Actress. Her best known action role was as 'Nancy Hughes' from the long-running CBS daytime soap opera "As The World Turns". A drama major at Monmouth College in Illinois, Wagner moved to New York following her 1938 graduation and was to appear in several Broadway productions including "Oklahoma!" and "A Streetcar Named Desire". She made her television bow in the early 1950s with "Mr. Peepers", and was seen on "The Philco Television Playhouse" and the "Hallmark Hall of Fame", as well as having the part of 'Trudy Bauer' in early episodes of "The Guiding Light". On April 2, 1956, Wagner said "Good morning, dear", the first line spoken on "As The World Turns"; though her appearances became less frequent over the years, she remained on the show, with interruptions, until her death. Wagner received an honorary doctorate from Monmouth College and a 2004 Lifetime Achievement award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; she was married to producer Robert Wiley from 1954 until his death in 2009. Last seen on "As The World Turns" on April 5, 2010, she is in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for the longest-playing of a single role.
Actress. Her best known action role was as 'Nancy Hughes' from the long-running CBS daytime soap opera "As The World Turns". A drama major at Monmouth College in Illinois, Wagner moved to New York following her 1938 graduation and was to appear in several Broadway productions including "Oklahoma!" and "A Streetcar Named Desire". She made her television bow in the early 1950s with "Mr. Peepers", and was seen on "The Philco Television Playhouse" and the "Hallmark Hall of Fame", as well as having the part of 'Trudy Bauer' in early episodes of "The Guiding Light". On April 2, 1956, Wagner said "Good morning, dear", the first line spoken on "As The World Turns"; though her appearances became less frequent over the years, she remained on the show, with interruptions, until her death. Wagner received an honorary doctorate from Monmouth College and a 2004 Lifetime Achievement award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; she was married to producer Robert Wiley from 1954 until his death in 2009. Last seen on "As The World Turns" on April 5, 2010, she is in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for the longest-playing of a single role.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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