Helen Gallagher | |
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 Gallagher in 1971 | |
| Born | July 19, 1926 New York City, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1944–present |
| Awards | Tony Award, Featured Actress in a Musical, 1952, as Gladys Bumps in Pal Joey; Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, 1971, as Lucille Early in No, No, Nanette; Tony Award, Lead Actress in a Musical, 1971, also for the role of Lucille Early in No, No, Nanette; Daytime Emmy Award, Lead Actress, 1976, 1977, 1988, as Maeve Ryan in Ryan’s Hope |
Helen Gallagher (born July 19, 1926) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. She is the recipient of three Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and a Drama Desk Award.
Gallagher's work on the New York stages spanned seven decades, with her big break coming in the role of Nancy in the 1947 musical High Button Shoes. Gallagher won her first Tony Award for her role as Gladys Bumps in the 1952 revival of Pal Joey, and earned her first leading role on the Broadway stage in 1953, starring in Hazel Flagg. Two more noteworthy stage roles for Gallagher included her run as Nickie in Sweet Charity, which began in January 1966, and earned Gallagher a Tony Award nomination; and then, a year and a half later, Gallagher replaced Gwen Verdon in the lead role of Charity.
Gallagher won her second Tony Award as well as a Drama Desk Award for her role as Lucille Early in the 1971 revival of the 1920s musical classic No, No, Nanette. To audiences unfamiliar with her theater work, Gallagher is perhaps more recognizable as the Irish matriarch Maeve Ryan on the ABC soap opera Ryan's Hope. She played Maeve for the show's duration, from July 1975 to January 1989, and was recognized with three Daytime Emmy Awards. Gallagher last acted on the New York stages in 2000 and is still actively involved in the industry, working as an acting instructor at Herbert Berghof Studio in New York City.