Cassie Yates

Cassandra Yates, professionally known as Cassie Yates, was born on March 2, 1951 in Macon, Georgia, United States. Her mother chose the name after the tragic heroine Cassandra portrayed by Betty Field in the classic film Kings Row, a detail that foreshadowed her own dramatic pursuits. Raised initially in Atlanta before her family relocated to the small town of Dublin, Georgia, Yates displayed an early affinity for the visual arts, studying illustration and working as a commercial artist. Before stepping onto a stage she cut hair for local clients and eventually opened her own beauty shop, a venture that honed her entrepreneurial spirit. Evening night‑class workshops and performances in community “little theaters” provided her first contacts with acting, where she discovered a natural talent for embodying diverse characters. By the mid‑1970s she transitioned fully into the performing arts, launching a career that has endured for decades. Yates’s most recognizable television role came as Sarah Curtis in the 1980s prime‑time soap Dynasty, a part that showcased her ability to blend elegance with intrigue. She also appeared in the 1981 television adaptation of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, and accumulated guest appearances on a litany of acclaimed series including McMillan & Wife, The Bionic Woman, The Streets of San Francisco, Magnum, P.I., Knots Landing, Cagney & Lacey, Thirtysomething, and the iconic Murder, She Wrote episode “Deadly Lady.” On the big screen she starred as disc‑jockey Laura Coe in the cult classic FM (1978) and earned roles in two Sam Peckinpah films, Convoy (1978) and The Osterman Weekend (1983). Additional film credits encompass Rolling Thunder (1977), F.I.S.T. (1978), The Evil (1978), St. Helens (1981) and Unfaithfully Yours (1984). Over more than four decades Yates has remained a versatile presence in American television and film, respected for her steady professionalism and memorable performances.