starred in the Christmas film Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas for the streaming service in 2021. Also in 2021, Davidson starred in the thriller film Symphoria written and directed by Catherine Dao. In 2023, she starred in the Netflix romantic Christmas drama film Holiday in the Vineyards.

Eileen Davidson
Greg Hernandez from California, CA, USA · Flickr
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.In The Middle. Soap Opera Digest. September 19, 2015.
- 2.Peterson, Bettelou (Knight-Ridder). "Here's the Lowdown on Eileen Davidson" . The Ledger Enquirer TV Book. June 12, 1988. p. 60. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- 3.Barrand, Roderick (March 30, 1988). "After 6 Years, Y&R's Ashley set to 'go for the gold'". The Post-Crescent. p. 37. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- 4.What time do the Daytime Emmy Awards start?. Eileen Davidson poised to end 39-year drought for 'Days of Our Lives' at Daytime Emmys. Goldderby.com. 2014-04-25.
- 5.Ramos, Dino-Ray. Daytime Emmy Awards Complete Winners List: 'Days Of Our Lives', 'The Talk', 'GMA' Among Honorees. Deadline Hollywood. April 29, 2018.
- 6.People Magazine. Daze of Their Lives. August 1997.
- 7.Lipton, Michael A. Daze of Their Lives. People.com. August 11, 1997.
- 8.YouTube cbignore. Spotlight On Interview with Eileen Davidson (ex-Kristen DiMera) (Original Airdate Sept 2019). July 25, 2020.
- 9.Eileen Davidson. Bravo TV Official Site. 2014-10-31.
- 10.Faces to Watch. Entertainment Weekly. April 5, 1991.
- 11.Paramount Press Express THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. www.paramountpressexpress.com. August 4, 2004.
- 12.Entertainment and Celebrity News, TV News and Breaking News | TV Guide.
- 13.Soap Opera Weekly. Y&R's Melody Thomas Scott May Not Have a Storyline, But She Has a Lot to Say. 10–11. 2007-02-13.
- 14.Kroll, Dan J. Davidson goes from Restless to Beautiful. www.soapcentral.com. February 7, 2007.
- 15.Soap Opera Weekly. Eileen Davidson to B&B!. 5. 2007-02-13.
- 16.eileendavidsonbooks.com. Eileendavidsonbooks.com.
- 17.Eileen Davidson - The Young and the Restless Cast Member.
- 18.Kroll, Dan J. Eileen Davidson returns full-time to The Young and the Restless. soapcentral.com. August 28, 2008.
- 19.Staff. Eileen Davidson Out At Y&R. Soap Opera Digest. May 9, 2012.
- 20.Fairman, Michael. Eileen Davidson Rejoins Days of our Lives as Kristen DiMera and Susan Banks!. Michael Fairman On-Air On-Soaps. 2012-06-26.
- 21.Logan, Michael. Exclusive: Eileen Davidson on Her Return to The Young and the Restless. TVGuide.com. 2013-02-20.
- 22.Logan, Michael. Exclusive: Eileen Davidson Talks About Her Shocking Departure From Days of Our Lives. TVGuide.com. 2013-08-01.
- 23.Sloane, Stephanie. Comings and Goings. Soap Opera Digest. American Media, Inc. 38. 49. 10. December 9, 2013.
- 24.Sloane, Stephanie. Comings and Goings. Soap Opera Digest. American Media, Inc. 38. 46. 11. November 18, 2013.
- 25.Exclusive: Eileen Davidson Returns to Days of Our Lives. TV Guide.
- 26.Fairman, Michael. 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced. Michael Fairman On-Air On-Soaps. 2012-06-26.
- 27.Digest, Soap Opera. EXCLUSIVE! EILEEN DAVIDSON SIGNS CONTRACT WITH Y&R. Soap Opera Digest. soapoperadigest.com. 2014-06-17.
- 28.Magazine, TVSource. Soap Star Eileen Davidson Appearing on 'Home & Family'; Reveals Y&R and Days Scoop!. TVSource Magazine. tvsourcemagazine.com. 2014-06-19.
- 29.usmagazine.com. Days of Our Lives Actress Eileen Davidson Joining The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Us Magazine. April 1998.
- 30.Eileen Davidson Leaving RHOBH. People.
- 31.Logan, Michael. Emmy Winner Eileen Davidson Returns to Days of Our Lives. TV Insider. CBS Interactive. June 12, 2017.
- 32.Quinn, Dave. Eileen Davidson Leaving 'RHOBH' After Three Seasons: 'It's Best for Me and My Family if I Step Away for Now'. People. July 7, 2017.
- 33.Ramos, Dino-Ray. Daytime Emmy Awards Complete Winners List: 'Days Of Our Lives', 'The Talk', 'GMA' Among Honorees. Deadline. April 30, 2018.
- 34.Evans, Greg. 'Young & Restless' Star Eileen Davidson Will Leave Show After 36 Years. Deadline. June 27, 2018.
- 35.Staff. Exclusive! Eileen Davidson's Ashley Back For A Y&R Visit. Soap Opera Digest. February 25, 2019.
- 36.7 Days to Vegas - Rotten Tomatoes. www.rottentomatoes.com. September 20, 2019.
- 37.Young, Candace. Eileen Davidson's Bittersweet 'There Will Always Be Christmas'. Soaps.com. 2019-11-11.
- 38.Cohn, Paulette. Celebrate Christmas With the Hortons, Bradys & DiMeras! Here's Everything We Know About Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas, Including Alison Sweeney's Return. Parade. December 16, 2021.
- 39.Young, Candace. Eileen Davidson & A Martinez Team Up in Romantic Thriller 'Symphoria'. November 13, 2019.
- 40.Donnelly, Matt. Ali Afshar, Former Racing Pro and Holiday Movie Mogul, Looks Beyond Christmas for Growth. March 17, 2023.
- 41.Littleton, Cynthia. ABC tops Emmy noms. Variety. Penske Business Media. March 11, 1998.
- 42.Paramount Press Express THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. www.paramountpressexpress.com. August 4, 2004.
- 43.Gannett Company. Nominees for Daytime Emmys. USA Today. March 12, 2003.
- 44.Bowe, Jullian. Eileen Davidson WINS Daytime Emmy For Outstanding Lead Actress!. Zap2it. Daytimeconfidential.zap2it.com. June 22, 2014.
- 45.emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The 41st Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award Winners. June 16, 2013.
- 46.The Garden State Film Festival 2021 Winners. gsff.org.
- 47.emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The 52nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations. 2025.
- 48.Lewis, Errol. Eileen Davidson Set For 'DAYS' Return. Soap Opera Digest. Soapoperanetwork.com. November 17, 2014.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,298 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Eiko MatsudaPerson
- Eila PehkonenPerson
- Eileen AbadPerson
- Eileen AtkinsPerson
- Eileen DerbyshirePerson
- Eileen DietzPerson
- Eileen EssellPerson
- Eileen FultonPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Eileen Davidson?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.