If you grew up with a TV on in the background during the afternoons, you know her face. Most likely, you know her as Barbara Ryan. For over three decades, Colleen Zenk wasn't just an actress on As the World Turns; she was practically a member of the family—the kind of relative who somehow survives explosions, kidnappings, and more marriages than most people have shoes.
But honestly? Reducing her to just one soap role is a mistake. It misses the theater grit, the horror movie beginnings, and that recent, terrifyingly good pivot into the world of The Young and the Restless. Zenk doesn't just play a character; she inhabits them until you’re not sure where the script ends and the person begins.
Colleen Zenk Movies and TV Shows: From Oakdale to Genoa City
Most fans would point to 1978 as the big year. That’s when Zenk stepped into the shoes of Barbara Ryan. At first, she was the "good girl." The ingenue. The one you rooted for while she dealt with the literal devil in the form of James Stenbeck.
Then things got weird.
In the mid-80s, the writers decided to flip the script. They turned Barbara into a "bitch." It sounds harsh, but it was the best thing that ever happened to Zenk’s career. She went from pouring coffee to hiring hitmen and drugging cops. She even spent a year wearing heavy prosthetic makeup after her character was burned in a chemical explosion. That’s commitment. You don't see many actors willing to hide their face for a year for the sake of a plot point.
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The Recent Pivot: Aunt Jordan on Y&R
Fast forward to late 2023. After a decade away from the soap world, Zenk popped up on The Young and the Restless as Jordan Howard. This wasn't the Barbara Ryan we knew. Jordan was "crazy Aunt Jordan"—a woman with a vendetta against the Newman family that felt dangerously personal.
Her run on Y&R was supposed to be short. Maybe twelve episodes. But she was so good—so unsettlingly intense—that the show kept her around much longer. She finally met her end in January 2025, exiting the show in a scene involving poisoned tea and a defiant "you will miss me" to Claire. It was peak daytime drama.
The Big Screen Debut You Probably Forgot
Before she was a soap queen, Colleen Zenk was a horror movie survivor. Kinda.
In 1980, she appeared in the cult classic slasher Christmas Evil (originally titled You Better Watch Out). It’s a strange, psychological film about a man obsessed with Santa Claus who goes on a killing spree. Zenk played Babs Smathers. It’s a far cry from the polished hallways of Oakdale, but it showed she had the range to handle more than just suburban angst.
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Shortly after, she landed a role in the 1982 film adaptation of Annie, directed by the legendary John Huston. Think about that jump for a second. Going from a low-budget holiday slasher to a massive musical directed by a Hollywood titan? That’s the kind of career zig-zagging that defines a "working actor."
A Career Built on the Stage
If you talk to Zenk, she’ll probably tell you she’s a theater person at heart. She’s a dancer. She’s a singer. She made her Broadway debut in Bring Back Birdie—the sequel to Bye Bye Birdie—acting alongside legends like Chita Rivera and Donald O'Connor.
She also has a history of performing under conditions that would break most people. In 2007, just weeks after undergoing major surgeries for oral cancer, she took the stage in a production of Follies. She was on heavy medication and recovering from tongue reconstruction, yet she sang and danced through the pain.
That’s not just talent. That’s sheer, stubborn will.
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Notable Stage and Screen Credits
- As the World Turns (1978–2010): The definitive Barbara Ryan.
- The Young and the Restless (2023–2025): The chilling Aunt Jordan.
- Annie (1982): Her major film musical debut.
- Christmas Evil (1980): A cult horror classic.
- Blue Bloods (2014): A guest spot as Joan in the episode "Loose Lips."
- Bring Back Birdie (Broadway): Starring as Rosie.
- Still Sassy: Her acclaimed one-woman show.
Why She Still Matters in 2026
We live in an era where "fame" is often measured in TikTok followers, but Zenk represents the old-school grind. She’s an actor who treats daytime TV with the same respect as a Broadway stage. When she joined Y&R, Eric Braeden (the legendary Victor Newman) reportedly looked at the camera and said, "Thank God, you hired me a pro."
That says everything.
She doesn't just show up; she delivers. Whether she’s playing a victim, a vixen, or a vengeful aunt, there’s a nuance there. You see it in the way she uses her eyes—a remnant of her training as a dancer where every movement has to tell a story.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Actors
If you want to follow Colleen Zenk’s career or learn from her longevity, focus on these three things:
- Versatility is survival. Don't get stuck in one "type." Zenk moved from the "good girl" to the "villain" because she wasn't afraid to be unlikable on screen.
- The medium doesn't define the art. Whether it’s a web series like Thurston or a massive CBS soap, she brings the same level of intensity.
- Advocacy matters. Zenk has used her platform to speak openly about her battle with oral cancer. For fans, her work with the Oral Cancer Foundation is just as impactful as any Emmy-nominated performance.
The "soap opera" label sometimes gets a bad rap, but watching Zenk work is a reminder of the stamina required for the genre. Memorizing dozens of pages of dialogue a day for 30 years isn't just a job; it's an athletic feat. And as she proved with her recent stint on The Young and the Restless, she hasn't lost a step.