Rosemary Prinz
Encyclopedia
Rosemary Prinz was a stage and television actress. She is most known for her work in the early era of the American
soap opera
.
. Her father, Milton Prinz, was a talented cellist (many years later Prinz taped How to Survive a Marriage
in the same studio where her father had performed with Arturo Toscanini
) and Prinz herself spent her early years in the theater. After graduating from high school at age sixteen, she made her summer stock debut in a 1947 production of Dream Girls.
In 1952 she made her Broadway
debut as a girl scout in The Grey-Eyed People and returned to Broadway in 1978 for a production of Tribute with Jack Lemmon
. Prinz has continued to work in all forms of theater, including in recent years, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
, Master Class
, Mame, and Annie Get Your Gun
, and a 2003 New York appearance in Killing Louise; she played the role of M'lynn in the original production of Steel Magnolias
(1987–89).
Prinz made her television debut in the short-lived 1954 daytime drama First Love, as the wife of aviator Chris (Frankie Thomas
). Her most famous role to date has been her portrayal of Penny Hughes on As the World Turns
, a role she played from 1956 to 1968. Penny had a number of stories but her most popular story was her tortured relationship with Jeff Baker (Mark Rydell
). They were daytime's first teen romance and first supercouple
, breaking up and reuniting many times; when they finally married for good and planned to adopt a child, Jeff was killed in a car crash. Viewers were outraged; TV Guide
called it "the auto accident that shook the nation".
Over the years, rumors surfaced that Prinz had been pushed to many nervous breakdown
s due to the constant criticisms that she endured from show creator Irna Phillips
. When she left the show in 1968, Prinz said she would never return to soap operas again. However, she was lured back, but only for a limited engagement each time. Her first return was to play the role of Amy Tyler on All My Children
for six months in 1970. Agnes Nixon
, who had written for Prinz on ATWT, felt Prinz would be crucial in helping to launch the new series. Prinz agreed, on the condition that her character oppose the Vietnam War
, which Prinz herself opposed, and on the condition that she be given above-the-title billing. Prinz was the only AMC performer to date to receive that honor. Prinz was also, until 1990, the only AMC actor to have her photo in the opening credits.
This role was followed by a short-lived turn as the lead character, Dr. Julie Franklin, in How to Survive a Marriage
in 1974. In 1988, she became the last actress to play Sister Mary Joel on Ryan's Hope
. She has since made several returns to ATWT, usually during family events. She returned in 1985 for Bob
and Kim
's wedding and in 1986 to celebrate her parents' fiftieth wedding anniversary.
She returned to ATWT again in 1998 so Penny could attend her mother's eightieth birthday party (during which she uttered the memorable line, "who are all these people?", when a series of new characters interrupted the party), and in 2000 to visit her family for Christmas.
Prinz also had a number of stage roles during this period, perhaps her most prominent being that of M'lynn in the stage version of Steel Magnolias
(played by Sally Field
in the film version).
In the late 1970s Prinz began to make rare prime-time television appearances, including a recurring role on Knots Landing
from 1981–1982 as Sylvia Warren, who was convinced her husband was having an affair with Laura Avery (Constance McCashin
).
At age seventy, Prinz made her movie debut in the low-budget The Bread, My Sweet
, which starred Scott Baio
. Until that time the closest she had come to moviemaking was a 1948 film for the Navy
, It Could Happen to Your Sister, in which she played a young woman who contracted an STD
. In 2004 she completed a short film, Extreme Mom.
Prinz was married to actor Michael Thoma from 1951–1957 (Thoma died in 1982 at the age of 55), and has been married to jazz drummer Joseph Patti since 1967.
At one time, she was the highest paid soap actress in America. A 1970 New York Times article states that she received $750 per episode for the year 1968 (her final year) on As the World Turns. NBC Vice-President Lin Bolen lured Prinz to How to Survive a Marriage for $1000 a week, with the stipulation that Prinz only had to work three days out of five each week. Again, it was an unprecedented sum for a soap actress to earn at that time.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
.
Life and career
Prinz was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Her father, Milton Prinz, was a talented cellist (many years later Prinz taped How to Survive a Marriage
How to Survive a Marriage
How to Survive a Marriage is a soap opera which aired on the NBC television network from January 7, 1974 to April 17, 1975. The serial was created by Anne Howard Bailey, with much input from then-NBC Vice President Lin Bolen...
in the same studio where her father had performed with Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
) and Prinz herself spent her early years in the theater. After graduating from high school at age sixteen, she made her summer stock debut in a 1947 production of Dream Girls.
In 1952 she made her Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut as a girl scout in The Grey-Eyed People and returned to Broadway in 1978 for a production of Tribute with Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon
John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...
. Prinz has continued to work in all forms of theater, including in recent years, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a play by Tennessee Williams. One of Williams's best-known works and his personal favorite, the play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1955...
, Master Class
Master Class
Master Class is a play by Terrence McNally, with incidental music by Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, and Vincenzo Bellini.The play originally was staged by the Philadelphia Theatre Company and the Mark Taper Forum. After twelve previews, the Broadway production, directed by Leonard Foglia, opened...
, Mame, and Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley , who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.The 1946 Broadway production...
, and a 2003 New York appearance in Killing Louise; she played the role of M'lynn in the original production of Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross that stars Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts....
(1987–89).
Prinz made her television debut in the short-lived 1954 daytime drama First Love, as the wife of aviator Chris (Frankie Thomas
Frankie Thomas
Frank Marion Thomas, Jr. was an American actor, author and bridge-strategy expert who played both lead and supporting roles on Broadway, in films, in post-World War II radio, and in early television. He was best known for his starring role in Tom Corbett, Space Cadet.-Early years:Thomas was born...
). Her most famous role to date has been her portrayal of Penny Hughes on As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
, a role she played from 1956 to 1968. Penny had a number of stories but her most popular story was her tortured relationship with Jeff Baker (Mark Rydell
Mark Rydell
Mark Rydell is an American actor, film director and producer.-Career:Rydell's initial training was in music. As a youth, he wanted to be a conductor. He began his career as an actor and first became known for his role as Walt Johnson on The Edge of Night and as Jeff Baker on As the World Turns,...
). They were daytime's first teen romance and first supercouple
Supercouple
A supercouple or super couple is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or even obsessive fashion...
, breaking up and reuniting many times; when they finally married for good and planned to adopt a child, Jeff was killed in a car crash. Viewers were outraged; TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
called it "the auto accident that shook the nation".
Over the years, rumors surfaced that Prinz had been pushed to many nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
s due to the constant criticisms that she endured from show creator Irna Phillips
Irna Phillips
Irna Phillips was an American actress and most notably writer who created and scripted many of the first American soap operas.Phillips created radio and TV soap operas including:...
. When she left the show in 1968, Prinz said she would never return to soap operas again. However, she was lured back, but only for a limited engagement each time. Her first return was to play the role of Amy Tyler on All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
for six months in 1970. Agnes Nixon
Agnes Nixon
Agnes Nixon is an American writer and producer. She attended Northwestern University where she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, and is best known as the creator of soap operas such as One Life to Live and All My Children...
, who had written for Prinz on ATWT, felt Prinz would be crucial in helping to launch the new series. Prinz agreed, on the condition that her character oppose the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, which Prinz herself opposed, and on the condition that she be given above-the-title billing. Prinz was the only AMC performer to date to receive that honor. Prinz was also, until 1990, the only AMC actor to have her photo in the opening credits.
This role was followed by a short-lived turn as the lead character, Dr. Julie Franklin, in How to Survive a Marriage
How to Survive a Marriage
How to Survive a Marriage is a soap opera which aired on the NBC television network from January 7, 1974 to April 17, 1975. The serial was created by Anne Howard Bailey, with much input from then-NBC Vice President Lin Bolen...
in 1974. In 1988, she became the last actress to play Sister Mary Joel on Ryan's Hope
Ryan's Hope
Ryan's Hope is an American soap opera, revolving around 13 years of trials and tribulations within a large Irish American family in the Riverside district of New York City. It aired from July 7, 1975 to January 13, 1989 on ABC...
. She has since made several returns to ATWT, usually during family events. She returned in 1985 for Bob
Bob Hughes
Dr. Robert "Bob" Hughes. M.D. is a fictional character on the American soap opera, As the World Turns. Bob was played by actor Don Hastings from October 1960 until the series' final episode on September 17, 2010...
and Kim
Kim Sullivan Hughes
Kimberly "Kim" Hughes was a fictional character on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. The character was portrayed by Kathryn Hays continuously from 1972...
's wedding and in 1986 to celebrate her parents' fiftieth wedding anniversary.
She returned to ATWT again in 1998 so Penny could attend her mother's eightieth birthday party (during which she uttered the memorable line, "who are all these people?", when a series of new characters interrupted the party), and in 2000 to visit her family for Christmas.
Prinz also had a number of stage roles during this period, perhaps her most prominent being that of M'lynn in the stage version of Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross that stars Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts....
(played by Sally Field
Sally Field
Sally Margaret Field is an American actress, singer, producer, director, and screenwriter. In each decade of her career, she has been known for major roles in American TV/film culture, including: in the 1960s, for Gidget or Sister Bertrille on The Flying Nun ; in the 1970s, for Sybil , Smokey and...
in the film version).
In the late 1970s Prinz began to make rare prime-time television appearances, including a recurring role on Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
from 1981–1982 as Sylvia Warren, who was convinced her husband was having an affair with Laura Avery (Constance McCashin
Constance McCashin
Constance McCashin is an American actress.McCashin was born in Chicago. She is best known for her role as Laura Avery Sumner on the prime time drama Knots Landing, which she played from the show's debut in 1979 until 1987 when the character died of a brain tumor and her funeral was the basis of...
).
At age seventy, Prinz made her movie debut in the low-budget The Bread, My Sweet
A Wedding for Bella
A Wedding for Bella is a 2001 motion picture that told the story of a successful businessman who trades in his single lifestyle to marry the estranged daughter of a terminally ill elderly woman whom he loves like a mother.Written and directed by Melissa Martin, the film is set in Pittsburgh's...
, which starred Scott Baio
Scott Baio
Scott Vincent James Baio is an American actor and television director, best known for his roles as Chachi Arcola on the sitcom Happy Days and its spin-off, Joanie Loves Chachi, and as the title character on the sitcom Charles in Charge....
. Until that time the closest she had come to moviemaking was a 1948 film for the Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
, It Could Happen to Your Sister, in which she played a young woman who contracted an STD
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
. In 2004 she completed a short film, Extreme Mom.
Prinz was married to actor Michael Thoma from 1951–1957 (Thoma died in 1982 at the age of 55), and has been married to jazz drummer Joseph Patti since 1967.
At one time, she was the highest paid soap actress in America. A 1970 New York Times article states that she received $750 per episode for the year 1968 (her final year) on As the World Turns. NBC Vice-President Lin Bolen lured Prinz to How to Survive a Marriage for $1000 a week, with the stipulation that Prinz only had to work three days out of five each week. Again, it was an unprecedented sum for a soap actress to earn at that time.