20 Facts About Former 'Days of our Lives' Star Kate Mansi

Kate Mansi

Chris Haston/NBC

Kate Mansi's ride as "Days of our Lives" Abigail Deveraux ended in 2016. Abigail was burned during a fire in a mental hospital and presumed dead, but later resurfaced. The role was recast with actress Marci Miller late in 2016. 

But during the five years she played Abigail, Mansi took her through some wild adventures. From mourning the death of her beloved father Jack to stalking Austin and Chad to embarking on a steamy affair with EJ, viewers learned to expect the unexpected from the character.

Here are 20 facts true fans need to know about Kate Mansi.

Five Basic Facts About Kate Mansi

  1. The petite actress - "I'm pretty much 5 foot nothing,” cracks Mansi -- actually stands 5 feet 2 inches tall; she has blonde hair and brown eyes.
  2. Mansi, who's of Italian and Irish descent, has one sister (Alexa) and five step-siblings. “My parents are divorced and both got remarried. So I have a sort of Brady Bunch family on both sides,” she notes.
  3. Her birthday is September 15, and she describes herself as an “ultra-organized Virgo. I'm always working on something,” contends Mansi.
  4. She refers to her dad Jeff Morris as her “rock,” noting that he always makes her reach for the next level and encourages her "to learn and grow" from her mistakes. "His motto has always been, 'Bite off more than you can chew and then chew it,'" notes Mansi.
  5. Mansi grew up horseback riding. "My father’s side of the family are big horsemen," she explains. "He has a ranch, and we have all these horses. That was part of my heritage."

Kate Mansi on 'Days of our Lives'

  1. It took three years for Mansi to land on "Days." She had previously auditioned for the role of Melanie, which she lost to Molly Burnett. She didn't hear from ​"Days" again until three years later when she tested for the part of Abigail.
  2. She had to redo her first scene with Shawn Christian (Daniel), who was her TV mom's potential beau at the time. "We hugged, and the [director] was like, 'Could we not have so much chemistry between the two of you?' Shawn could have chemistry with a plant," she said.
  3. The first thing she splurged on after joining the soap was "a really nice Nikon camera," she said. 

Kate Mansi Off Screen

  1. "Must love dogs" is kind of a requirement for anyone in Mansi's life. "I love animals. I have dogs," shares the actress. "If there's a dog in the middle of the street, I’ll get out of my car and stop for it. It’s crazy. I love them."
  2. Her favorite food is strawberries. 
  3. What's Mansi's most prized possession? "I have my grandmother's photo album from when she was a kid. I really cherish those memories. Knowing where you come from and knowing your family history is important."
  4. When it comes to travel destinations, Mansi has always wanted to visit Thailand. 
  5. She has two tattoos -- "just love." -- on her left inner arm, reflecting her personal motto. On her right wrist, she dons a red circle. "A group of friends and I each have one in a different color," notes Mansi. "It celebrates the circle of friendship. The circle is also a symbol of how everything in life comes back around. Life is always changing, but with karma, things are always circling back to you."
  6. When it comes to fashion Mansi says if she could raid one person's closet it would be stylist and designer Rachel Zoe.
  7. The one clothing item Mansi says she can't live without is her J Brand jeans.

Five Facts About Kate Mansi's Acting Career

  1. Two actresses inspire her. “I’ve loved Audrey Hepburn since I was growing up and my father showed me the movie "My Fair Lady,” says Mansi. “And I was completed captivated by Natalie Portman, when I saw her in "Anywhere But Here."
  2. Mansi's dream acting role would be one where she had to totally transform herself. "Like Charlize Theron did in 'Monster' and Natalie Portman did in 'Black Swan,' she says.
  3. Her career goal is to one day work with the Coen Brothers and Woody Allen. Mansi also hopes to “dabble" in comedy.
  4. Her first celebrity crush was Robert Downey, Jr. "I remember watching him in 'Ally McBeal' with my mom when I was all of 13 or 14," she said. 
  5. She's a big fan of The Cooking Channel. One of her favorite shows is "Everyday Italian" hosted by chef Giada De Laurentiis.