# Kassie DePaiva
**Kassie DePaiva** (born 1961 in Morganfield, Kentucky) is an American actress and singer best known for playing Blair Cramer on the soap opera *One Life to Live* for nearly two decades and Eve Donovan on *Days of Our Lives*, and for her early film role as Bobby Joe in *Evil Dead II* (1987), in which she was credited as Kassie Wesley.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219990/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1961, Morganfield, Kentucky, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219990/) |
| Signature soap role | Blair Cramer on *One Life to Live*, December 15, 1993 to January 13, 2012, 838 episodes[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/theactors/depaiva_kassie.php) |
| Second signature role | Eve Donovan on *Days of Our Lives*, from June 18, 2014, 381 episodes through 2023[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/theactors/depaiva_kassie.php) |
| First soap role | Chelsea Reardon on *Guiding Light*, 1986 to 1991[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/theactors/depaiva_kassie.php) |
| Film | Bobby Joe in *Evil Dead II* (1987), as Kassie Wesley[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219990/) |
| Marriage | Married actor James DePaiva (Max Holden on *One Life to Live*) on May 31, 1996; son James Quentin born 1997[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219990/) • [2](https://www.soapcentral.com/theactors/depaiva_kassie.php) |
| Music | Solo debut at the Grand Ole Opry at 18; albums *No Regrets* (2004), *Naked*, and *I Want To Love You*[3](https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2013/04/exclusive-kassie-depaiva-sings-on-one-life-to-live) |
## Early life and music career
DePaiva grew up in Kentucky, singing in church, in talent shows, and competing alongside her three siblings in 4-H and Farm Bureau talent competitions.[4](https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2011/06/depaiva-reflects-on-her-time-in-llanview) As a high school senior she auditioned for Opryland in Nashville and was hired, an experience she describes as the real beginning of her professional career; she joined the union AFTRA after appearing in a [George Burns](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-burns) television special taped in Nashville.[5](https://abcdocz.com/doc/55812/sag-aftra-ny-b) She studied theater at [Indiana University](https://www.edgepedia.org/indiana-university), transferred to UCLA, and then toured with a USO four-part harmony group on a 49-day tour that took the group to Korea, Okinawa, Japan, and Hawaii.[5](https://abcdocz.com/doc/55812/sag-aftra-ny-b)
Music remained a parallel career. At 18 she made her solo singing debut at the [Grand Ole Opry](https://www.edgepedia.org/grand-ole-opry), and after college she worked as a backup singer for [Bobby Womack](https://www.edgepedia.org/bobby-womack), opening for acts including the Temptations, B.B. King, [Aretha Franklin](https://www.edgepedia.org/aretha-franklin), and Patti LaBelle.[3](https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2013/04/exclusive-kassie-depaiva-sings-on-one-life-to-live) • [5](https://abcdocz.com/doc/55812/sag-aftra-ny-b) Her Opryland pay has been reported two ways: she recalled earning $135 a week in a 2000 *Soap Opera Digest* interview[6](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-kassie-depaiva/) and $200 a week in a 2013 SAG-AFTRA New York interview.[5](https://abcdocz.com/doc/55812/sag-aftra-ny-b)
## Television career
**Guiding Light.** In 1986, after being hired to play Bobbie Jo in [Sam Raimi](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-raimi)'s *Evil Dead II*, she joined *Guiding Light* as Chelsea Reardon, a role she held until 1991; the part is described as her television debut.[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/theactors/depaiva_kassie.php) • [6](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-kassie-depaiva/) • [7](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/Kassie%20DePaiva/18726951?fromModule=lemma_inlink) She has said the sudden shift from struggling singer to soap performer startled her, with friends and relatives beginning to treat her differently once she became known.[6](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-kassie-depaiva/)
**One Life to Live.** DePaiva joined *One Life to Live* on December 15, 1993 as Blair Cramer, a recast of a role first played by an Asian actress, and remained with the show until its broadcast cancellation, appearing in 838 episodes.[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/theactors/depaiva_kassie.php) • [8](https://daytimeconfidential.com/2015/09/22/kassie-depaiva-should-be-saluted-for-her-classy-stint-as-days-of-our-lives-eve-donovan) Blair, a scheming, sexually assertive character raised in foster homes, became the role with which she is most identified. She met her future husband, [James DePaiva](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-depaiva), who played Max Holden, on the show; the two married in 1996.[6](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-kassie-depaiva/) She also sang on the show, most notably performing her single "No Regrets" in a 2013 scene on the revived online version of the series.[3](https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2013/04/exclusive-kassie-depaiva-sings-on-one-life-to-live)
The show's 2011 cancellation affected her strongly. She recalled being told on the set of *The View*, where both *One Life to Live* and *All My Children* were canceled, calling it "a gut punch," and saying it took her two years to grieve the loss.[9](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/kassie-depaiva-reflects-on-one-life-to-lives-abrupt-ending/) She also cited the show's May 2002 live broadcast week as a professional high point, saying she "probably did my best work under that pressure."[9](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/kassie-depaiva-reflects-on-one-life-to-lives-abrupt-ending/)
**General Hospital and Days of Our Lives.** After the cancellation she reprised Blair Cramer on *General Hospital* in four episodes in 2012, in storylines that broke up Blair and [Todd Manning](https://www.edgepedia.org/todd-manning) so Todd could move to *General Hospital*. She described the three or four days of taping as "the most heartbreaking thing I've ever done."[9](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/kassie-depaiva-reflects-on-one-life-to-lives-abrupt-ending/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219990/) In June 2014 she joined *Days of Our Lives* as Eve Donovan, a recast of a character previously played by Charlotte Ross; she played the role across 381 episodes, with her tenure running through 2023.[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/theactors/depaiva_kassie.php) • [8](https://daytimeconfidential.com/2015/09/22/kassie-depaiva-should-be-saluted-for-her-classy-stint-as-days-of-our-lives-eve-donovan) Her later Eve storyline turned the character into a vengeful antagonist; DePaiva said she worried the villainous material might keep her from working again, but called the part "something that is so out-there and completely different from your own life."[10](https://michaelfairmantv.com/kassie-depaiva-nathan-purdee-taylor-purdee-talk-killian-the-comeback-kids-one-life-to-live-eves-reign-of-terror-on-days/2020/09/25/)
## Other work
Her film and prime-time credits include Bobby Joe in *Evil Dead II* (1987), Crystal Harris on *Baywatch* (1994), Betty Benson on *Melrose Place* (1994), Caitlin Carlisle on *Time Trax* (1993), Emma Parker in *We Are What We Are* (2013), and a 2016 guest role on *Castle*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219990/) In 2020 she played Mrs. Raison in *Killian & the Comeback Kids*, a folk-rock musical film written, directed by, and starring Taylor A. Purdee, alongside her *One Life to Live* co-star Nathan Purdee.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219990/) • [10](https://michaelfairmantv.com/kassie-depaiva-nathan-purdee-taylor-purdee-talk-killian-the-comeback-kids-one-life-to-live-eves-reign-of-terror-on-days/2020/09/25/)
## Music
DePaiva has released three albums: *Naked*, *I Want To Love You*, and *No Regrets* (2004).[3](https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2013/04/exclusive-kassie-depaiva-sings-on-one-life-to-live) • [6](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-kassie-depaiva/) She developed *Naked* while her *One Life to Live* character was on the story back-burner after the 1997 birth of her son, describing the album as a creative outlet she could call her own.[6](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-kassie-depaiva/) Songs from her albums have been performed on soap storylines; in 2003 she sang "Sweet Angel of Mine" from *No Regrets* as Blair on *One Life to Live*.[11](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/blair-sings-new-song-0/)
## References
1. [Kassie Wesley DePaiva, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219990/)
2. [About the Actors: Kassie DePaiva, Soap Central](https://www.soapcentral.com/theactors/depaiva_kassie.php)
3. [EXCLUSIVE! Kassie DePaiva Sings on 'One Life to Live', Soap Opera Network](https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2013/04/exclusive-kassie-depaiva-sings-on-one-life-to-live)
4. [DePaiva Reflects on Her Time in Llanview, Soap Opera Network](https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2011/06/depaiva-reflects-on-her-time-in-llanview)
5. [SAG-AFTRA New York, Winter 2013: Interview with Kassie DePaiva](https://abcdocz.com/doc/55812/sag-aftra-ny-b)
6. [#TBT — Kassie DePaiva, Soap Opera Digest](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-kassie-depaiva/)
7. [Kassie DePaiva, Baidu Baike](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/Kassie%20DePaiva/18726951?fromModule=lemma_inlink)
8. [Kassie DePaiva Should Be Saluted For Her Classy Stint as Days of Our Lives' Eve Donovan, Daytime Confidential](https://daytimeconfidential.com/2015/09/22/kassie-depaiva-should-be-saluted-for-her-classy-stint-as-days-of-our-lives-eve-donovan)
9. ['One Life to Live' Alum Kassie DePaiva Says Show's Cancelation Took 2 Years to 'Get Over', Us Weekly](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/kassie-depaiva-reflects-on-one-life-to-lives-abrupt-ending/)
10. [Kassie DePaiva, Nathan Purdee & Taylor Purdee Talk 'Killian & The Comeback Kids', Michael Fairman TV](https://michaelfairmantv.com/kassie-depaiva-nathan-purdee-taylor-purdee-talk-killian-the-comeback-kids-one-life-to-live-eves-reign-of-terror-on-days/2020/09/25/)
11. [Blair Sings a New Song, Soap Opera Digest](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/blair-sings-new-song-0/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames D to Di*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license