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Legendary actress Frances Reid died Wednesday at the age of 95.
Daytime has lost a legend. Frances Reid passed away on Wednesday, February 3 at an assisted living home in Beverly Hills, at the age of 95. Reid portrayed matriarch Alice Horton on NBC’s Days of Our Lives for four decades. Reid played opposite Macdonald Carey (Tom Horton) until his death in 1994. The actress remained with Days until she retired in 2007.
Born in Texas in 1914, Reid began her acting career in 1938, on a film called Man-Proof. She later appeared in her first television series, Lights Out, in 1949, but transitioned to daytime drama. Reid appeared on As the World Turns from 1959-1962 as Grace Baker and on The Edge of Night as Rose Pollock in 1964. She truly made her mark in the soap genre when she took on the role of everyone’s favorite grandmother, Alice Horton, on Days of Our Lives when the show premiered in 1965.
Her work on Days garnered many award nominations over the years, including three Soap Opera Digest Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Mature Role in a Daytime Drama Series (in 1984, 1985, and 1990). She was also nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards (in 1979 and 1987). In 2004, Reid was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Academy of Arts & Sciences along with onscreen son John Clarke (ex-Mickey, DAYS), Rachel Ames, Jeanne Cooper, Anna Lee, Eileen Fulton, Don Hastings, Ray MacDonnell, Helen Wagner and Ruth Warwick.
Through her many years on television, Reid appeared on many television series and movies including Perry Mason, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Wagon Train, The FBI, and The Magician. In 1973, she starred as Mrs. Patterson in The Affair.
Several of Reid’s Days co-stars expressed heartfelt words on her passing to Soap Opera Digest.
“This is a very sad day, indeed; not only for me personally, but for the Days of Our Lives family and the entire Hollywood community,” says Executive Producer Ken Corday. “From day one until she taped her last scene, Frances epitomized the past, present and future of the show. Frances was truly one of a kind. Her class cannot be matched and her shoes cannot be filled… We will miss her all the rest of our days.”
“Frances Reid was the most comical, spunky, full-of-life woman I ever knew. Her repertoire of incredible stories seemed endless, both from Days and her travels throughout the world (Frances was incredibly well traveled). I feel blessed for my seven years of working with her. But more so, I’m grateful to have known her wit and warm sense of humor first hand. I’ll miss you, Frances. You’ll always be Gran to me. Just Gran,” expresses Jason Cook (Matt, GH; ex-Shawn Brady, Days).
“Since my mom lived on the East coast I always felt that Frances was my California mom,” says Suzanne Rogers (Maggie). “She always put me in my place but only in a nice, constructive way. We discussed everything from politics to religion. I miss those conversations. The hardest part about all this is not being able to talk to her again.”
Also many of her co-stars Tweeted their sentiments:
Days vet Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady) wrote, “I’m so sad to hear the news about Frances Reid. She was a truly talented actress and we are all lucky & proud to have known her.”
Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe) added: “Rest in peace Frances Reid (Alice Horton). She was a great lady whom I feel honored to have known..the heart and soul of Days of our Lives.”
Frances Reid was married for 30 years to Philip Bourneuf, who passed away in 1979. Reid and Bourneuf had no children. She is survived by a niece and two great nieces. There will be a memorial service held in April and if you would like to donate in her memory, you may do so to her two favorite charities, Habitat for Humanity and Save the Children.
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(Additional reporting and editing by Tara Blake– Follow Tara on Twitter at @SourceTara)
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