I’ve always loved Beth Maitland and her portrayal of Traci Abbott in The Young and the Restless, one of the most iconic soap operas ever produced.
But Beth is not only a great actress – she’s also a very sweet person.
And it seems that her daughter, Emelia, has inherited a lot from Beth.
The Young and the Restless‘ enduring Beth Maitland (Traci Abbott) is quite something – I would say that she’s one of the most sincere actresses in all of daytime. I’ve always loved her character from the very beginning, and she is always a breath of fresh air on the show.
Beth has been part of the CBS Daytime soap opera since 1982, with a continuous role until 1996 and recurring appearances since 2001. Traci Abbott is the youngest daughter of cosmetics tycoon John Abbott, and according to numerous fans, she is considered the most grounded member of the family. She gives advice and is so kind and passionate. As the family confidante, she grounds them and encourages a broader perspective. Traci is never judgmental or accusatory; instead, she prompts them to consider better alternatives.
And it seems that Beth isn’t so different from Traci. The majority of people describe the actress as intelligent, beautiful, joyous, articulate and gracious.
Hailing from Rapid City, South Dakota, Beth and her family relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona, when she was seven. It seems that the acting profession attracted the young Beth from an early age. As a young teenager, Beth had already participated in numerous community theatre and dinner theatre productions.
After attending Arizona State University, Beth moved to Los Angeles. There, she worked tirelessly to kickstart her acting career. But it wasn’t a walk in the park –
she had to work in nightclubs and struggled with low self-esteem.
”I always wanted to be an actress, but because of my weight I had trouble finding parts to play,” she explained.
Weight has almost always been a companion in Beth’s life. During a period in Los Angeles, Beth had feeling of uselessness and depression. It went so far that she began starving herself. In just one month, she lost 25 pounds.
”I scared myself sick”, she said.
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As a young, aspiring actress, she was always on a diet – but most often overweight. After some time in the City of Angels, she landed a casting office job. At that time, it looked like Beth might have to work behind the camera.
But soon, things would change. Through a friend, she heard about the role of Traci.
The Young and Restless‘ casting director was actively seeking a young, overweight, shy, and insecure woman. Beth Maitland fit that description well, and four days after her first reading, she secured the role of Traci.
”I’ve learned a lot from Traci. Being thin isn’t everything. Health and a good, positive attitude are the real secrets to survival,” Beth told the Toronto Star in 1983.
As part of the role, Beth needed to to lose weight. When joining The Young and Restless, Traci was portrayed as a dowdy, dumpy, downcast teenager.
However, her character soon transformed. Traci evolved from what some tabloids dubbed an “ugly duckling” into a graceful swan. According to magazines, Beth was expected to find joy in the fact that she had the opportunity to be compensated for her weight loss journey, a privilege not often granted to young women.
At that time, Beth described it as a dream come true. According to her, she never managed to maintain a healthy weight, largely because she was never motivated enough to make the necessary changes.
Beth considered Traci’s character to be her salvation.
”When the story involving Traci’s weight loss developed, it was icing on the cake,” she told The Daily News Leader in 1984.
Beth received professional assistance from a nutritionist and successfully shed 40 pounds. This not only improved her physical well-being but also contributed significantly to her overall sense of happiness. The latter is, as known, not entirely unimportant. And it was quite far from what Beth herself considers a low point in her career. In a fairly recent interview, Beth talked about her weight loss journey and when she made a decision that she will never forget.
“A friend got me an audition for a non-union commercial for the Schick Center, which was a weight-loss clinic that used aversion shock treatment to help people lose weight,” Beth told Soap Opera Digest.
“Here I was, a 20-year-old hoping to break into show business, and I found myself in full-page ads in the L.A. Times, holding out my clothes at the waistline with a pained expression, for a shock therapy center.”
However, it would turn out to be a very valuable, if cringe-worthy, lesson.
“First of all, it prepared me for the future [The Young and Restless] storylines of bulimia, diet pill addiction and bullying that Traci would soon face,” Beth explained.
“And secondly, I learned to think through my choices. I had done something a bit embarrassing, so I had to really process what the consequences would mean to me.”
Now, with age and wisdom on her side, Beth is more secure and confident. But the true wisdom she gained from her weight-loss commercial is better understanding of body image. She realized that it’s greatly shaped by advertising and judgment, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the person residing within that body.
Beth Maitland husband and daughter
There’s relatively sparse information about the details in Beth Maitland’s private life, but we do know some things.
For example, Beth has a beautiful and talented daughter, named Emelia Banninger.
Emelia came into the world during Beth’s marriage to Christopher Banninger, an award-winning sound technician involved in various soap operas. The couple crossed paths behind the scenes and exchanged vows in 1989. After many years of marriage, Beth and Christoper divorced in 2018.
Sadly, Christopher passed away year after their split was finalized. According to Soaps, he died of a massive heart attack.
“He passed away with no pain and with dear friends holding his hand. He is survived by our daughter Emelia, and although you may know we were recently divorced, I have spent 35 years of loving this man with every ounce of me and I feel so sorry for the pain this loss brings to so many of you who loved him too,” Beth shared on social media.
Christopher’s memory now lives on through his family, perhaps most notably his daughter Emelia. She seems to have embarked on a professional path quite similar to both her mother and father. Beth is a talented singer, and Christopher worked with sound for a significant part of his life, so it may not be surprising that Emelia has ventured into the music field as well.
As a young girl, she taught herself to play the flute and bassoon. She studied at California Polytechnic State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2017. Emelia then continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Music, earning a master’s degree in bassoon performance.
Today, ”Emmie” plays the bassoon at the San Luis Obispo, California symphony, and her mother Beth is often there to watch her pride and joy perform. But Emelia also have other talents. For example, she’s a passionate makeup artist, which she demonstrates on her Instagram account and on her YouTube channel.
In addition to that, this multifaceted young woman has also made appearances on The Young and the Restless, when she was 4.
“Many years ago… there was a newly-created flashback with a young Traci and a young Ashley playing with dolls,” Maitland told TV Insider in 2018.
“Young Traci says, ‘Gee, Ashley, you’d make a great mommy someday!’ That Traci was played by my real-life daughter. It was one of my highlights of my time at ‘Y&R!’ … [S]he still remembers her line.”
Beth, who was co-raised by my maternal grandmother, has always had a special relationship with the women in her family – and, of course, with her daughter.
“The best thing for me about being a mother is learning that this is the most important contribution to the world I will ever make. Raising a kind, talented, energetic, beautiful world citizen is my hope for the future,” Maitland says.
“When Emmie was born, I stopped watching the news. It would just crush me to see the world I was bringing her into. But now I see beyond today’s headlines and into the eyes of our hopeful and bright young people and see in them the power of change, the power of good. It completes me to watch my daughter blossom and emerge as a capable young adult, and I am so blessed to have been a part of her life. I just can’t wait to see what she will accomplish!”
What a wonderful bond Beth seems to share with Emelia. And, as many fans have already noticed, they also bear a striking resemblance in appearance.
Emelia definitely has her mom’s beautiful eyes and lovely smile!
Beth Maitland’s remarkable journey and achievements are truly inspiring. The special bond she shares with her daughter Emelia is also very beautiful!
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