Judi Evans

Judi Evans is an American Emmy Award–winning actress. She played Beth Raines on the CBS series Guiding Light from, but is best known for playing Adrienne Johnson Kiriakis a role she originated in 1986 on NBC's long running Days of our Lives.

A native of Montebello, CA, who ultimately became a soap opera mainstay, Judi Evans (often credited under her married name, Judi Evans Luciano) moved with her family to nearby Monterey Park at an early age. As the daughter of two trapeze artists, she was essentially born into the lap of show business, and in fact spent the majority of her childhood touring with the circus that employed her parents, appearing in the ring as a baby clown. After secondary school, Evans attended Pasadena City College, then quickly moved into daytime drama roles -- first with a debut on Guiding Light from 1983-1986 (as Beth Raines), then with a stint as talk-show maven Paulina Cory on Another World (beginning in 1991), and finally, with two separate tenures on Days of Our Lives. In her first role on Days (1986-1991), she portrayed Adrienne Johnson Kiriakis, while in the second (2003-2007), she played social-climber Bonnie Lockhart. Beginning in 2007, Days producers brought back the character of Adrienne for a second, brief go-round. Telemovie fans may also associate Evans with her portrayal of former Miss West Virginia Patsy Ramsey, the mother of slain JonBenet Ramsey, in Getting Away with Murder: The JonBenet Ramsey Mystery (2000). ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi