Wright was born Laura Alice Sisk in Washington, D.C. and raised in Clinton, Maryland. She appeared in several high school plays such as Gypsy, Our Town, and You Can't Take It with You.[2] She also directed a school production of Father Says No. She appeared in a few local commercials and numerous fashion shows.[1] After high school, Wright attended one semester of college before leaving and taking a full time job at a gas station owned by her father in Clinton.[3]
Career
While working at her father's gas station, Wright took an acting class. The teacher submitted a videotape of her students to the ABC soap opera Loving. Wright almost missed the taping because she overslept that day. The show responded, and Wright (then using her maiden name of Sisk), flew to New York City for a screen test.[3] She was cast as Allison "Ally" Rescott, playing the role from 1991 until the show's cancellation in 1995. She then played the same role on The City, a spin off of Loving, from 1995 to 1997.[1]
After the cancellation of The City, Wright joined the cast of the CBS soap opera Guiding Light as Cassie Layne Winslow in August 1997. She won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Favorite New Character for her role on Guiding Light in 1998.[4] Wright decided to leave the show when her contract expired in October 2005. She said her exit wasn't related to budget cuts or backstage drama, she simply wanted to try other opportunities. Her final airdate was November 3, 2005. The role was recast.[5]
On September 12, 2005, it was announced that Wright would begin playing Carly Corinthos on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. She was the fourth actress to play the role, succeeding Jennifer Bransford. ABC Daytime executive Brian Frons said in a statement, "Carly is a complex character, and we are excited to bring Laura's talent, beauty and intelligence to this role."[6] Wright's first airdate was November 4, 2005, the day after her final episode of Guiding Light aired.[6]
In 2011, after 20 years on daytime soap operas, Wright received her first Daytime Emmy Award nomination. She was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress for her role on General Hospital and won the award.[7][8][9][10][11] Wright was nominated again in the same category in 2012.[12] She also received nominations in 2015, 2017 to 2019, and 2022.[13][14][15][16][17]
In 2013, Wright guest starred on an episode of the VH1 series Hit the Floor.[18] In 2015, she made a cameo appearance in the film Joy, alongside General Hospital co-stars Maurice Benard and Donna Mills.[19] She starred as Dr. Lori Hanson in the Lifetime film Deadly Patient (also titled Stalked by My Patient) in 2018.[20]
Personal life
Wright announced her engagement to architect John Wright in August 1995. They had dated on and off throughout high school and college before reuniting a few years later. John proposed to her in the back of a New York taxi at 10 o'clock at night. The wedding was originally scheduled for June 1, 1996.[21] They were married on October 7, 1995. They have a daughter, who was born in 1998, and a son, who was born in 2000.[22] In April 2016, Wright announced that she and John had decided to end their marriage.[23]
Wright has been in a relationship with her General Hospital co-star Wes Ramsey since 2017. They first met several years earlier, when they worked together on Guiding Light.[24]
Filmography
List of acting performances in film and television
