Nina Arvesen (born May 16, 1961) is an American actress of Norwegian extraction, model, dancer, and businesswoman. Best known for her performances in American soap operas,[1][2] Arvesen landed her two most prominent acting roles as Cassandra Rawlins on The Young and the Restless and as Angela Raymond on the NBC television series Santa Barbara.
Nina Arvesen | |
|---|---|
 Nina Arvesen | |
| Born | Nina Elisabeth Arvesen May 16, 1961 White Plains, New York, United States |
| Nationality | American actress of Norwegian extraction |
| Occupation(s) | Film, television actor, model, dancer |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Parent(s) | Father Jan Arvesen Mother Sidsel, pronounced "sis-sell Arvesen" |
| Relatives | Jannik Arvesen (brother) Christian Arversen (brother) |
Early life
Arvesen was born in White Plains, New York to Norwegian parents. Her father, Jan Arvesen,[3][4] was a Norwegian diplomat and was Norway's ambassador to Mexico (1979-1985), to Costa Rica (1985-1991) and to Portugal (1996-1998). Her mother, Sidsel (pronounced "sis-sell") was an actress in Norway.[5] Arvensen has two brothers: Jannik Arvesen who is a financial investment adviser in Norway, and Christian Arversen who works in film and special effects in Los Angeles California.[6][unreliable source][7][8]
Before working in the United States, Arvesen had her own talk show for three years in Norway and also worked as an actress in Egypt, Brazil, Costa Rica, Bermuda and Norway before moving back to the United States.[9]
Career
Arvesen initially began her career during her teens as an actress, model, dancer and a classically trained pianist in Norway. After college, she made the decision to leave Norway in 1986 to pursue her dream of an acting career in the United States where she has appeared in several television shows, commercials and movies. According to Arvesen, American casting directors refused to accept her overseas acting credits. She eventually got her first US screen credit and Screen Actors Guild membership card after appearing in the 1987 movie Dragnet with Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks.[9] After she stopped working in the various soap operas that made her famous, her career aspirations shifted from acting to work modeling for television commercials, print ads and popular magazines.[10] Arvesen went on to launch and create her own production company, The Arvesen Group.[11]
Soap Opera Digest called Arvesen one of "TV's Most Beautiful Women" in their March 21, 1989 publication,[citation needed] which had over 1 million subscribers at the time.[12]
Arvesen currently owns and operates her own dance studio in Santa Monica, California, after retiring from movies and television.[13]
Charity work
Besides being the Master of ceremonies of more than one St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's annual fund-raising events, Arvesen has been involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).[14]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Beach Fever | [15] | |
| 1987 | Santa Barbara | Celia Robbins (three episodes) | [16] |
| 1987 | Dragnet | [17] | |
| 1988–1991 | The Young and the Restless | Cassandra Rawlins | [2] |
| 1988 | Maniac Cop | Regina Sheperd | [18] |
| 1988 | Who Gets the Friends? | Inga | [19] |
| 1989 | Now You See It | Herself | [20] |
| 1991–1993 | Santa Barbara | Angela Raymond | [21] |
References
- ^ "SB's Nina Arvesen: Learning her way Through Daytime." Archived 2016-06-11 at the Wayback Machine Soap Opera Magazine. October 6, 1992.
- ^ a b Reichardt, Nancy M. (October 14, 1990). "Soap not Boring for Nina Arvesen". Herald-Journal. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
- ^ "Jan Arvesen 1 May 1974 Jan Arvesen Norway". www.untreaty.un.org. 1988. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- ^ "jan Arvesen Kokomo Tribune, July 1, 1992". Kokomo Tribune. 1992. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- ^ "Nina Arvesen mother name Sidsel, pronounced "sis-sell" Arvesen mother is a Norwegian actress". www.sceneweb.no/en/artist/19060/Sissel_Arvesen. 1990. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
- ^ "Nina Arvesen brother Christian Arvesen Ref IMDb". www.IMDb.com. 1990. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- ^ "Cassandra Hall Rawlins, Brief Character History". soapcentral.com. 1988. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
- ^ "Nina Arvesen Played Cassandra Hall Rawlins George Rawlins murder mystery in Bermuda". The Daily Gazette - Jan 19, 1990. 1990. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
- ^ a b "Actress Recalls Her "Bermuda Love Triangle"". Bernews. April 7, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ "Making Waves". Orange Coast. May 1990. pp. 104–111. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
- ^ Prime, Alena (1995). "Nina Arvesen, the sexy superwoman". Télé Star. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ^ Blau, Eleanor (October 24, 1988). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Soap Opera Magazines Fight For Fans' Hearts and Dollars". The New York Times. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ "Video: Island Cleaned Up With Soap Exposure". Bernews. March 14, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ "TV questions: Who is soap star Nina Arvesen?". The Daily Gazette. December 9, 1990. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ "TV Talkback Pg.TVW-12". The Blade. February 3–9, 1991. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ ""Santa Barbara" Episode #1.798 (TV episode 1987)". IMDb. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- ^ "Dragnet - Cast, Crew, Director and Awards". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 1987. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Maniac Cop (1988)". IMDb. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Who Gets the Friends? (TV 1988)". IMDb. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- ^ "Now You See It (TV series 1989)". IMDb. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ^ Prime, Alena (1995). "Nina Arvesen, the sexy superwoman". Télé Star. Retrieved July 20, 2012.