Born and raised in the picturesque upstate region of New York, Holly Hayes has established herself as a seasoned and accomplished actress, with a diverse range of roles spanning over three decades. Her impressive repertoire includes notable performances in Christmas in Rome, The Killer Beside Me, Free Rein, Living It, Emerald City, The Night Manager, and 1408.
Throughout her illustrious career, Hayes has had the privilege of taking on a wide variety of roles in both stage and screen productions, including plays, television shows, films, commercials, and voice-overs. Her extensive experience has allowed her to hone her craft and adapt to different genres and mediums.
Hayes' academic background is equally impressive, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and Directing from Ithaca College, which she earned in 1979. She furthered her education by obtaining a Master of Fine Arts from the prestigious Yale School of Drama in 1986.
Hayes' early career was marked by her work in regional theatres across the United States, including Baltimore Centre Stage, Players Theatre Columbus, and GeVa. She then went on to star in the groundbreaking Off-Broadway hit Vampire Lesbians of Sodom by Charles Busch, a role that cemented her status as a rising star.
Her Broadway debut was a significant milestone, as she originated the role of Catherine de Brie in David Hirson's La Bête, directed by Richard Jones and starring Tom McGowan and Dylan Baker. Hayes' performance was so impressive that she was invited to reprise her role in London at The Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, starring the talented Alan Cumming.
For several years, Hayes split her time between New York and London, appearing in a range of productions, including The Good Times Are Killing Me at Second Stage, Minetta Lane, Ford's Theatre in Washington DC, and The Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, Canada. In London, she worked in fringe theatre and repertory productions before making her West End debut in Ronald Harwood's Taking Sides, directed by the renowned Harold Pinter.
Hayes' personal life has been marked by a strong connection to her family, and she has been based in London since marrying a British theatre producer and starting a family. Although her husband's work has taken them around the world, Hayes has remained in London, where she has continued to work and build a life.
In addition to her acting career, Hayes has devoted over a decade to teaching acting to hundreds of young people, an experience that she believes has been just as rewarding as her time on stage and screen. Despite her many accomplishments, Hayes remains humble and acknowledges that her students have taught her far more than she has taught them.
