Cady, born Katie, Cady McClain was born and raised in southern California. She began her career at the age of nine, with the popular commercial, "I Am Stuck on Band-Aids." Other commercials followed, as well as appearances on such television series as Cheers, St. Elsewhere, and Lou Grant. Her early film credits included playing Peter O'Toole's daughter, Tess, in My Favorite Year; and tap-dancing, 1930s-style, on a white piano, in Pennies From Heaven.
She arrived in New York at age 17, when a workshop production of Judith Viorst's Happy Birthday and Other Humiliations moved east for pre-Broadway tryouts. Despite its limited run, Cady received good reviews, and doors began to open for her in the city. A role in an episode of Spenser: For Hire was followed by a leading role in the television movie A Father's Homecoming. In addition, she appeared in the independent film Simple Justice, and Sondheim's A Little Night Music for the New York Opera Ensemble.
Craving a little stability in her life, she began to look for something that would allow her to live in one place for a while. Originally offered a screen test for the role of Dixie Cooney on All My Children while working on a pilot, she had regretfully turned it down. A few months later, All My Children came knocking at her door once again, and this time she was free to audition. Several nerve-racking weeks later, the part of Dixie Cooney was hers.
In 1990, Cady won the Daytime Emmy Award as Outstanding Juvenile Female for her portrayal of Dixie. In 1991, she won Soap Opera Digest's award for Best Heroine and received another Daytime Emmy nomination in 1992. She and her co-star, Michael E. Knight, also won Soap Opera Update's MVP Award for Best Couple. Additionally, during her time on the show, she was nominated for four other Soap Opera Digest Awards, including Hottest Female Star, and Soap Opera Update's Most Valuable Player award.
While working on All My Children, Cady continued to train with teacher Michael Howard and to work in theater, appearing as Adriana in The Comedy of Errors at the Hudson Theatre Guild; Hero in Much Ado About Nothing at Lincoln Center; Cory in Barefoot in the Park with All My Children co-star Walt Willey at the Westbury and Valley Forge Music Fair; as Tamara/Bridget in Quiet on the Set at the Westbeth; and in Self Offence at the Cucuracha.
Despite her heavy schedule, she found time to develop a talent for playing the guitar and writing music and poetry; and began performing in and around the New York area. She toured briefly with Walt Willey and company in Mackinaw Island, Michigan, and Laughlin, Nevada; and performed cabaret-style in Atlantic City's Trump Plaza. Special experiences included singing for director Jonathan Demme and others at the Directors Guild Awards, and recording a song written especially for her to sing over a montage of her character's life on All My Children.
When her contract ended in 1996, she departed All My Children. After taking a few months off, she appeared as Lady in David Ives' The Red Address at the Second Stage, opposite Kevin Anderson, which garnered excellent reviews in the New York Times, the New Yorker and the Voice. She also wrote, produced, and co-directed a surrealist one-woman piece, Mona7, and performed in Inventions of Farewell, another one-woman piece, compiled from Wallace Stevens' poetry. She spent a semester at New York's New School for Social Research, then was accepted to the School of Visual Arts as an illustration major.
Cady has appeared on VH-1 as a guest VJ, and in comedy shorts for Comedy Central. She has been a guest on Live: With Regis & Kathie Lee, and has appeared on Northwest Afternoon, Vicki, and Geraldo. She appeared on the premiere of the Lifetime Cable Network show, Biggers and Summer, where she performed one of her original songs, Harmony. She has been featured in the New York Daily News, TV Guide, and McCall's.
PLACE OF BIRTH: Burbank, California
DATE OF BIRTH: October 13, 1969
HEIGHT: 5'3"
HAIR: Blonde
EYES: Blue