Eileen Davidson

Eileen Marie Davidson (born June 15, 1959) is an American actress, reality star, author and former model, best known for her performances in television soap operas. Davidson is best known for her roles in soap operas as Kristen DiMera on NBC's Days of Our Lives, and Ashley Abbott on CBS's The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful. In 2014, for her role in Days of Our Lives, Davidson was awarded a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series; the second actress to win a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of "Lead Actress" for the soap. Davidson also starred in the 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 reality television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills with record salary of $750,000 per season. 2Early life Davidson, the youngest of six children, was born in Artesia, California to Charlotte (1922–2016), a homemaker, and Richard Davidson (1915–1981), an airplane parts manufacturer. She was raised Catholic. Davidson started her career as a model in Mexico City and California, eventually adding commercials and print work in Europe. Her roommate had recommended that she take acting classes and she trained at the Staircase Theater. 2Career 3Early work Davidson originated the role of Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless in March 1982, beating out more than 100 candidate