Catherine Hickland
A soap opera star who transformed herself into a certified hypnotist and cosmetics entrepreneur, proving life has many acts.
Born 1956 (age 70)·American actress·Birthday: February 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Catherine Hickland first captivated daytime audiences as the spirited Lindsay Rappaport on 'One Life to Live,' a role she inhabited for over a decade. Her journey, however, stretches far beyond the television screen. A lifelong fascination with the mind's power led her to become a board-certified master hypnotist, a practice she now champions with the same energy she brought to her acting. She built a parallel career as the founder of a cosmetics line, Cat Cosmetics, driven by her own expertise in makeup artistry. Hickland's story is one of continual reinvention, moving from Hollywood sets to the lecture circuit, where she teaches the tangible benefits of hypnotherapy. Her marriage to astronaut Michael Fincke adds a celestial layer to a life firmly grounded in exploring human potential.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Catherine was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Catherine Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Catherine's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed the long-running character Lindsay Rappaport on the ABC soap opera 'One Life to Live.'
- Founded and operates Cat Cosmetics, her own line of makeup products.
- Became a certified master hypnotist and runs a professional hypnotherapy practice.
- Authored 'The 30-Day Heartbreak Cure,' a book blending personal experience with therapeutic advice.
Did You Know?
She is married to NASA astronaut Michael Fincke.
She is a licensed pilot and flies single-engine aircraft.
She played the role of Catwoman in a national touring stage production of 'Batman' in the 1990s.
““Hypnosis is not about control; it’s about giving control back to the client.””
