Patsy Pease Biography

Patricia Ann "Patsy" Pease (born July 5, 1956) is an American soap opera actress. She is most known for her role as Kimberly Brady on Days of our Lives (1984 to 1990, 1991 to 1992, 1992, & 1996 to 1998 on contract, 1998 on a recurring basis, and guest returns in 1994, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2010).

Career

Pease was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She attended the North Carolina School of the Arts four year bachelor's program in theater arts. She was awarded the governor's scholarship for her junior and senior years. She is an accredited teacher for the American Film Institute and S.A.G. Conservatory, dance teacher and fitness consultant.

Pease's first soap opera role was as waitress Cissie Mitchell Sentell on Search for Tomorrow, a role she played from 1979 until 1983.

In 1984 Pease debuted as Kimberly Brady on Days of Our Lives. She was half of a popular supercouple in her love affair and eventual marriage to Charles Shaughnessy's character, Shane Donovan.

She won "Best Actress" in the Soap Opera Digest Awards in 1986 and the "Best Super Couple Award" the same year with Charles Shaughnessy. She was nominated again in 1988 for "Best Actress" but won for "Best Super Couple" again the same year.

In 1990 she left the show when a storyline decision dictated that her character would give birth to a stillborn baby. Pease was pregnant at the time. She returned again from late 1991 until the spring of 1992 on a recurring basis, before returning on contract from July to December 1992. Pease left the series and was briefly replaced with Ariana Chase from December 1992 to June 1993 before Kim was written out of the cavanas. Peace reprised her role as Kimberly as a guest appearances two years later in 1994 for Tom Horton's Funeral before returning to the series two years later. In 1996, Pease reprised her role as Kimberly for a guest appearance however, at the request of NBC Daytime President Don Ohlmeyer & Days of our Lives Head Writer, James E. Reilly, Pasty Pease signed a two-year contract to stay with the show, and Kimberly and her children returned to Salem and the Brady Family. During Kimberly's return on the show, Kimberly was a back-burner series regular, only seen when holidays, events and crises were going on in Salem, (such as Hope and Bo's Wedding, Sami and Austin/Austin and Carrie's Wedding, Kristen/Susan/Secret Room storyline, Jungle, etc). Kimberly did however aid in saving Hope and John's life when Stefano held them captive in the jungle when finding a cure for her brother Roman. Eventually, when several disagreements between the Writing Team under Sally Sussman Morina in the spring of 1998 about possible storylines for Kimberly did not fall through, Pease did not renew her contract and stayed on a recurring basis with the series before leaving all together in December 1998 as Kimberly left Salem and returned to Los Angeles. Pease returned in early 1999 in a brief guest appearance, and would return for short stints in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, and for Alice Horton's funeral in June 2010. Pease will return to the series in the fall of 2013, but it is unaware if she will remain with the show on contract basis or in a guest appearance.

Personal life

Pease's nickname in high school was "Zonker". She attended the North Carolina Governor's School of Drama in 1973. Later she was accepted into the North Carolina School of the Arts BFA program in the theater arts. Working her way through her freshman year, she was mentored by Broadway jazz dancer Mollie Murray and taught summer classes. She also performed as a jazz dancer for NCSA. She won the Governor's Scholarship for outstanding performance in both her junior and senior years. She played "a mean 12 bar blues" piano at a Winston-Salem supper club during the summer vacation to pay for her one-way bus ticket to New York City after graduation.

Pease checked hats and coats at the Copacabana in New York, waited tables, cleaned apartments and lived on a five floor walk up, sharing one bathroom with 20 girls at the famous Rehearsal Club. She landed the role of the country and western Cissie Mitchell for Search For Tomorrow in 1978. But dance was in her blood so she left a contract role after two years, to the shock of the producers and her agent, to "shadow" Bob Fosse's entourage and "gypsy" New York's finest jazz and ballet classes until she left with her boyfriend for Los Angeles in 1981.

In Los Angeles, Pease's agency dropped her, her boyfriend left and her car was stolen. So she went to the nearest Big Five and bought the best tennis shoe available and, "New York style", just walked until she found work. She worked for fitness teacher Karen Voight. Pease did not own a TV, slept on a futon and struggled to pay the rent for a one room walk up in the downtown Wilshire area. She studied Tae Kwon Do with master Jun Chong to keep her spirits up and survive the neighborhood. Then she had a phone call from casting for Days Of Our Lives. She was not listed so, to this day, she has no idea how they found her. She was asked to audition the next day. Pease had to thumb a ride to get to the Sunset Gower Studios in time. The stage manager grabbed her when she arrived and dried off the sweat from Pease's clothes with a hair dryer from make-up. "Never let them see you sweat", was the advice that stayed with her during the four call back auditions over the next few days. She waited until everyone left so they would not see her waiting for a bus to go home.

In July 1984, Pease was hired as one of daytime TVs all-time favorite characters, Kimberly Brady. She stayed in contract on and off until 1992. In 1996, Pease reprised her role as Kimberly for a guest appearance however, at the request of NBC Daytime President Don Ohlmeyer & Days of our Lives Head Writer, James E. Reilly, Pasty Pease signed a two-year contract to stay with the show, and Kimberly and her children returned to Salem and the Brady Family. Pease had strong maternal instincts to care for her two sons. One was born with a rare disease, arthrogryposis. She knew she belonged caring for both her children instead of having someone else raise them. So she left show business until after her son had 12 surgeries and recovered fully.

Pease went on to do six films and recurring parts for The Young and the Restless. She also worked on Days of our Lives whenever they needed her.

When Pease returned to Days, in 1991, she went public with her own story; her mother was schizophrenic and tortured her and her two siblings for years. Her mother committed suicide when Pease was 15 years old. Her brother never recovered and died when he was 29. Pease suffered four spine surgeries as a result of what happened to her. After years of counseling, she maintains a "no victims allowed" policy. Pease went public to carry the message of recovery and hope to thousands of people still suffering. "The key", she points out, "is personal responsibility and forgiveness."

Currently, Pease speaks with support groups.

Television and film roles

• 1979-1982: Search for Tomorrow as Cissie Mitchell Sentell (unknown episodes)
• 1980: He Knows You're Alone as Joyce
• 1983: Trapper John, M.D. as Anita (1 episode)
• 1983: Remington Steele as Sherry Webster (1 episode)
• 1983: Space Raiders as Amanda
• 1984"present: Days of our Lives as Kimberly Brady (Role From: 1984 to 1990, 1991 to 1992, 1996"1999, 2010-; Guest Returns: 1994, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2010)
• 1994: Hardbal as Gloria (1 episode)
• 1995: Improper Conduct as Jo Ann
• 1997: Total Reality as Leader
• 1996: The Young and the Restless as Patricia Fennell (unknown episodes)
• 1999: Two Shades of Blue as Gwen Reynolds