Life and career

Cheatham was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was an original cast member of the daytime serial Days of Our Lives, where she played the role of Marie Horton, the show's very first heroine who had several traumatic relationships before going into a convent and becoming a nun. After leaving "Days" in 1973, she moved to New York, and by 1974 was on soap opera Search for Tomorrow, where she originated the role of the sarcastic and very vampy Stephanie Wilkins, who was Joanne Gardner's arch-enemy, having an affair with Jo's husband Martin (John Aniston). She was replaced on that soap opera in early 1984 by Emmy Winning actress/writer Louise Shaffer. In 1987, she became regular cast member of General Hospital, where she played Lucy Coe's wacky and fun-loving Aunt Charlene Simpson who eventually had a major storyline surrounding her two sons. When Gloria Monty returned as producer in 1991, Cheatham was one of many cast members let go, but in 1998, returned to the role with a brief appearance on the spin-off Port Charles when Charlene visited Lucy for Thanksgiving. During the last two seasons of Knots Landing, she played the role of the scheming Mary Robeson, a blackmailer who became the victim in a murder mystery. Cheatham has returned to "Days" on several occasions as Marie Horton, now a doctor and no longer a nun, first in 1994 for a tribute to the late MacDonald Carey when Tom Horton died and later on for one of Bo and Hope's many re-marriages, and more recently, in 2010 for a tribute to Frances Reid when Alice Horton died. She also appeared on the soap opera Passions in 2002, playing the role of Mona.

She has also made many guest appearances in TV series such as Gunsmoke, Cagney and Lacey, Quantum Leap, The Nanny, Dharma and Greg, Profiler, Judging Amy, Scrubs, The West Wing, Monk, Cold Case and Desperate Housewives. She has also appeared in movies, such as Rumor Has It..., Mr. & Mrs. Smith, America's Sweethearts, and a notable cameo in The Wedding Singer, in which she innocently asked Billy Idol what the "mile high club" was.

She was once married to Bill Arvin, but it ended in divorce in 1974. In 1998, she married singer and songwriter Robert Staron (aka Bobbo Staron).

Television

• The Jeff Foxworthy Show -- Molly (1996; single episode)
• Days of Our Lives -- Marie Horton (1965-1968; 1970-1973; 1994; 1996; 2010)
• Search for Tomorrow -- Stephanie Wilkins Wyatt (1974-1984)
• General Hospital -- Charlene Simpson (1986-1991)
• The Nanny—Emma Trusdale (1994, one episode)
• The Jeff Foxworthy Show—Molly (1996, one episode)
• Dharma & Greg—Senator (1997, one episode)
• Conan the Adventurer—Yantona (1997, one episode)
• The Journey of Allen Strange -- Irma Stephenson (1997, one episode)
• George & Leo -- Lorna (1998, one episode)
• Prey -- ???? (1998, one episode)
• Profiler -- Judge Paramen (1997-1998)
• Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction—Nancy/Maggie (1998, one episode)
• Promised Land—Thelma Wicker (1998, one episode)
• Caroline in the City—Dorothy (1998, one episode)
• Judging Amy—Betty (2002, one episode)
• Passions—Mona (2002)
• Scrubs—Mrs. Warner (2002, one episode)
• The West Wing -- Peggy Wade (2003, one episode)
• Monk—Edna Coruthers (2004, one episode)
• Drake & Josh -- Driving Teacher (2004, one episode)
• Desperate Housewives—Ceal (2005, one episode)
• Cold Case—Nancy Walsh - 2005 (2005, one episode)
• Boston Legal—Georgina Babineaux (2007, one episode)
• In Case of Emergency—Elizabeth Yablonsky (2007)
• The Riches—Lawyer (2007, one episode)
• 'Til Death—Mrs. Wallach (2007, one episode)
• Weeds—Nurse (2007, one episode)
• Rules of Engagement—Mrs. Fulford (2007, one episode)
• Ghost Whisperer—Myrna (2009, one episode)
• Saving Grace—Susan (2009, one episode)
• Outlaw—Dr. Seitz (2010, one episode)
• Dexter -- Docent (2011, one episode)
• Free Agents—Mrs. Claymore (2012, one episode)
• GCB—Boofie Marfeson (2012, one episode)
• Hot in Cleveland -- Mrs. Filsinger (2012, one episode)
• The League—Elderly Woman (2012, one episode)
• Sam & Cat -- Nona, Cat Valentine's grandmother (2013-2014; semi-main role)
• Hart of Dixie—Bettie Breeland (2013-2015; recurring)
• "The Haves And The Haves Nots"-- Neighbor (2015-2016; minor recurring)

Films

• Beetlejuice—Sarah Dean (1988)
• Sex and Breakfast—Older Woman in Elevator (2007)
• Broken Angel -- Mrs. Kraus (2008)
• Crossing Over—Judge Freeman (2009)
• Protection—Mrs. Shapiro (2009)
• Labor Pains—Ann (2009)
• Stellina Blue—Clare (2009)
• Little Fish, Strange Pond—Elderly Woman (2009)
• Letters to God—Olivia (2010)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]