Santa Barbara was a groundbreaking daytime soap opera that aired on NBC for ten seasons from 1984 to 1993. Set in the fictional town of Santa Barbara, California, the show focuses on the Capwells and their family drama. Its unique blend of humor, suspense, and romance made Santa Barbara stand out in the already crowded soap landscape.
You just know it’s a good show when it wins 24 Daytime Emmy Awards, and people still rewatch it even in 2024. If you do the math or, alternatively, read the title of this article, you’ll realize that in 2024, Santa Barbara celebrates its 40th anniversary. The cast and crew, well, whatever is left of it anyway, came together on August 2 in Burbank’s Colony Theater for a special reunion event.
Let’s see who made it this far!
1. Zach Kelton — Lee McCloskey
Lee McCloskey was 33 years old when he joined the cast. Before his role in Santa Barbara, Lee had already starred in films like The Streets of San Francisco, Inferno, and Murder, She Wrote. After retiring in 2005, Lee pursued psychology and philosophy. Now, when the actor hits 70, he and his wife, Carla, are all about hosting regular training and public events from their home in California. They are also proud parents of two grown sons, Brighton and Alexander.
2. Gina Blake Lockridge — Robin Mattson
Robin Mattson made a name for himself in the film industry after joining Santa Barbara. She often played wicked and sly characters, and her portrayal of Gina Lockridge was no different. For her outstanding performance, Mattson received three Emmy Award nominations. In her next project, All My Children, Robin got much more screen time, which propelled her career even further until she decided to retire from acting in 2011. At the age of 69, Robin has experienced two marriages, both of which ended in divorce.
3. Eden Capwell — Marcy Walker
Marcy Walker, who played Eden Capwell, stayed with the show from start to finish, and she even had her real-life baby featured on the show. In 1989, she won a Daytime Emmy, and after seven years on Santa Barbara, Marcy moved on to Guiding Light and All My Children. In 2005, she left acting to focus on her faith, becoming a pastor at Lake Forest Church. Despite four short marriages, she’s been happily married to her fifth husband, Doug Smith, for 25 years. Now 62, Marcy leads a private life away from the spotlight.
4. Cruz Castillo — A Martinez
The role of Cruz Castillo, which made Martinez famous at 38, also marked a shift from his usual villain roles. The actor left the show in 1992 to pursue film and TV roles, appearing in The Bay, Criminal Minds, and The Rookie. Martinez loved being on Santa Barbara and often shares nostalgic photos on his Instagram. That said, his career is picking up again, with a role as Pakku in the 2024 Avatar: The Last Airbender Netflix show. As to his personal affairs, after a brief first marriage, he settled down with Leslie Bryans, with whom he has three kids.
5. Kelly Capwell — Robin Wright
Robin Wright landed her role as Kelly Capwell at just 18 and kept on going for about four years. Unlike many soap stars, Wright became a Hollywood sensation. She’s known for starring in iconic films like Forrest Gump, Blade Runner 2049, and the most recent release, The Maiden and the Dragon. Her personal life has been a very complicated mess, to say the least, but at least she has two children with actor Sean Penn, whom she divorced in 2010. Subsequently, she entered into three marriages and divorces. So yeah.
6. Mason Capwell — Lane Davies
Lane Davies looks back in his time spent on Santa Barbara with mixed feelings. You see, he’s not too keen on the intense fan attention, and he found the role challenging, especially memorizing up to 60 pages of dialogue per episode. After five years, Davies left the role for Terry Lester and shifted his focus to theater. He’s also appeared in international projects, including a Kazakh TV series and an Azerbaijani film. His busy career took a toll on his marriage to Holly Swann, with whom he has two sons. They eventually divorced, and one of his sons now lives in Prague, where Davies frequently performs.
7. Augusta Lockridge — Louise Sorel
Louise Sorel joined the cast of Santa Barbara at 43. Already known for roles in Days of Our Lives, Bonanza, and Star Trek, Sorel became even more recognized. Now, Sorel has retired from acting. She was married twice to actors Herb Edelman and Ken Howard, but both marriages were short-lived, lasting less than six years. Sorel now lives in New York, fondly recalling her fun times in Santa Barbara.
8. Julia Wainwright — Nancy Lee Grahn
Nancy Lee Grahn earned an Emmy Award for her role as Julia Wainwright, the love of Mason Capwell’s life, on Santa Barbara. Despite three different actors playing Mason during her time on the show, Grahn remained a constant. After Santa Barbara ended, she continued her successful career, appearing in General Hospital and Castle. Now Grahn is giving her all to charity, especially helping cancer patients, as she herself survived lung cancer and chemotherapy.
9. Channing C.C. Capwell — Jed Allan
C.C. Capwell, the head of the Capwell family, was played by six different actors, but Jed Allan is the one most fans remember. Allan became synonymous with CC, and he played him until the series ended. Before Santa Barbara, Allan appeared in Lassie and General Hospital, but CC made him a star. With his newfound fame, Allan appeared in Beverly Hills 90210 and CSI: Miami, but it wasn’t the same. After his wife’s death in 2001, Allan found solace in golf and music. Even though he passed away in 2019, Allan was one of the most discussed stars at the 2024 reunion.
