The Emmy-winning actress who once terrorized Port Charles as Helena Cassadine on General Hospital looks absolutely radiant in her 90s — and yes, it’s Constance Towers.
Best known to soap fans as the icy and calculating Helena on General Hospital, Towers’ on-screen persona couldn’t be further from the celebratory milestone she’s reached in real life. Born May 20, 1933, in Whitefish, Montana, the accomplished performer has continued to impress well into her ninth decade.
Her journey into show business started early. At just six years old, she was already performing in radio productions across the Pacific Northwest after being spotted by talent scouts. When her family relocated to New York City — where her father took on a high-level role in the pharmaceutical industry — Towers gained access to elite artistic training, studying at both the Juilliard School and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
While enrolled at Juilliard, she caught the attention of a film agent who encouraged her to take a singing engagement at the St. Regis Hotel. That opportunity proved pivotal, introducing her to a Columbia Pictures casting director and opening the door to Hollywood.
She made her big-screen debut in Bring Your Smile Along and quickly built momentum with roles in Over-Exposed, directed by Lewis Seiler, as well as The Horse Soldiers and Sergeant Rutledge, both helmed by legendary director John Ford. She later collaborated twice with filmmaker Samuel Fuller in Shock Corridor and The Naked Kiss. Her résumé also included the thriller Fate Is the Hunter and guest spots on primetime series such as Perry Mason and The Outer Limits.
By the mid-1960s, Towers shifted her focus to the stage, making her Broadway debut in 1965 in the title role of Anya and continuing to appear in numerous theatrical productions in the years that followed.
She entered the world of daytime drama in 1971 with Love Is a Many Splendored Thing before taking on a leading role in Capitol. On Capitol, she portrayed Clarissa Tyler McCandless, frequently clashing with rival Myrna Clegg — played by Carolyn Jones and later Marj Dusay.
In 1997, Towers stepped into the role that would introduce her to a whole new generation of viewers: Helena Cassadine on General Hospital. The character had previously been portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor and Dimitra Arliss, but Towers made the deliciously devious villainess entirely her own in recurring appearances over the years.
From radio prodigy to Broadway performer, film actress to soap opera legend, Constance Towers’ career spans decades — and at 92, she remains a striking reminder that talent and elegance truly stand the test of time.
