Jane Elliot (born January 17, 1947) is an American actress, best known for her role as Tracy Quartermaine in the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital.
Early years The daughter of an attorney, Elliot was born in New York City. Her family name is Stein; she chose "Elliot" as her stage name because she had a friend who had that name. She began taking ballet classes when she was 4 years old, and at 14 she began taking classes in singing.
Career When Elliot was 17 and in London on a Summer Abroad program she won a "major role" in a production of Come Back, Little Sheba on British television. That experience gained her a membership in British Equity and led to a role in "a lucrative TV soap".
Elliot appeared in a number of episodic prime time television series, such as The Mod Squad, Kojak, Barnaby Jones and Police Woman. She had a lead role in the short-lived NBC series Rosetti and Ryan in 1977.
Elliot also made film appearances, including Change of Habit (1969); opposite Elvis Presley, Mary Tyler Moore, and Barbara McNair; and One Is a Lonely Number (1972). In 1987, Elliot appeared in the films Some Kind of Wonderful and Baby Boom.
Daytime roles Elliot made her daytime debut in the short-lived ABC soap A Flame in the Wind in 1965. She is best known for her role as Tracy Quartermaine on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital. Elliot debuted as Tracy in 1978 and became a fan favorite. Her first stint included a scene which underscored Tracy's ruthlessness, where Tracy withholds her father's heart medication when he appears to be suffering a heart attack. Elliot left in 1980 and won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the role in 1981. The same year, she landed the recurring role of Judy Trent on the prime time CBS series Knots Landing.
From 1981 to 1982, Elliot appeared on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light as Carrie Todd, a character who was involved with Ross Marler; Ross learns that Carrie is a murderer and has a split personality. Elliot considers her time as Carrie as one of her favorite roles, saying "the most was asked of me when I was doing that role."
From 1984 to 1986 she played Cynthia Chandler Preston Cortlandt on All My Children. Cynthia seduced wealthy, older Palmer Cortlandt, broke up Palmer and Daisy's marriage and married Palmer, while sleeping with Ross Chandler.
In 1986 producer Gail Kobe contacted Elliot, to offer her the role of Stephanie Douglas Forrester on the newly created CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. Elliot accepted the role, but on Christmas Eve 1986, Kobe called Elliot to tell her that Susan Flannery was returning to daytime as Stephanie, and creator Bill Bell had given Flannery the part instead.
Elliot next appeared on daytime as Anjelica Deveraux on Days of Our Lives from 1987 to 1989. Although married to Harper Deveraux (played by Joseph Campanella), Anjelica has an affair with the much younger Justin Kiriakis (played by Wally Kurth), and becomes pregnant with his child. Complications ensue when Anjelica discovers that Harper is sterile, and has always known about it. Elliot played the part of Anjelica for two years, with the character being involved in many additional complications and intrigues.
After leaving Days of Our Lives, she returned to General Hospital in 1989, and in 1991 was reunited with Kurth, who was cast as Tracy's son, Ned Ashton. Elliot left again in mid-1993, later becoming a producer on the 1995 ABC soap opera The City. From 1996 to 1997 she reprised the role of Tracy Quartermaine on The City after briefly appearing as Tracy again on General Hospital. In 2003, Elliot returned to General Hospital as a regular cast member. In 2014, she was nominated for another Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, 33 years after her win and 21 years since her last nomination. Elliot announced her retirement in March 2017.
In November 2019, it was announced that she would be returning to General Hospital in December 2019. She has made several short-term appearances since; the character of Tracy's appearances were generally written as holiday visits until Elliot’s full-time return in 2023. She now describes herself as a “failed retiree.”
Theater On Broadway Elliot portrayed Linda Kingsley in The Impossible Years (1965), a role that resulted from her performance in the Bucks County Playhouse's production of Hay Fever.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1960World War III Breaks OutTomoko (US release—voice only)Feature filmIn the US this film was released under the title "The Final War" 1969Change of HabitSister BarbaraFeature filmDr. Heidegger's ExperimentWidow WycherlylShort film1972One Is a Lonely NumberMadge FrazierFeature film 1987Some Kind of WonderfulCarol NelsonFeature filmBaby BoomPark MomFeature film
Television Year Title Role Notes 1965The Doctors and the NursesMiss MarksEpisode: "Night of the Witch"ITV Play of the WeekMarieEpisode: "Come Back Little Sheba"A Flame in the WindLinda SkerbaSeries regular1967N.Y.P.D. JillyEpisode: "The Pink Gumdrop" 1968Judd for the DefenseJo Ann StormEpisode: "Kingdom of the Blind"The Guns of Will SonnettNettaEpisode: "Where There's Hope"The Mod Squad DaphneEpisode: "The Guru"1969CBS PlayhouseRitaEpisode: "Shadow Game" 1970Dan AugustPleasanceEpisode: "The King Is Dead"The Bold Ones: The LawyersGrave YoungEpisode: "Trial of a PFC"The InternsLouellaEpisode: "Act of God"1972Welcome Home, Johnny BristolSister TheresaTelevision film (CBS)1973The Fabulous Doctor FableJune FableTelevision pilot film (ABC)1974KojakCarla ElliotEpisode: "Therapy in Dynamite" 1975Barnaby JonesAnn DanversEpisode: "Fantasy of Fear"Police WomanTrudy Franklin / Jana HummelEpisode: "Ice" 1976WidowJudyTelevision film (NBC)Once an EagleCheryl LoganTelevision 7-part miniseries (NBC)Episode: "Chapter 2"Electra Woman and Dyna GirlPrincess CleopatraEpisode: "The Pharaoh: Part 1"Episode: "The Pharaoh: Part 2"Episode: "Return of the Pharaoh: Part 1"Episode: "Return of the Pharaoh: Part 2"These episodes were also aired as part of the umbrella series titled The Krofft Supershow along with two other series, Dr. Shrinker and Wonderbug, in the same year. 1977Panic in Echo ParkEbonyTelevision pilot film (NBC)In the Matter of Karen Ann QuinlanMaria ArmstrongTelevision film (NBC)Rosetti and RyanJessica HornesbyMain role, 7 episodes1978–1980, 1989–1993, 1996, 2003–2017, 2019–2021, 2023–presentGeneral HospitalTracy Quartermaine Williams Ashton Hornsby Soleito Zacchara SpencerSeries regularDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1981)Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress: Daytime (1992)Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1993, 2014)Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress (1993)Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess (2005)1980Dan August: The Jealousy FactorPlesanceTelevision film (ABC)ABC created this television film by combining two episodes (Murder by Proxy and The King is Dead) of the original 1970-1971 Dan August television series. Jane originally appeared in the episode "The King is Dead".1980–1981Knots LandingJudy TrentEpisode: "Remember the Good Times" (1980; credited as Jane Elliott)Episode: "Breach of Faith" (1981)Episode: "Choices" (1981)1981–1982Guiding LightCarrie Todd MarlerSeries regular 1982CBS Children's Mystery TheatreMargaret "Maggie" BrennerEpisode: "The Zertigo Diamond Caper"A New Day in EdenMadge SinclairEpisode: #1.11984–1986All My ChildrenCynthia Chandler Preston Cortlandt (17 episodes)Series regularNominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess in a Daytime Serial (1986)1987–1989Days of Our LivesAnjelica Curtis Deveraux #1 (192 episodes)Series regularSoap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess: Daytime (1990)Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1989)Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess: Daytime (1991)1988Baby BoomJulieEpisode: "Pilot"Episode: "The Right School for Elizabeth"Jane also appeared in the 1987 feature film Baby Boom which the television series was based upon.1996–1997The CityTracy Quartermaine Williams Ashton Hornsby Soleito Zacchara SpencerSeries regular (84 episodes) 1998–2001Law & OrderRandi Smolin Episode: "Castoff" (1998)State Attorney General Isabel ShoreEpisode: "Ego" (2001)2015Mrs. GaryEva PressingtonEpisode: "Yard Sale"
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1981 8th Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series General Hospital 1986 Soap Opera Digest Awards Outstanding Villain on a Daytime Serial All My Children 1989 16th Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Days of Our Lives 1990 Soap Opera Digest Awards Outstanding Villainess: Daytime 1991 1992 Outstanding Supporting Actress: Daytime General Hospital 1993 Outstanding Supporting Actress 20th Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series 2004 Gold Derby Awards Supporting Actress - Daytime Drama 2005 Soap Opera Digest Awards Favorite Villainess 2009 Gold Derby Awards Daytime Supporting Actress of the Decade 2013 Supporting Actress - Daytime Drama 2014 41st Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
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