Veleka Gray

Veleka Gray
Born (1951-03-22) March 22, 1951
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Occupation Actress
Years active 1970-1984

Veleka Gray (born March 22, 1951), sometimes credited as Velekka Gray, is an American actress, best known for her roles as department store executive Vicki Paisley Cannell on Somerset, and as Mia Marriott on Love of Life from 1977 - 1980.

Life and career

Gray was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1970, she played the role of Laura Donnelly Elliott on Love is a Many Splendored Thing, taking over the role from actress Donna Mills. In 1974 she was hired to play the vixen Susan Pritchett on How To Survive A Marriage.

In 1975 she joined the cast of Somerset as Victoria Paisley opposite Joel Crothers, who played Julian Cannell. The pair were engaged to be married in real life when he died in 1985. In 1977, she was cast in the role of Mia Marriott on Love of Life. In April 1980, she originated the role of nurse Lyla Montgomery on As the World Turns.

After moving to Los Angeles in 1983, she started on The Young and the Restless in February 1983 as sassy manicurist Ruby Collins. Ruby had Allison Bancroft (Lynn Wood) as a regular client. Ruby's function was essentially to inform Allison of the porno film featuring her son's girlfriend Nikki Reed Newman, and later to act as the audience surrogate as Allison expressed her enduring disapproval of Nikki and devised various schemes to discredit her. To portray Ruby, Gray was costumed in a frizzy platinum blond wig and ostentatious clothing.

Two months later, in April, Gray began a contract role as a different character in the same series. Her second character was Dr. Sharon Reaves, Patty Williams' demure and earnest psychiatrist. This dual role made Gray the only actor in soap history to play two roles simultaneously on the same series, that were neither related nor lookalikes.

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1970 I Love My Wife The Stewardess
2009 Godmother The Godmother
2009 Flood Streets Eleanor Cameron
2009 Flag of my Father Dr. Souza
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1970 The Mod Squad Mae Colly 1 episode
1970–1972 Love is a Many Splendored Thing (TV series) Laura Donnelly Elliott #2
1974 How to Survive a Marriage Susan Pritchett
1975–1976 Somerset Victoria "Vicki" Paisley
1977–1980 Love of Life Mia Marriott
1980 As the World Turns Lyla Montgomery, R. N. #1
1983–1985 The Young and the Restless Ruby Collins
1983–1984 The Young and the Restless Dr. Sharon Reaves

External links


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