Tragic Details About General Hospital And Friends Alum Morgan Fairchild

Morgan Fairchild started her Hollywood career by serving as Faye Dunaway's body double in the 1967 film "Bonnie and Clyde." Almost six years later, she entered the soap opera realm with her debut role as the captivatingly murderous Jennifer Pace Phillips in "Search for Tomorrow," marking the beginning of an array of foxy characters she embodied over the years. From her notable appearances in 1970s and 1980s television classics such as "Dallas," "Flamingo Road," and "Falcon Crest" to more contemporary roles in "Days of Our Lives," "General Hospital," and even "Friends," Fairchild has undeniably etched her name in Hollywood.

During Fairchild's time on ABC's "The City," according to Texas Monthly, Patricia Fili-Krushel, the former president of ABC Daytime, said, "When you hear 'Morgan Fairchild,' you know what you're getting. She is a business." Several decades into her career, Fairchild remains a well-known figure, even making her return to "General Hospital."

However, even with her acting prowess and enduring success, Fairchild has not been immune to personal hardships, including two instances of kidnapping and the loss of her longtime partner in her 70s.

In a 1982 interview with The San Francisco Examiner, as reported by Closer Weekly, Fairchild discussed the typical role she often found herself cast in, describing it as "a ruthless sex symbol who's going to claw her way to the top no matter what." A 1981 People magazine story questioned whether Fairchild's alluring image might limit her success on the small screen, but the star refused to be confined to the idea of what the role of a cunning woman in daytime soap operas should be.

Rather than letting these preconceived notions hinder her career, Fairchild chose to leverage them to her advantage. In a 1996 conversation with Texas Monthly, she explained, "I never view the characters I play as mere bi***es. I view them as, well, complicated." Fairchild shared that the late Hollywood producer Charles Fries helped shift her perspective when she lost the role of the good sister in "The Initiation of Sarah" and was cast as Jennifer Lawrence, the main antagonist. Fries reassured her, saying, "I can get an ingenue anywhere. But a good b***h is hard to find."

Embracing her captivating appearance as more suited to roles outside the realm of traditional good girls, Fairchild committed herself to portraying mean girl characters with authenticity. Eventually, she had the opportunity to showcase her comedic timing in iconic sitcoms like "Friends" and "Murphy Brown," with the latter earning her a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 1990.

Before finding success in Hollywood, Morgan Fairchild was previously married to Jack Calmes, a musician and a business executive in sound reinforcement and lighting. The two got married in 1967 when Fairchild was just 17, but they divorced six years later. Reflecting on their relationship in an interview with The San Francisco Examiner, as per Closer Weekly, Fairchild admitted, "We had a rotten marriage," citing their young age, financial struggles, and discord over the decision to have children as primary reasons for the split.

Despite scoring a stand-in role in "Bonnie and Clyde" the same year she got married, Fairchild's career stagnated during her marriage to Calmes. Following their divorce in 1973, she decided to make a fresh start by changing her name (she was born Patsy Ann McClenny) and relocating to New York to pursue her acting career. Shortly afterward, she landed a recurring role on "Search for Tomorrow," marking the real beginning of her successful Hollywood career.

However, Fairchild never married again but did become engaged to her longtime partner, the late Mark Seiler. In a 2020 talk with Closer Weekly, the star said of their relationship, "It's definitely a long-term commitment, and we've been together for a long time." When asked about the possibility of marriage, Fairchild responded, "We may just leave it the way it is right now. We're both getting older."

Surprisingly, Morgan Fairchild experienced two kidnappings in her life. The initial incident took place in 1970 in New York while she was visiting her sister. In the middle of the day, two men approached her, grabbed her by the arms, and shoved her into a waiting taxi. Fairchild recounted the terrifying ordeal in an interview with WJCT, sharing, "These guys proceeded to tell me all the things they were going to do to me." She explained, "One was a pimp, and one was a pusher; I know because they told me."

However, Fairchild had no intent of getting scared into submission, so she started cracking jokes. Impressed by her humor, the men decided to let her go. "I talked my way out of being a statistic in New York City," the "Falcon Crest" alum said.

Unfortunately, Fairchild faced another abduction during a robbery gone wrong. Recounting the incident on an episode of "Celebrity Close Calls," the actor revealed that a man broke into her apartment during the filming of the television series "Flamingo Road" in the 1980s. As the intruder was unable to find anything to steal, he resorted to kidnapping Fairchild at gunpoint but ultimately decided to release her.

Following her first divorce, Morgan Fairchild, though never opting for marriage again, found enduring companionship with her longtime partner and fiancé, Mark Seiler. Seiler, the former president of RKO Pictures and Hemdale Films, as well as the CEO of Capella Films, struck up a relationship with Fairchild in 1980, and their bond remained unbroken until Seiler's passing in 2023. As the soap vet mourns the tragic loss of her partner of almost four decades, she posted a poignant Instagram announcement accompanied by a photo of the couple, writing, "He was a warm, brilliant, & very funny man, and I am devastated."

Seiler had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2016, and unfortunately, he succumbed to complications from COVID-19 after battling the virus for the third time, Fairchild revealed in her Instagram post. During the pandemic, Seiler was residing in a nursing home due to his progressive condition, where, according to Fairchild's 2020 conversation with Closer Weekly, he received excellent care. Despite the heartbreaking loss, Fairchild urged her followers to cherish their time with loved ones and emphasized the importance of taking precautions, including wearing masks, to protect others.