Kathryn Hays, a renowned American actress, is most famously recognized for her remarkable 38-year tenure as the fiery matriarch Kim Sullivan Hughes on the iconic daytime soap opera As the World Turns, which debuted in 1956.
Born Kay Piper in Princeton to Roger and Daisy (Hays) Piper, she spent her childhood in Joliet, Illinois. After completing junior college, Hays attended the prestigious Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Initially, her career began as a model, but she soon transitioned to acting, both on stage and screen. From the early 1960s, she secured regular guest roles on prime-time television shows, including Route 66, Bonanza, The Virginian, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Mannix.
Hays also made several appearances as a supporting player on Broadway. In 1966, she co-starred alongside Barry Sullivan in the NBC western series The Road West, which ran for one season and 29 episodes. The following year, she appeared as the tempestuous 'Tornado' Frances in an episode of The High Chaparral.
Her most iconic guest-starring role is arguably the Minaran empath Gem on the popular science fiction series Star Trek in 1966. Gem possessed the extraordinary ability to absorb the pain of others and heal their injuries, while also learning about compassion and sacrifice. Notably, Gem was a mute character, and Hays conveyed more emotion through her eyes and gestures than could have been expressed through dialogue.
Hays' notable film appearances include the psychological cold war thriller Ladybug Ladybug in 1963, where she played a school secretary, and the World War II epic Counterpoint in 1967, in which she portrayed cellist Annabel Rice, an ex-lover of the main protagonist, played by Charlton Heston.
From 1972 until her retirement, Hays remained gainfully employed in As the World Turns, based in New York.
In her personal life, Hays was married three times, with her second husband being the renowned actor Glenn Ford from 1966 to 1969.
