Eden Riegel
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SOAP STAR STATS
Eden Riegel (ex-Bianca, AMC)
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— ABC
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Vital Statistics
- Birthdate:
- January 1
- Birthplace:
- Washington, D.C.
- Star Sign:
- Capricorn
- Years On Show:
- 2000-'05, 2006-2007, 2008-2009
The 411
Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in a Virginia suburb, Eden Riegel began acting at the tender age of 7, joining a 26-city tour of Les Misérables, playing Young Cosette. After the tour, Riegel took on the same role on Broadway.
After many years in Manhattan filled with commercials, TV and a few movies, she applied to college. She joined the student body at Harvard, but not before filming a small role for the movie American Pie (1999). At Harvard, Riegel developed a love of politics, which led her to an internship at the White House under President Clinton at the end of her sophomore year. That same summer, she landed the role of Bianca on AMC. She took a break from Harvard (although she does want to finish her degree someday), and packed her bags for Pine Valley.
This role gave Riegel not only the daunting task of acting as the daughter of megastar Susan Lucci (Erica), but also the responsibility of portraying the first gay contract character on an American soap. Riegel is personally attached to this storyline, as her older sister Tatiana is a lesbian. Receiving letters from gay fans who have found strength in Bianca's story is heartwarming, says Riegel. "I'm very touched by it," she notes. "It's amazing to me that we can actually reach out to people in that way."
In 2005, after Bianca was reunited with her daughter, Miranda, Riegel left AMC to move to Los Angeles and pursue other acting ventures. After three brief returns to AMC that May and December and May 2006, Riegel returned as a contract player in October 2006.
Riegel's Bianca embarked on a new journey, befriending Zarf/Zoe, AMC's transgender character — thereby entering yet another groundbreaking storyline. Bianca and Zoe left Pine Valley together in the spring of 2007. Even though she was taping in New York, Riegel split her time by also living in Los Angeles.
Et Cetera
Five Random Facts
—Attended New York's Professional Children's School with Macaulay Culkin and Christina Ricci.
—Was a part of American daytime's first lesbian kiss.
—When Riegel's Bianca first reappeared on AMC in 2000, fans suspected she would have a romance with Leo duPres (Josh Duhamel).
—Back in her Harvard days, Riegel dreamed of being a lawyer.
—Riegel is a huge fan of the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs.
Other Roles
Former Soap Roles: AS THE WORLD TURNS (Heather, 1998)
TV Roles
AMERICAN DREAMS (Protester, 2004)
LAW & ORDER (Natalie, 1997)
NEW YORK UNDERCOVER (Megan Cooper, 1995-'97)
Film Roles
Semmelweis (Elisabeth, 2001)
American Pie (Sarah, 1999)
Henry Hill (Nicole Hill, 1999)
Prince of Egypt (Young Miriam, 1998)
The Frog King (Princess, 1994)
Peppermint Rose (Lemondrop Lily, 1993)
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (Choir member, 1992)
Theater Roles
Les Misérables (Young Cosette)
The Will Rogers Follies (Mary Rogers)
Jane Eyre (Young Jane)
Broadway Kids Sing Broadway (Lead)
Spittin' Image (Becca)
Little Match Girl (Kaila)
Vanity and Vexation (Polly)
My Good Name (Becca)
Nine Armenians (Ginya)
In No Man's Land (Mary)
Lost and Found (Tamara)
Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie)
Memorable Quotes
EDEN ON EDEN
"I definitely want to get my degree someday; it's important to me, but doing AMC is an opportunity that comes along once in a lifetime. I realized that this is really what I wanted to pursue. Harvard will have to wait. Anything will wait for ALL MY CHILDREN." &mdashSoap Opera Weekly, 8/8/00
"I'm a Western roper. I learned that when I was in The Will Rogers Follies. Nobody in the [AMC] cast knows I can do it." —Soap Opera Digest, 1/23/01
"Going around meddling in everyone's lives — that was my job."—Digest, 12/26/06
"I wake up excited; I can't wait for my next script to come in. It is such a golden time for me right now." —Digest, 12/26/06
"I feel unbelievably connected to her, like she's my second mom. And I have learned so, so much from her about what it means to a professional and to give it your all every day, to be an advocate for your character and your character's point of view." on Susan Lucci (Erica), —soapoperaweekly.com
YOU SHOULD HEAR WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU!
"You know, whenever she's here, I realize how much I adore her as a person and how much I love working with her as an actor. We fell right back into it as if we'd just seen each other yesterday. That comfort level was there immediately. I love having her here. I feel such a connection to her and I do feel like she's my sister, especially when we work together." —Alicia Minshew (Kendall, AMC), soapoperaweekly.com
"All I can tell you is that I adore working with Eden. I respect her as an actor. I think she brings out the best in me and I would like to think the same is true for her." —Olga Sosnovska (ex-Lena, AMC) Weekly, 10/23/03
"... Now that I've worked with probably half the cast, I realize what amazing chemistry we have together. I'll have to work with men, and really, I'm heterosexual, but I have more chemistry with her! I'm trying to have romances with boys, but I don't know, I just feel it with her!" —Elizabeth Hendrickson (ex-Maggie, AMC) Weekly, 11/05/02
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