Earlier this month, word spread that the character of Celeste Perrault would be returning to NBC's daytime drama, Days of Our Lives. When the story leaked, it was said that actress Tanya Boyd would be rejoining the show in the role she created. In the few short weeks since, negotiations between Boyd and DAYS fell through due to a reported scheduling conflict. Not to worry, popular TV and movie actress Beverly Todd will be stepping into the role and breathing new life into one of Salem's best-loved and most unusual characters. With Todd's first air date as Celeste set for April 3, what follows is a look at the actress' impressive career thus far.
TV audiences got their first glimpse of Todd when she appeared in a single episode of the police drama NYPD back in 1968. That same year she landed her first recurring role--on a soap opera, no less--as Monica Nelson on the long-runningCBS serial, Love of Life. Here's a bit of DAYS-related trivia: Love of Lifeoriginally starred then-future DAYS' Brady family matriarch, Peggy McCay, although she had left the series prior to Toddjoining the cast.
During Todd's time on the soap, she also guested on NBC's primetime drama, The Bold Ones: The Protectors and CBS' adventure western, The Wild Wild West.
Already making a name for herself in Hollywood, it was Todd's first three big-screen roles, alongside Sidney Poitier in 1969'sThe Lost Man, 1970's They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! and 1971's Brother John, that would garner her a well-deserved place among actors of the day. With Poitier as friend and mentor, Todd learned from the best and her performances proved it.
Throughout the 70s, Todd was a mainstay in TV in both made-for-TV films and weekly series roles. As a child of the 70s myself, I remember seeing the strikingly beautiful actress in everything from Barnaby Jones, Lou Grant, Benson and Family to the now-icon mini-series Roots.
Todd continued to work steadily throughout the next decade scoring recurring roles on Falcon Crest, For Love and Honor, St. Elsewhere and The Redd Foxx Show. Being a huge Lindsay Wagner fan, I even remember Todd guesting on the former Bionic Woman's short-lived 1984 series, Jessie. More DAYS-related trivia: Todd's then-future DAYSdaughter, Renée Joneswas a series regular on Jessie at the time of Todd's guest role.
The busy actress finished up the 80s with more TV guest roles and a return to the big screen in such hits as Baby Boom with Diane Keeton; Richard Pryor's Moving; Clara's Heart, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Lean on Me alongside Morgan Freeman.
In the past two decades, Todd has appeared on the small screen in everything from Wiseguy and A Different World to Six Feet Under,House, Grey's Anatomy and my personal favorite, The Closer. Among her recent big screen roles: she co-starred alongside Don Cheadle in 20004's Oscar-winning drama Crash; reunited with her Lean on Me leading man, Morgan Freeman in 2007 when she played his wife in the mortality-conscious film, The Bucket List ; and just last year, Todd played a pivotal role in film festival favorite, I Will Follow.
It will be interesting to see what Todd brings to the role of Celeste Perrault, former lover of Stefano Dimera, mother to Jones' popular Lexie Carver and Salem's resident psychic. In the weeks before Todd brings Celeste back to DAYS, I plan on running a spotlight on the character's previous storyline highlights to familiarize newer viewers to one of my favorite outrageous daytime characters.
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