Ilene Kristen is celebrating her 70th birthday today!
Ilene Kristen’s introduction to television came by way of her dancing talents. Her first television appearance was on Ted Steele’s Dance party in the early 1960s and her first professional job was at the age of 14 as a dancer on The Bell Telephone Hour.
She was born Ilene Schatz on July 30, 1952, in Brooklyn, New York as the elder child of Arthur Schatz of Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Myrna Levin of Borough Park, Brooklyn.
For the next several years she worked as a dancer before making her on-screen acting debut in the comedy film Preacherman and then a year later she landed the role of Patty Simcox in the original Broadway production of Grease. From there it has been onward and upward.
The veteran soap actress has been on Another World, Loving, General Hospital, Pride: The Series, and The Bay. But soap fans know and love her most for her role of Delia Ryan on Ryan’s Hope and her portrayal of Roxy Balsom on One Life to Live which also garnered the actress a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Next up for Kristen are the two upcoming films, the comedy-drama Bleecker, and the drama Brooklyn. So, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for more info!
Happy Birthday, Ilene!
Article by Kenyan Smith
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