Cady McClain Reflects on Making Daytime Emmy History

When Cady McClain won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series back in 2021 for her stint as Jennifer on Days of Our Lives, she not only won her third trophy but made Emmy history at the same time. “I am the first woman to win for three different characters on three different daytime series,” she reflected on Instagram. “I made history.”

McClain had previously won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series back in 2004 for her role of Rosanna on As The World Turns, and before that, took home the award for Outstanding Younger Actress in 1990 for playing Dixie on All My Children. So not only was it three Emmys for three separate soaps, but they were also on three different networks and in three separate decades!

“My goal was not to make history, but to never give up on my craft as an actor,” McClain admitted. “This is harder than it sounds. I did something remarkable. And I’m proud of it. And now I teach other people how to do remarkable things. And I love doing that.

“These three Emmys mean something to more people than just me,” she continued. “They mean something to everyone who watched the shows or worked on them, too. They are a marker of effort and achievement, and a recognition by one’s peers that one’s effort stands out.”

McClain may not currently be appearing on a daytime drama but she’s still hard at work and sharing what she’s learned with the next generation. “I still act,” she said. “I also run a theater company called Axial Theatre and work to develop the work of both playwrights and actors. And I teach at Michael Howard Studios, where I learned my craft. Thank you very much for your understanding of why this is important to me.”