Tracey E. Bregman

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Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren, Y&R)

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THE 411

Department store heiress Lauren Fenmore has certainly led an eventful life on on both Y&R and BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL, but her portrayer, Tracey E. Bregman's background is just as colorful. Born to a showbiz family in Munich, Germany, Bregman then lived in London, England until she was 10, when her clan relocated to Los Angeles. Not surprisingly, the actress knew from an early age that she wanted to follow in her parents' footsteps. Sure enough, she landed the role of DAYS's Donna in 1978 when she was only a teen. Her dynamic performance earned her a Soapy Award for "Most Exciting New Actress."

After leaving Salem in 1980, Bregman continued to work in movies and prime-time. Some of her memorable performances include the über-campy horror flick Happy Birthday to Me ("The first time I had to work with a real rat!") and guest spots on TV's popular THE LOVE BOAT and FAME.

In 1983, Bregman began her long stint portraying Y&R's rich-and-spoiled Lauren. She quickly became a favorite of fans and critics, and won an Emmy in 1985. Two years later, she wed husband, Ron, a real-estate developer, and in 1991, she had their first son, Austin, who portrayed her on-screen son, Dylan, from 1991-92.

By 1992, Bregman's character was embroiled in a hot storyline with Nurse Nemesis, Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown). The story became so popular that it crossed over to sister show B&B. In 1992 and 1993, Bregman made cameo appearances on the half-hour soap, then switched over to B&B full-time in 1995.

That same year, Bregman's life took another turn when she and Ron separated for six months. Happily, they were able to get their marriage back on track, and she gave birth to their second son, Landon, in 1996. By 1998, though, her screen-time on B&B was dwindling; she left in 1999. Bregman continued to make occasional appearances on B&B and Y&R, but for the next few years, she became involved in other projects. She was in the movie Sex & Mrs. X in 2000, and the following year, played businesswoman Phillips in MTV's prime-time soap, SPYDER GAMES. Later in 2001, she was invited to return to Y&R as a recurring player, a status she still technically retains by her choice. However, she's hardly "recurring" as Lauren is involved in a front-burner storyline with Michael (Christian J. LeBlanc) and her old rival, Sheila.

When she's not working, Bregman enjoys spending time with her family, decorating her Malibu manse and doing yoga (in 2004, she helped design a line of athletic/yoga wear called Bountiful Buddha).

ET CETERA

— The "E" stands for Elizabeth.
— Bregman comes from a showbiz family. Her great uncle, Jule Styne, is the composer of Funny Girl; her father, Buddy Bregman, is a producer/musical director (CIRCUS OF THE STARS); her mother, Suzanne Lloyd, is a former actress (THE SAINT).
— She was the first actress to win the "ingenue" Emmy.
— Bregman is also a singer/songwriter.
— A portion of the proceeds from Bountiful Buddha goes to the Women's Cancer Research Fund and One Family (which supports victims of terrorism).

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Other Soap Roles
BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL (Lauren Fenmore, 1992; 1993; 1995-98; 1999; 2002; 2003; 2004)
SPYDER GAMES (Phillips, 2001)
DAYS OF OUR LIVES (Donna Temple Craig; 1978-80)
TV Roles
SEX & MRS. X (Katherine, 2000)
THE FALL GUY (Carrie Stanford, 1983)
FAME (Jenny McClain, 1982)
THE LOVE BOAT (Trish Carruthers, 1982)
THE LITTLEST HOBO (Jib, 1980)
THREE ON A DATE (1978)
Film Roles
The Funny Farm (Amy Lowell, 1983)
The Concrete Jungle (Elizabeth, 1982)
Happy Birthday to Me (Ann Thomerson, 1981)

MEMORABLE QUOTES

"Sheer luck is the only way to explain it. I've been really, really lucky that they still want to look at me. I still have a great time every time I go to work. How many people can say that?"— On the 20th anniversary of playing Lauren, Soap Opera Digest, 5/6/03

"I was horrified [to sing on the show]. When you're up against Beth Maitland [Traci] and Patty Weaver [Gina] ... hello? I was singing rock 'n' roll — which I obviously do not sing well — and I couldn't sound like them no matter what I did."— Digest, 4/14/98

"I am still intrigued by Lauren. The bitchy element is so much fun to play that you never really get bored. I love stability. I've been there since I was so young, and I've been through so much with all of them; they really are my family away from my family."— Digest, 1/5/93

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