Rebecca Jo Budig (; born June 26, 1973) is an American
actress
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...
and
television presenter
A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television show, television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for ...
. Her career began in 1993, and in 1995, she was cast in the role of
Michelle Bauer on the
CBS 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 ...
''
Guiding Light
''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...
''. In 1999, she was cast as
Greenlee Smythe
Greenlee Smythe is a fictional character from the American daytime drama, '' All My Children''. She was originally portrayed by actress Rebecca Budig from August 11, 1999 to November 30, 2005, and was portrayed by actress Sabine Singh from April ...
on the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
soap opera ''
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 ...
''; she held the role off-and-on until the network series finale in 2011. In 2015, she was cast in the role of
Hayden Barnes on ''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
''. In 2019, Budig was cast on ''
L.A.'s Finest
''L.A.'s Finest'' is an American action comedy TV series, action comedy crime fiction, crime television series created by Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier; and produced by Sony Pictures Television. It is a Spin-off (media), spinoff of the Ba ...
'', as Carlene Hart, a drug-trafficking soccer mom.
Early life and education
Budig was born in
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, the daughter of Mary Jo, a homemaker, and George Budig, a businessman. She was raised in
Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
Fort Mitchell is a home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,702 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area.
History
Fort Mitchell was the site of one of seven Civil War fortifi ...
. She graduated from the Cincinnati Public Schools
School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) and later went on to major in
zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...
at
Miami University
Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the 10 ...
in Ohio. In 1993, Budig moved to
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' ...
, to pursue an acting career. While there, she began studying with acting coaches Howard Fine and Jay Goldenberg at the Howard Fine Acting Studio and at the Young Actors Space, respectively.
Career
Budig's first acting job was in
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...
's music video "
Livin' on the Edge".
She later had a cameo role as a teenage girl saved by
Chris O'Donnell's character
Dick Grayson in ''
Batman Forever.''
[
In 1995, Budig auditioned for the role of Kelsey Jefferson 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 ...
'', but received an offer from ''Guiding Light
''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...
'', where she began her three-year stint as Michelle Bauer from (1995 to 1998).
Budig played the role of Patty in ''Captain Nuke and the Bomber Boys'' in 1995. She then portrayed Babsy in the 1996 film ''God's Lonely Man'', followed by ''James Dean: A Race with Destiny'' where she played actress Natalie Wood and ''Bonehead Detectives in the Paleo World'' where she played Allie. Both films were released in 1997.
Budig's most famous role has been that of the spoiled, rich girl-turned-makeup company executive Greenlee Smythe
Greenlee Smythe is a fictional character from the American daytime drama, '' All My Children''. She was originally portrayed by actress Rebecca Budig from August 11, 1999 to November 30, 2005, and was portrayed by actress Sabine Singh from April ...
on ''All My Children''—a role which she originated on August 11, 1999. Greenlee was supposed to be a recurring role
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who frequently appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in more than one episode, sometimes being the main foc ...
, but executives enjoyed Budig and offered her a three-year contract. While on ''All My Children'', Budig garnered accolades from fans and press for her performance on the soap opera, as well as her character's pairing with Josh Duhamel's Leo du Pres
Leonardo "Leo" du Pres is a fictional character from the American ABC Daytime soap opera ''All My Children''. The role was portrayed by actor Josh Duhamel from November 22, 1999, to the character's death onscreen on October 17, 2002. Duhamel repr ...
. She was nominated for 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 ...
for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2001 and again in 2003. Her onscreen pairing with Duhamel earned them a Daytime Emmy Award nomination as well, for America's Favorite Couple in 2002. She was often called "Little Budig" by Duhamel, who had given her the nickname.[ In 2003, Budig won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Younger Lead Actress. In November 2005, Budig left the show to relocate to California.
Other notable roles include co-hosting ''The Sports Illustrated for Kids Show''. Budig worked for the ]World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
as an interviewer for a short time on ''Sunday Night HEAT
''WWE Heat'' (formerly known as ''Sunday Night Heat'' and also known as ''Heat'') is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and aired from August 2, 1998 to May 30, 2008. Ori ...
'' in 2000. She has made appearances on '' Out of Practice'', as well as on '' Hope & Faith''. She did a movie called ''The Perfect Child'' (2007) featured on Lifetime
Lifetime may refer to:
* Life expectancy, the length of time a person is expected to remain alive
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Lifetime (band), a rock band from New Jersey
* ''Life Time'' (Rollins Band album), by Rollins Band
* ...
with the leading role as Sarah Daniels. In addition, Budig has been seen on ''CSI'' playing a role as a murdered lap dancer (Season 8, Episodes 9 & 10).
It was confirmed in late 2007 that Budig would be returning to ''All My Children'' as Greenlee Smythe, the role she originated. She had been replaced by another actress Sabine Singh earlier that year. She returned to the show in January 2008. However, she signed a limited contract with the show. Later, while rumors circulated of Budig's departure, she confirmed in October 2008 that she would be leaving the series again in February 2009. Budig cited the reason for her departure as wanting to return to the West Coast to be with her husband. Budig returned to 'All My Children in late December 2009 (when the show relocated production to Los Angeles), and remained with the series until its series finale in September 2011.
In 2010, Budig won the first and only season of the ABC show ''Skating with the Stars
''Skating with the Stars'' is an American reality competition series that aired on ABC from November 22 to December 21, 2010. A spin-off of '' Dancing with the Stars'' hosted by British television personality Vernon Kay, it featured celebrities ...
''. The show paired celebrities with professional ice skaters, who competed each week. Since September 2013, she began co-hosting the syndicated lifestyle television show ''Better
Better may refer to:
* "to better" as a verb, meaning to undergo betterment
* better, an alternate spelling of bettor, someone who bets ( gambles)
Music Albums
* ''Better'' (Chrisette Michele album), 2013
* ''Better'' (Brian McKnight album ...
'', alongside JD Roberto. In 2012, she appeared with Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Marie Garofalo ( ; born September 28, 1964) is an American comedian, actress, and former co-host on the now-defunct Air America Radio's ''The Majority Report''.
Garofalo began her career as a stand-up comedian and became a cast member on ...
in the comedic movie ''Bad Parents
''Bad Parents'' is a 2012 comedy film written and directed by Caytha Jentis and starring Janeane Garofalo. The movie humorously showcases New Jersey soccer moms becoming obsessed with their children's role in the sport. The supporting cast feature ...
''. In February 2015, it was announced that Budig had been cast on ''General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
'' in an unknown "killer" role. She debuted the role of Hayden Barnes on March 20, 2015. On June 27, 2017, it was announced that Budig had been let go from ''General Hospital'', with her dismissal cited as a "storyline necessity". On May 9, 2019, it was announced that she would reprise the role of Hayden Barnes on ''General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
''. On June 27, 2019, it was announced that Budig would return in July; returning during the final moments of the July 8, 2019, episode. However, on November 20, 2019, Budig's exit was confirmed once more; she made her last appearance on November 27, 2019.
Personal life
Budig is the youngest of eight children. She has five sisters and two brothers. In 2000, Budig married Dr. Daniel Geller; the marriage only lasted several months.
She met former '' Bachelor'' star Bob Guiney while hosting ''The Bachelor'' repeat shows on ABC Family
The American cable television, cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and s ...
. The two were married on July 3, 2004. On January 13, 2010, People Magazine reported that Budig and Guiney had decided to split, with Budig filing for divorce in April 2010.
Budig became engaged to television marketing executive Michael Benson on Christmas Day in 2010. The pair married in 2012. On May 1, 2014, Budig announced that she was five months pregnant with the couple's first baby. On September 8, 2014, Budig gave birth to a daughter.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
See also
*Leo du Pres and Greenlee Smythe
Leo du Pres and Greenlee Smythe du Pres are fictional characters and a supercouple from the American daytime drama '' All My Children''. Leo was portrayed by Josh Duhamel, and Greenlee was portrayed by Rebecca Budig. The couple is often referre ...
References
External links
*
Rebecca Budig Talks About Daytime Return
Soap Opera Central profile of Rebecca Budig
{{DEFAULTSORT:Budig, Rebecca Jo
1973 births
Actresses from Kentucky
American film actresses
American soap opera actresses
American television actresses
Living people
Miami University alumni
Participants in American reality television series
People from Kenton County, Kentucky
Professional wrestling announcers
Reality show winners
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Cincinnati