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Alexa Carole Havins (born November 16, 1980) is an American actress. She first came to prominence in 2003, when she became the originating actress in the role of Babe Carey Chandler on the
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 20 ...
''. Her role as the flawed but good Babe Carey earned her a
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
nomination in 2005 and recognition as being half of one of the show's most popular soap opera pairings. Havins has made guest appearances in a number of television shows, as well as a number of independent films. In 2011, she joined the main cast for ''
Torchwood ''Torchwood'' is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing ...
's'' fourth series, '' Torchwood: Miracle Day'', airing on
BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide Ltd. was the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in January 1995. The company monetises BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadcas ...
and US premium television network
Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...
.


Early life

Alexa Havins was born in Artesia, New Mexico on November 16, 1980. As a child and adolescent, she was raised in
Chandler, Arizona Chandler is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and a suburb in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). It is bordered to the north and west by Tempe, to the north by Mesa, to the west by Phoenix, to the ...
, later attending Chandler High School. Coincidentally, her mother often called her Babe. Her childhood nickname was the "Ice Maiden" because she was "deathly shy". Havins was first introduced to entertainment at age 3 when she discovered dancing. At the age of five, she was already performing professionally with a jazz ensemble. However, it was not until she was discovered by renowned acting coach, Jean Fowler, who encouraged her move to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, that she began to turn her talent into a professional career. There, she attended the prestigious Circle in the Square Theatre School, where her love for acting would develop. While in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, Havins met and studied closely under the legendary acting coach Brian Reise. The two have remained close friends, and he continues to be a mentor to her to this day.


Career

Before her role as Babe Carey Chandler on ''
All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 20 ...
'', Havins was a professional dancer. She changed her focus to acting, carrying a principle with her: "Always hold on to your morals and values because this business can be very deceiving. I turned down a lot of things because there was nudity required," she said. During her time on the series, Havins earned a
Daytime Emmy The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (N ...
nomination for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series and a
Soap Opera Digest Award ''The Soap Opera Digest Awards'', originally known as ''The Soapy Awards'' when introduced in 1977, is an awards show held by the daytime television magazine ''Soap Opera Digest''. History 1977 until 1983 The Soapy Awards were an award presen ...
for Outstanding Younger Lead Actress. In a baby switch storyline set into motion by two shows, ''All My Children'' and ''
One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...
'', she portrayed the character on ''One Life to Live'' as well. Other acting compliments include her character's romantic pairing with
Jacob Young Jacob Wayne Young (born September 10, 1979) is an American actor and producer. He is a five-time Daytime Emmy Award nominee, winning once in 2002 for his role as Lucky Spencer in the soap opera '' General Hospital'' (2000–2003). He is best kn ...
's
JR Chandler Adam "JR" Chandler Jr. is a fictional character from the ABC and The Online Network daytime drama ''All My Children''. He was portrayed by Jacob Young from 2003 to 2011, prior to Ryan Bittle taking over the role in 2013. Bittle was cast as the ne ...
, often cited for their romantic chemistry. "The on-screen chemistry she shares with Emmy-winning co-star Jacob Young is simply sizzling and truly magnetizing," stated soap opera site ''
Soapcentral There are multiple media outlets which focus primarily on television soap operas and telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "televisio ...
''. The two actors' dynamic as the pair made their characters well known in the top ten couples lists for one of today's most popular soap opera couples. While still on contract with ''All My Children'', Havins appeared in films ''Joe Killionaire'', the 2004 horror-comedy by writer-director Sean Morton, Tracy Michele Tabb's 26-minute 2005 romantic comedy ''First Kiss'', Travis Betz's 2006 horror ''Joshua'', and Ash Christian's original off-beat 2006 comedy feature ''Fat Girls''. In addition, Havins guest-starred in a June 2006 episode of FX's critically praised series '' Rescue Me'', as well as guest-starred on the pilot episode of ''On and Off'', though this series was never aired. On stage, Havins received credit in a production of
Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...
' ''
The Glass Menagerie ''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his Histrionic persona ...
'', where she portrayed Laura, the painfully shy girl who has a troubled relationship with her aging mother. She also portrayed the lead role of 12-year-old
tomboy A tomboy is a term for a girl or a young woman with masculine qualities. It can include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and actively engage in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men. W ...
Frankie Addams, in the stage version of
Carson McCullers Carson McCullers (February 19, 1917 – September 29, 1967) was an American novelist, short-story writer, playwright, essayist, and poet. Her first novel, '' The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter'' (1940), explores the spiritual isolation of misfits ...
' 1946 novel ''
The Member of the Wedding ''The Member of the Wedding'' is a 1946 novel by Southern writer Carson McCullers. It took McCullers five years to complete, although she interrupted the work for a few months to write the novella '' The Ballad of the Sad Café''.McDowell, Marga ...
''. Another project for Havins was the film ''
Brooklyn Rules ''Brooklyn Rules'' is a 2007 American crime drama film directed by Michael Corrente, written by Terence Winter and starring Alec Baldwin, Scott Caan, Freddie Prinze Jr., Jerry Ferrara and Mena Suvari. The plot follows a group of lifelong friends ...
'', a
mob Mob or MOB may refer to: Behavioral phenomena * Crowd * Smart mob, a temporary self-structuring social organization, coordinated through telecommunication Crime and law enforcement * American Mafia, also known as the Mob * Irish Mob, a US crimin ...
drama by
Michael Corrente Michael Corrente (born April 6, 1959) is an American film director and producer. His films include '' A Shot at Glory'', '' American Buffalo'', '' Outside Providence'', '' Brooklyn Rules'' and '' Federal Hill''. '' Federal Hill'' won the Audienc ...
set in 1985 Brooklyn, which had a limited release on May 18, 2007, starring Alec Baldwin, Freddie Prinze, Jr.,
Mena Suvari Mena Alexandra Suvari (; born February 13, 1979) is an American actress, producer, fashion designer and model. After beginning her career as a model and guest-starring on several television shows, she made her film debut in the 1997 drama '' Now ...
and
Scott Caan Scott Andrew Caan (born August 23, 1976) is an American actor, director, photographer, writer, and former rapper. He received his breakthrough role in ''Ocean’s Eleven'' as Turk Malloy who he played in the ''Ocean's (film series), Ocean’s t ...
. Havins was later busy with filming in Keith Schwebel's low-budget
indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming *Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies *Indie game, any game (board ...
flick titled ''Desert Fox''. On September 4, 2007, it was confirmed by ''
Soap Opera Digest ''Soap Opera Digest'' is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional in ...
'' that Havins would be leaving ''All My Children'' and that actress
Amanda Baker Amanda Baker (born December 22, 1979) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Jolene Crowell on '' General Hospital: Night Shift'' in 2007 and Babe Carey Chandler on ''All My Children'' from 2007 to 2008. Baker reappeared on J ...
would be taking over the role. Havins departed the show on October 8, 2007, to pursue other acting ventures. In 2008, Havins appeared in the film '' 27 Dresses'', starring
Katherine Heigl Katherine Marie Heigl ( ; born November 24, 1978) is an American actress and former fashion model. She played Dr. Izzie Stevens on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2010, a role tha ...
of ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
'' fame. Havins portrayed a bride. She also appeared in the film ''Old Dogs''. In 2011, Havins joined
John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in '' Doctor Who'' and ''Torchwood'', and as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrow ...
,
Eve Myles Eve Myles (born 26 July 1978) is a Welsh actress. She is best known for her television roles portraying Ceri Lewis in the long-running BBC Wales drama series '' Belonging'' (2000–2009), Gwen Cooper in the BBC science-fiction series ''Torchw ...
and
Mekhi Phifer Mekhi Phifer (; born December 29, 1974) is an American actor. He portrayed Dr. Greg Pratt on NBC's long-running medical drama '' ER'' until 2008 and had a co-starring role opposite actor/rapper Eminem in the 2002 feature film '' 8 Mile''. He was ...
as part of the main cast for ''Torchwood's'' fourth series, '' Torchwood: Miracle Day'', airing on
BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide Ltd. was the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in January 1995. The company monetises BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadcas ...
and US premium television network
Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...
. She portrays character
Esther Drummond Esther Drummond, portrayed by Alexa Havins, is a fictional character in the BBC television programme ''Torchwood'', a spin-off from the long-running series ''Doctor Who''. Havins is one of several American actors to join ''Torchwood'' in its fo ...
, "an innocent, in a world of assassins, liars and zealots". She also filmed guest spots on ''
CSI: NY ''CSI: NY'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: New York'', stylized as ''CSI: NY/Crime Scene Investigation'') is an American police procedural television series that ran on CBS from September 22, 2004, to February 22, 2013, for a total of nine seaso ...
'' and ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
''. In July 2011 it was confirmed that Havins will return for several episodes of ''All My Children'' to be broadcast later in the year.


Personal life

Havins is good friends with her former on-screen mother
Bobbie Eakes Bobbie Diane Eakes (born July 25, 1961) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her role as Macy Alexander on ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (1989–2000, 2001, 2002–2003) and for her role as Krystal Carey on '' All My Children'' ...
. Since June 5, 2005, Havins has been married to her former ''All My Children'' co-star
Justin Bruening Justin Bruening (born September 24, 1979) is an American actor and former fashion model. He was originally discovered at McDonald's in Escondido, California, by Sue Nessel, a scout for Scott Copeland. Within a week, he was shooting photos with Br ...
. Bruening, who portrayed Jamie Martin, proposed to Havins following the taping of a scene where the character of Jamie proposes to Babe. After husband Bruening left ''All My Children'', Havins exited as well shortly after and the couple moved to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. On August 10, 2010, she and Bruening welcomed their first child, daughter Lexington Grace Bruening. Alexa and Justin also have two more children.


Filmography


Film


Television


Awards and nominations


See also

*
JR Chandler and Babe Carey JR Chandler and Babe Carey are fictional characters of the JR and Babe or Jabe couple from the American daytime drama '' All My Children''. JR Chandler was portrayed by Jacob Young. Babe Carey was portrayed by actress Alexa Havins, and then by Aman ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Havins, Alexa 1980 births Actresses from New Mexico American film actresses American soap opera actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Living people People from Artesia, New Mexico People from Chandler, Arizona 21st-century American women