Ilene Kristen
ON SOAP OPERA DIGEST AND WEEKLY ONLINE
SOAP STAR STATS
Ilene Kristen (Roxanne "Roxy" Balsom, OLTL)
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Ilene Kristen (Roxanne "Roxy" Balsom, OLTL)
— ABC
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Vital Statistics
- Birthday:
- July 30
- Hails From:
- Brooklyn, NY
- Years On Show:
- 2001-present
The 411
Eager to jump-start her performing career, Brooklyn native Ilene Schatz left home at age 16. While she actively pursued dancing, singing and comedy, she became a soap star along the way. Dancing was her first love, but when that was sidelined by a thyroid condition, she shifted her focus to acting. She took on the role of cheerleader Patty Simcox in the original production of Grease, which opened on Valentine’s Day, 1972, and created the memorable role of Delia Reid on RYAN'S HOPE when it debuted in 1975. But after three years of playing Delia, Kristen decided to take a break from the soap world and explore L.A., where she became a founding member of the McCadden Theatre Company and played Peter Falk's sister-in-law in a stage production of Knives, which was written and directed by John Cassavetes.
Kristen returned to the East Coast and reprised the role of Delia, much to fans' delight, in 1982. After the show ended in 1989, she did a little bit of everything, from soap roles on LOVING and ANOTHER WORLD to singing in rock bands and working for a high-end wedding photographer. She found out she'd won the pivotal role of quirky, troubled mom Roxy in September 2001 — the day before the September 11 attacks — and a few weeks later thought, "'People really need entertainment, and I'll give it to them.'" Kristen delivered the goods, and Roxy was instantly popular, even gaining the actress an Emmy nod (her first ever) for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 2004 and again in 2005. She was dropped to recurring status in 2004, but Kristen has been happy to stay on board. "I can't let Roxy die," she told Digest at the time. "I love working here. The show is good to recurring characters."
Kristen continues to perform at New York City venues such as The Society of Illustrators and The Triad, and starred in the 2008 indie flick Manhattanites, co-directed by Darnell Williams (Jesse, ALL MY CHILDREN) and also featuring OLTL's Forbes March (Nash) and David Fumero (Cristian).
Et Cetera
Five Random Facts
— Kristen's first OLTL stint — as a mechanic named Georgina — lasted three months while she was on a hiatus from RH.
— In the late '70s, she produced a 30-minute film starring Karen Allen called The Aftermath.
— Kristen has never married, and split from fiancé Brian Sheridan in late 2007.
— It wasn't until 1971 when Kristen was appearing in the film Preacherman that she changed her last name from Schatz. The name was recommended by a director after several people told her she looked Swedish.
— During her junior year of high school, she traveled with a comedy troupe called The Six New Happenings.
Former Soap Roles
RYAN'S HOPE (Delia Reid, 1975-78, 1982-83, 1986-89)
ONE LIFE TO LIVE (Georgina Whitman, 1982)
LOVING (Norma Gilpin, 1990-91)
ANOTHER WORLD (Madeline Thompson, 1995)
Guest-Starring TV Roles
THE BLACK DONNELLYS (Claire, 2007)
THIRD WATCH (Flynn, 2001)
THE SOPRANOS (Woman in Restaurant, 2000)
LAW & ORDER (Sandra Krane, 1994)
FAMILY (Lotus, 1980)
Film Roles
Manhattanites (Marilyn Marsden, 2008)
Knock Knock (Sexy Librarian, 2007)
Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe (Liz, 2007)
The Signs of the Cross (Mrs. Coyne, 2005)
Tinsel Town (Attorney, 2005)
Vivid (Susan, 1997)
The Shaman (Helen, 1987)
Desperately Seeking Susan (Party Guest, 1985)
Why Would I Lie? (Waitress, 1980)
The Lady in Red (Wynona, 1979)
Night-Flowers (Krishna Woman, 1979)
Preacherman (Mary Lou, 1971)
Notable Broadway Roles
Grease (Patty Simcox), 1972
Mayor (Leona Helmsley), 1985
Memorable Quotes
"I've never considered myself a soap opera person or a singer. If anything, I consider myself a comedienne."
— Soap Opera Digest, 10/6/87
"Because I'm an actress, men think I'm going to be more screwed up than I really am. And a lot of men like to be around screwed-up women.... I can't help but feel that, if I were more screwed up, I'd have longer-lasting relationships."
— On the single life, Digest, 1/24/89
"The show needed a gritty, tougher kind of thing.... I see [Roxy] as having had a similar life to Natalie. I've played different types of characters that come from troubled backgrounds, like Delia. I based Delia on somebody I knew, but I based Roxy on a lot of bar girls from playing in rock clubs."
— Soap Opera Weekly, 7/16/02
