{{Short description|American actress (born 1942)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2016}} {{Infobox person | name = Louise Shaffer | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|7|05}} | birth_place = Woodbridge, Connecticut, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | years_active = 1967–present | spouse = {{plainlist| * Toby Tompkins * Roger Crews }} | education = Connecticut College (BA)<br>Yale University (MFA)<br>Juilliard School }} '''Louise Shaffer''' (born July 5, 1942) is an American actress, script writer, and author.
==Biography==
Shaffer was born in Woodbridge, Connecticut, where she showed an interest in acting early on in her life. After finishing high school, she attended Connecticut College for Women, then Yale Drama School.<ref name="Louise Shaffer:The Feminist is a Lady!">{{cite journal |last1=Cherlin |first1=Merrill |title=Louise Shaffer:The Feminist is a Lady! |journal=Afternoon TV |volume=October 1978 }}</ref> Shaffer is a coloratura soprano, and was trained at Juilliard.<ref name="Louise Shaffer:I Took a Year Off to Do a Play">{{cite journal |last1=Ross |first1=Marilyn T |title=Louise Shaffer:I Took a Year Off to Do a Play |journal=TV Day Gosspip |volume=November 1975 }}</ref>
==Career==
===Actress=== Throughout her life, Shaffer has appeared in numerous soap operas, including ''Search for Tomorrow'', ''Hidden Faces'' (1968–1969),'' and Where the Heart Is''. From 1975 to 1976, she he played split personality Serena Faraday/Josie on ''The Edge of Night''.
From 1977 to 1984, Shaffer played journalism magnate Rae Woodard on ''Ryan's Hope'' and then reprised the role for the show's finale in 1989.<ref name="Soap Opera Scene">{{cite news |title=Soap Opera Scene |last=Goudas |first=John M |newspaper=Gadsden Times |date=August 13, 1984}}</ref> In the summer of 1987, she was brought onto ''All My Children'', playing Erica's evil stepmother, Goldie Kane. After several years as a script writer on various soaps, she had brief roles on ''Guiding Light'' as Lewis oil client Mrs. Humphreys (1993), and a stint as the judge in the Peter Lewis custody battle (1994).
She was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Rae Woodard on ''Ryan's Hope''; she won the award in 1983. In addition to her daytime roles, Shaffer also had a role on the short-lived Norman Lear serialized sitcom ''All That Glitters''.
===Author=== Shaffer began writing for soap operas instead of acting on them. Since the late 1980s, she has written for ''Ryan's Hope'', ''Loving'', ''General Hospital'', and ''As the World Turns''.
In addition to scriptwriting, Shaffer has written numerous books.<ref name="Former Soap Actress Takes Foray Into Literature">{{cite news |title=Former Soap Actress Takes Foray Into Literature |last=Eubanks |first=Michelle Rupe |newspaper=Times Daily |date=May 16, 2003}}</ref>
==Personal life== Shaffer was formerly married to actor Toby Tompkins.<ref name="Louise Shaffer:I Took a Year Off to Do a Play" /> She is currently married to Roger Crews, who also wrote for ''Ryan's Hope'' and ''Search for Tomorrow''.
==Acting credits== {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ List of theatre credits |- ! scope="col" | Opening date ! scope="col" | Closing date ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" | Theatre |- | 1964 | | ''{{sortname|The|Beggar's Opera|nolink=1}}'' | | Master, New York |- | {{sortname||February 26, 1966|sort=1966/02/26|nolink=1}} | {{sortname||February 26, 1966|sort=1966/02/26|nolink=1}} | ''First One Asleep, '' | Esther | Belasco |- | {{sortname||September 27, 1967|sort=1967/09/27|nolink=1}} | {{sortname||September 30, 1967|sort=1967/09/30|nolink=1}} | ''Keep It In The Family'' | Understudy | Plymouth |- | {{sortname||July 31, 1973|sort=1973/07/31|nolink=1}} | {{sortname||August 26, 1973|sort=1973/08/26|nolink=1}} | ''Two Gentlemen of Verona'' | Julia |Delacorte |- | {{sortname||March 17, 1976|sort=1976/03/17|nolink=1}} | {{sortname||March 28, 1976|sort=1976/03/28|nolink=1}} | ''{{sortname|The|Boss|nolink=1}}'' | | Playwrights Horizon |- | {{sortname||April 25, 1973|sort=1973/04/25|nolink=1}} | {{sortname||June 17, 1973|sort=1973/06/17|nolink=1}} | ''{{sortname|The|Women|nolink=1}}'' | Second Hairdresser<br />Second Model<br />Cigarette Girl | 46th Street |}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ List of film and television credits |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1967 | ''Run For Your Life'' | Donna Sanders | Episode: "A Very Small Injustice" |- | 1968 | ''Hidden Faces'' | Martha Logan | |- | 1969–<br />1973 | ''Where the Heart Is'' | Allison Hathaway Archer Jessup | Unknown episodes |- | 1975–<br />1976 | ''{{sortname|The|Edge of Night}}'' | Josie/Serena Faraday | Unknown episodes |- | 1977 | ''Kojak'' | Francie Foster | Episode: "Kojak's Day, Parts 1 and 2" |- | 1977 | ''All That Glitters'' | Andrea Martin | |- | 1977–<br />1989 | ''Ryan's Hope'' | Rae Woodard | 549 episodes |- | 1980 | ''Quincy, M.E.'' | Mrs. Davenport | Episode: "Deadly Arena" |- | 1984–<br />1985 | ''Search for Tomorrow'' | Stephanie Wilkins Wyatt #2 | Episodes: 1.8574 and 1.8669 |- | 1987 | ''Matlock'' | Elinor | Episode: "The Rat Pack" |- | 1987 | ''Police Story: The Freeway Killings'' | Laura Healey | |- | 1987 | ''All My Children'' | Goldie Kane | Unknown episodes |- | 1994 | ''Guiding Light'' | Judge Tillman | |}
==Writing credits==
* ''All My Children'' (2000–2002) * ''As the World Turns'' (1994–2000) * ''General Hospital'' (1992–1993) * ''Loving'' (1990–1991) * ''Another World'' (1989) * ''Ryan's Hope'' (1987–1989)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last=Shaffer |first=Louise |title=All My Suspects |year=1995 |publisher=Berkley |isbn=978-0-425-14770-2}} * {{cite book |last=Shaffer |first=Louise |title=Talked to Death |year=1996 |publisher=Berkley |isbn=978-0-425-15407-6}} * {{cite book |last=Shaffer |first=Louise |title=The Three Miss Margarets: A Novel |year=2004 |publisher=Ballantine |isbn=978-0-375-76088-4}} * {{cite book |last=Shaffer |first=Louise |title=The Ladies of Garrison Gardens: A Novel |year=2006 |publisher=Ballantine |isbn=978-0-8129-6883-5 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/ladiesofgarrison00loui }} * {{cite book |last=Shaffer |first=Louise |title=Family Acts: A Novel |year=2007 |publisher=Ballantine |isbn=978-1-4000-6063-4 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/familyactsnovel00shaf }} * {{cite book |last=Shaffer |first=Louise |title=Serendipity: A Novel |year=2009 |publisher=Ballantine |isbn=978-0-345-50209-4}} * {{cite book |last=Shaffer |first=Louise |title=Looking for a Love Story: A Novel |year=2010 |publisher=Ballantine |isbn=978-0-345-50210-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/lookingforlovest00shaf }}
==External links== * [http://www.blogtalkradio.com/robertreidshow Interview on Show #9 with Robert Reid, on Robert Reid Live] * [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0787317/ Louise Shaffer - IMDB]
{{Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaffer, Louise}} Category:American soap opera actresses Category:American soap opera writers Category:David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University alumni Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:People from Woodbridge, Connecticut Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners Category:Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series winners Category:American stage actresses Category:20th-century American actresses Category:American women screenwriters Category:American women soap opera writers Category:Actresses from Connecticut Category:Connecticut College alumni Category:Juilliard School alumni Category:Screenwriters from Connecticut Category:21st-century American women