{{short description|American actress}} {{pp-semi-indef}} {{pp-move|small=yes}} {{Infobox person | name = Nina Arvesen | image = Nina Arvesen.jpg | birth_name = Nina Elisabeth Arvesen | birth_place = White Plains, New York, United States | caption = Nina Arvesen | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|05|16|mf=yes}} | occupation = {{hlist|Film|television actor|model|dancer}} | parents = Father Jan Arvesen<br/> Mother Sidsel, pronounced "sis-sell Arvesen" | relatives = Jannik Arvesen (brother)<br/>Christian Arversen (brother) | height = {{convert|5|ft|10|in|m|abbr=on}} }}
'''Nina Arvesen''' (born May 16, 1961) is an American actress of Norwegian extraction, model, dancer, and businesswoman. Best known for her performances in American soap operas,<ref>[http://www.capridge.com/som-nina92.htm "SB's Nina Arvesen: Learning her way Through Daytime."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611005729/http://www.capridge.com/som-nina92.htm |date=2016-06-11}} Soap Opera Magazine. October 6, 1992.</ref><ref name="Herald-Journal">{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19901014&id=UAYqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l84EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3593,4831428 |title=Soap not Boring for Nina Arvesen |publisher=Herald-Journal |date=October 14, 1990 |access-date=July 20, 2012 |last=Reichardt |first=Nancy M.}}</ref> Arvesen landed her two most prominent acting roles as Cassandra Rawlins on ''The Young and the Restless'' and as Angela Raymond on the NBC television series ''Santa Barbara''.
==Early life== Arvesen was born in White Plains, New York to Norwegian parents. Her father, Jan Arvesen,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://untreaty.un.org/cod/avl/ha/ga_3201/photo17.html |title=Jan Arvesen 1 May 1974 Jan Arvesen Norway |website=www.untreaty.un.org |year=1988 |access-date=July 24, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/kokomo-tribune/1992-07-01?tag=jan+arvesen+jan+arvesen+norway&rtserp=tags/jan-arvesen-norway?pf=jan&pl=arvesen |title=jan Arvesen Kokomo Tribune, July 1, 1992 |newspaper=Kokomo Tribune |year=1992 |access-date=July 24, 2012}}</ref> was a Norwegian diplomat and was Norway's ambassador to Mexico (1979-1985), to Costa Rica (1985-1991) and to Portugal (1996-1998). Her mother, Sidsel (pronounced "sis-sell") was an actress in Norway.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sceneweb.no/en/artist/19060/Sissel_Arvesen |title=Nina Arvesen mother name Sidsel, pronounced "sis-sell" Arvesen mother is a Norwegian actress |publisher=www.sceneweb.no/en/artist/19060/Sissel_Arvesen |year=1990 |access-date=August 12, 2012}}</ref> Arvensen has two brothers: Jannik Arvesen who is a financial investment adviser in Norway, and Christian Arversen who works in film and special effects in Los Angeles California.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://soapcentral.com/yr/whoswho/cassandra.php |title=Cassandra Hall Rawlins, Brief Character History |website=soapcentral.com |year=1988 |access-date=July 23, 2012 }}</ref><ref name="news.google.com">{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1957&dat=19900119&id=J3khAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iokFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2413,4345951 |title=Nina Arvesen Played Cassandra Hall Rawlins George Rawlins murder mystery in Bermuda |publisher=The Daily Gazette - Jan 19, 1990 |year=1990 |access-date=July 23, 2012 }}</ref>
Before working in the United States, Arvesen had her own talk show for three years in Norway and also worked as an actress in Egypt, Brazil, Costa Rica, Bermuda and Norway before moving back to the United States.<ref name="bernews/">{{cite web |url=http://bernews.com/2013/04/actress-recalls-her-bermuda-love-triangle/ |date=April 7, 2013 |title=Actress Recalls Her "Bermuda Love Triangle" |work=Bernews |access-date=July 12, 2019}}</ref>
==Career== Arvesen initially began her career during her teens as an actress, model, dancer and a classically trained pianist in Norway. After college, she made the decision to leave Norway in 1986 to pursue her dream of an acting career in the United States where she has appeared in several television shows, commercials and movies. According to Arvesen, American casting directors refused to accept her overseas acting credits. She eventually got her first US screen credit and Screen Actors Guild membership card after appearing in the 1987 movie ''Dragnet'' with Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks.<ref name="bernews/"/> After she stopped working in the various soap operas that made her famous, her career aspirations shifted from acting to work modeling for television commercials, print ads and popular magazines.<ref name="orangecoast.com">{{cite magazine |date=May 1990 |title=Making Waves |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JGEEAAAAMBAJ&q=nina+arvesen |magazine=Orange Coast |pages=104–111 |access-date=July 23, 2012}}</ref> Arvesen went on to launch and create her own production company, The Arvesen Group.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://santabarbara-online.com/articleNArvesen2.htm |title=Nina Arvesen, the sexy superwoman |publisher=Télé Star |year=1995 |access-date=July 26, 2012 |last=Prime |first=Alena}}</ref>
''Soap Opera Digest'' called Arvesen one of "TV's Most Beautiful Women" in their March 21, 1989 publication,{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}} which had over 1 million subscribers at the time.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/24/business/the-media-business-soap-opera-magazines-fight-for-fans-hearts-and-dollars.html |title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Soap Opera Magazines Fight For Fans' Hearts and Dollars |first=Eleanor |last=Blau |work=The New York Times |date=October 24, 1988 |access-date=July 12, 2019}}</ref>
Arvesen currently owns and operates her own dance studio in Santa Monica, California, after retiring from movies and television.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bernews.com/2013/03/video-island-cleaned-up-with-soap-exposure/ |date=March 14, 2013 |title=Video: Island Cleaned Up With Soap Exposure |work=Bernews |access-date=July 12, 2019}}</ref>
==Charity work== Besides being the Master of ceremonies of more than one St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's annual fund-raising events, Arvesen has been involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GyNHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nukMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4177,2677169&dq=nina+arvesen&hl=en |title=TV questions: Who is soap star Nina Arvesen? |work=The Daily Gazette |date=December 9, 1990 |access-date=July 12, 2019}}</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Film ! Role ! Notes |- |- | 1987 | ''Beach Fever'' | | <ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aFpPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CgMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5929,779330&dq=nina+arvesen&hl=en |date=February 3–9, 1991 |title=TV Talkback Pg.TVW-12 |work=The Blade |access-date=July 12, 2019}}</ref> |- | 1987 | ''Santa Barbara'' | Celia Robbins (three episodes) | |- | 1987 | ''Dragnet'' | | <ref>{{cite web |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/14670/Dragnet/cast |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131023247/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/14670/Dragnet/cast |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 31, 2013 |title=Dragnet - Cast, Crew, Director and Awards |year=1987 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=The New York Times |access-date=July 25, 2012 }}</ref> |- | 1988–1991 | ''The Young and the Restless'' | Cassandra Rawlins | <ref name="Herald-Journal"/> |- | 1988 | ''Maniac Cop'' | Regina Sheperd | |- | 1988 | ''Who Gets the Friends?'' | Inga | |- | 1989 | ''Now You See It'' | Herself | |- | 1991–1993 | ''Santa Barbara'' | Angela Raymond | <ref>{{cite web |url=http://santabarbara-online.com/articleNArvesen2.htm |title=Nina Arvesen, the sexy superwoman |publisher=Télé Star |year=1995 |access-date=July 20, 2012 |last=Prime |first=Alena}}</ref> |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name |id=0038099 |name=Nina Arvesen}} * [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSiqdve74C9tWCD0a1C2L2w?feature=mhee Nina Arvesen YouTube channel] * [http://ninaarvesen.com/ comprehensive Fan club page for Nina Arvesen]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Arvesen, Nina}} Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:Actresses from White Plains, New York Category:American people of Norwegian descent Category:American soap opera actresses Category:American film actresses Category:School of American Ballet alumni Category:American television actresses Category:20th-century American actresses Category:21st-century American actresses