Louise Sorel's early life and career were shaped by her Jewish heritage and her roots in theatre. Born on August 6, 1940, in Los Angeles to entertainment professionals, she studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York.
Her Broadway debut came in 1961 with the comedy "Take Her, She's Mine," starring Art Carney. She also appeared in "Lorenzo" (1963) and "Man and Boy" (1963). Her interest in acting was sparked by her actress/concert pianist mother Jeanne Sorel and father Albert J. Cohen, who produced films in the 1940s and 1950s.
Louise co-starred on Broadway with Rita Moreno in "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window" in 1964 and appeared with George C. Scott and Colleen Dewhurst as Princess Alais in the 1967 Bucks County Playhouse production of "The Lion in Winter."
She began her television career with small roles in various dramatic shows, including "Dr. Kildare," "The Defenders," "The Trials of O'Brien," "Route 66," and "The Rat Patrol." She also appeared in "The Virginian," "Run for Your Life," "Star Trek," "The Big Valley," "The Fugitive," "Night Gallery," "The Bold Ones," "Banacek," "Hawaii Five-0," "Owen Marshall," "Kojak," "Hart to Hart," "The Incredible Hulk," "Ironside," and several episodes of "Medical Center."
In the 1970s, Louise turned to comedy, appearing as Don Rickles' wife on his poorly-received series "The Don Rickles Show" (1972). She also co-starred with her then-husband Herb Edelman in the failed sitcom "Ladies' Man" (1980).
Louise met her second husband, actor Ken Howard, in 1972 while appearing with him in a Philadelphia stage production of "Volpone." They married a year later but divorced a couple of years later in 1975.
In the 1980s, Louise appeared in support in several films, including "Plaza Suite" (1971),"Every Little Crook and Nanny" (1972),"Airplane II: The Sequel" (1982),"Where the Boys Are" (1984),and "Crimes of Passion" (1984). She also had a regular role in the short-lived comedy series "Ladies' Man" (1980) and co-starred in several TV movies, including "The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped" (1974),"The Mark of Zorro" (1974),"When Every Day Was the Fourth of July" (1978),"Mazes and Monsters" (1982),"Sunset Limousine" (1983),and "A Masterpiece of Murder" (1986).
Louise's career was revitalized in the late 1980s with her roles in various daytime soap operas. She began her road to sudsy infamy in 1984 as the eccentric archvillainess Augusta Lockridge for the entire run of "Santa Barbara." From there, she was given recurring roles as Judith Sanders on "One Life to Live" (1968) and as Donatella Stewart on "Port Charles" (1997). In 1992, Louise joined the cast of "Days of Our Lives" (1965) as the manipulative Vivian Alamain. By the time she left in 2000, she had won five Soap Opera Digest Awards.
More recently, Louise has had devilish fun in the quirky soap "Passions" (1999) and in a recurring role on the political drama "Beacon Hill" (2014).
