Constance Towers, born Constance Mary Towers on May 20, 1933, in Whitefish, Montana, is an American actress and singer. She gained prominence for her appearances in several mainstream 1950s films before transitioning to theater, starring in numerous Broadway productions through the 1970s.

Her accolades include two Emmy Award nominations. Beginning in 1965, Towers embarked on a career in theater, making her Broadway debut in the musical Anya, opposite Lillian Gish, followed by a 1966 production of Show Boat at Lincoln Center.

Constance Towers starred in four other Broadway productions throughout the 1970s, most notably as Anna in The King and I in 1977 and 1978. Her later career largely has been based in television, with roles as matriarch Clarissa McCandless on the daytime drama Capitol from 1982 to 1987, and the villainous Helena Cassadine on General Hospital, which she began portraying in 1997.

Constance Towers was born to Ardath L. (née Reynolds) and Harry J. Towers, a pharmacist. Her mother, originally from Nebraska, was of Irish descent, while her father was an Ireland native from Dublin, who immigrated to the United States through Philadelphia.

Her family relocated throughout western Montana in her early childhood, living in Whitefish, Missoula, and Kalispell, as well as in Moscow, Idaho. In 1940, when Towers was in first grade, she was discovered by talent scouts visiting Montana in search of child actors for radio programs.

Her family subsequently relocated to Seattle, Washington, and she began working as a child radio actress on Pacific Northwest programs over the following three years. According to her official website, she was offered a contract with Paramount Pictures at age 11, but the offer was declined by her parents.

At age 12, she worked at a small local movie theater in her hometown of Whitefish. In her adolescence, her family relocated to New York City after her father took a job there as an executive vice president for a pharmaceutical company. There she attended the Juilliard School, studying music, and American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She studied singing with well-known voice teacher Beverley Peck Johnson.

Her early film work includes roles in The Horse Soldiers (1959) and Sergeant Rutledge (1960). She also appeared in Shock Corridor (1963) and The Naked Kiss (1964). Her television career includes appearances on The Bob Cummings Show, The Outer Limits, Zane Grey Theatre, and Perry Mason.

Her Broadway roles include performances in Carousel (1966), The Sound of Music (1967), and a revival of The King and I opposite Yul Brynner. She has also starred in the musical Ari, an adaptation of the Leon Uris novel Exodus.

Constance Towers has been married twice, first to Eugene McGrath from 1959 to 1966, and then to actor John Gavin from 1974 until his death in 2018. She has two children and a net worth of $10 million.