Longest-serving soap opera stars.
Which of these US daytime soap opera stars who have played the same role for 32 or more years do you love to watch most?
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- Helen Wagner was born on 3 September 1918 in Lubbock, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for As the World Turns (1956), The World of Mr. Sweeney (1954) and Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951). She was married to Robert Willey. She died on 1 May 2010 in Mount Kisco, New York, USA.54 years as Hancy Hughes on As the World Turns
- Actor and writer, best known as "The Video Ranger", "Jack Lane", and "Dr. Bob Hughes" on television. The youngest son of Hazel and Charles Hastings, he lived in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant area until he was six, attending Our Lady of Victory parochial school for one year. The family then moved to St. Alban's, Queens and, about that time, his older brother, Bob Hastings, was singing on Chicago's "National Barn Dance" and New York's "Coast to Coast on a Bus" radio shows, where Don was given a few lines, on occasion, earning $2.00 per week. Soon, he won the role of young Harlan in a touring company of "Life With Father", traveling ten months a year with his father. MGM offered Don a contract, but he wanted to return home, where he did the radio programs "Hilltop House", "Cavalcade of America", "One Foot in Heaven" and "Theater Guild on the Air" and some modeling (which he hated) and "I Remember Mama" on Broadway. Returning to school for fifth grade, he enrolled in the Professional Children's School and, later, Lodge High School and soon took up sports, playing for the St. Alban's Knights, the Police Athletic League, the Queens Village Ramblers and the Cambridge Heights Mohawks. At this time, he appeared in "A Young Man's Fancy" and "Summer and Smoke" on Broadway. While auditioning for DuMont's "The Magic Cottage" in 1949, the casting director, instead, cast Don as the "Video Ranger" in the new Captain Video and His Video Rangers (1949), a six-year role which kept him from attending college. His hobbies include traveling and spending time with his family. His children include Jennifer Hastings (born 29 October 1957), Julie Hastings (born 25 April 1960), Matthew Hastings (born 21 October 1967), and Katharine Hastings (born 23 September 1982).50 years as Bob Hughes on As the World Turns
- Eileen Fulton was born on 13 September 1933 in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. She is an actress, known for As the World Turns (1956), Our Private World (1965) and Girl of the Night (1960).50 years as Lisa Grimaldi on As the World Turns
- Rachel Ames has the distinction of being the longest-running performer on ABC Daytime's longest-running daytime drama, General Hospital (1963), which she joined on February 23, 1964, less than a year after the program's first air date. She has been nominated three times for an Emmy Award as Best Actress in a Daytime Drama. Ms. Ames was introduced to the performing arts by her parents, Dorothy Adams and Byron Foulger, both well-known motion picture and television actors. A native of Portland, Oregon, Ms. Ames moved with her family to Los Angeles where she attended University High School and UCLA. Rachel made her acting debut in the annual Pilgrimage play in 1949. She then performed with her parents in a production of "One Foot in Heaven" at the renowned Pasadena Playhouse. There, she also did "Broadway Jones", "The Circle" and "King of Hearts". Her other West Coast theater credits included "Cradle Song" with her father, "The Immortalist", "Chanticleer", "Mary Rose", "Golden Boy" and "The Human Voice. A few years ago, she co-produced and co-starred in "Pieces of Time" with fellow General Hospital (1963) actors Peter Hansen and Susan Brown. Early in her career, Ms. Ames was under contract to Paramount Pictures for three years where she was a member of the "Golden Circle" of talented young performers. The actress made her motion picture debut in When Worlds Collide (1951). Her other feature films include Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1969). Of her television career, Rachel guested in the legendary series Ben Casey (1961), Wagon Train (1957), General Electric Theater (1953) and Ironside (1967), among others. The actress' avocational interests include gardening, tennis and cooking. She and her husband, Barry Cahill, are also looking for a play to perform together.43 years as Audrey Hardy on General Hospital
- Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, and was raised in Berkeley, California, she attended/graduated at The Pasadena Community Playhouse where her major was acting, and she pursued her career immediately. The Emmy Award nominee who has played Alice Horton for the entire 37 years that Days of Our Lives has been on the air, is daytime's television's most beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. As one of the two remaining original cast members, she is indisputably one of the most revered veterans in soap opera history. She has won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Actress/Mature Role in 1978, 1979, 1984 and 1985, and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1986-87, and for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1978-79. It should come as a surprise that many longtime fans that watched Days who knew her as Alice that Frances had an accomplished acting career prior to her debut on November 8, 1965. Her Broadway appearances include Hamlet with Maurice Evans, Cyrano de Bergerac with Jose Ferrer, Twelfth Night and a Theater Hill production of The Rivals with Mary Boland. Her first radio job was at NBC as Ann Rutledge in Prologue To Glory, which was followed by her role of Mrs. Moonlight in Mrs. Moonlight and Charlotte Corday in Charlotte Corday. Little did she know at that time how the name Corday was to play an important role in her life. Her television credits include "The Eleventh Hour," "Little Mister," "Wagon Train," and the movie-of-the-week, "Mercy Or Murder?"42 years as Alice Horton on Days of Our Lives
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Susan Lucci was born on December 23, 1946, in Scarsdale, New York, to Jeanette (Granquist) and Victor Lucci, a building contractor. She is of Italian (father) and Swedish, German, and French (mother) descent. Susan grew up in Garden City. Since she can remember, she wanted to be a performer, and through her teenage years, took voice lessons, dance lessons, and participated in community theater. In high school she was the ideal student: took many honors classes, was a cheerleader, staff writer for the school newspaper, was a foreign exchange student to Norway, and performed in the school musicals, including lead roles in "Oklahoma" and "The King and I". After graduating with Honors from Garden City High School, she was accepted and attended Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, which was noted for its theater program. After graduating with a BFA in theater arts, she moved to New York City, and began going to auditions. One of her first jobs was that of a color girl for CBS. Every day she would report to the studio, and sit on a stool, as technicians developed the new color cameras. Most of her acting work consisted of Off-Broadway understudy roles, day-player roles on soap operas, and extra and stand-in work for movies. In 1969 at the age of twenty-three, she auditioned for a brand new soap opera that was to be called All My Children (1970). She landed the role of Erica Kane, which is still considered by many critics to be one of the best roles on television written for women. Around this time, she met an married restaurant owner Helmut Huber. In 1978, Susan received her first Daytime Emmy nomination. She was nominated again in 1981, and nominated almost every year since then. In the early 1980s, she became the first soap opera actress to appear on the cover of major magazines, as well as the first to star in Movies of the Week. But what made her a household name by the late 1980s was her string of Emmy losses. It became a running joke that the 'Queen of Daytime Television' had no crown. It seems that every time that she would have a real knockout year, another daytime diva would have a more unique story line, or a more challenging acting role, including multiple personalities, or an actress playing more than one character. But in 1999, on her 19th Emmy nomination, she won. She received a four minute standing ovation. Now, after twenty one nominations, she is considered to be one of the most honored performers in the history of television, daytime or primetime.41 years as Erica Kane on All My Children- Erika Slezak was born on 5 August 1946 in Hollywood, California, USA. She is an actress, known for One Life to Live (1968), One Life to Live (2013) and Next Stop, Christmas (2021). She has been married to Brian Davies since 4 August 1978. They have two children. She was previously married to R. Daniel Mooney.41 years as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live
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Jeanne Cooper was born on 25 October 1928 in Taft, California, USA. She was an actress, known for The Young and the Restless (1973), Ben Casey (1961) and Kansas City Bomber (1972). She was married to Harry Bernsen. She died on 8 May 2013 in Los Angeles, California, USA.40 years as Katherine Chancellor on The Young and the Restless- Ray MacDonnell was born on 5 March 1928 in Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for All My Children (1970), Dick Tracy (1967) and All My Children (2013). He was married to Patricia Anne Broderick. He died on 10 June 2021 in New York, USA.40 years as Joe Martin on All My Children
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Suzanne Rogers was born on 9 July 1943 in Colonial Heights, Virginia, USA. She is an actress, known for Days of Our Lives (1965), Knight Rider (1982) and Quincy M.E. (1976). She was previously married to Sam Groom.40 years and counting as Maggie Horton on Days of Our Lives- John Clarke was born on 14 April 1931 in South Bend, Indiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Days of Our Lives (1965), The Satan Bug (1965) and Death Valley Days (1952). He was married to Patricia Clarke. He died on 16 October 2019 in Laguna Beach, California, USA.39 years as Mickey Horton on Days of Our Lives
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American actress Kathryn Hays became best known for her 38-year long stint as the fiery matriarch Kim Sullivan Hughes, one of the most prominent characters on the daytime soap As the World Turns (1956). She was born Kay Piper in Princeton and grew up Joliet, Illinois. After junior college, she attended the prestigious Northwestern University in Evanston. Though her career began as a model, Hays quickly segued into acting on the stage and on screen. From the early 60s, she landed regular guest assignments on prime time TV shows, including Route 66 (1960), Bonanza (1959), The Virginian (1962), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) and Mannix (1967). She also appeared several times as a supporting player on Broadway. In 1966, Hays co-starred as a pioneer's wife opposite Barry Sullivan in The Road West (1966), an NBC western series which ran for just one season and 29 episodes. She then proved her acting mettle as the tempestuous, aptly named 'Tornado' Frances in an episode of The High Chaparral (1967). Next up was what many consider to be her most iconic guest-starring role: the Minaran empath Gem on Star Trek (1966). Gem was capable of absorbing the pain of others and healing their injuries while also learning about compassion and sacrifice. Though her character was mute, Hays expressed more with her eyes and gestures than could have been conveyed by dialogue.
Her two notable appearances for the big screen were in the psychological cold war thriller Ladybug Ladybug (1963) (as a school secretary) and in the World War II epic Counterpoint (1967) (as cellist Annabel Rice, an ex-lover of the main protagonist, played by Charlton Heston). From 1972 until her retirement, the New York-based actress remained gainfully (and happily) employed in As the World Turns.
Kathryn Hays was married three times. Her second husband (1966-69) was the actor Glenn Ford.38 years as Kim Hughes on As the World Turns- Leslie Charleson was born on 22 February 1945 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. She is an actress, known for General Hospital (1963), Cannon (1971) and Kung Fu (1972). She was previously married to G. William Demms.37 years and counting as Monica Quartermaine on General Hospital
- Doug Davidson was born on 24 October 1954 in Glendale, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Young and the Restless (1973), I'll Take Manhattan (1987) and Season of Rage. He has been married to Cindy Fisher since 27 May 1984. They have two children.36 years and counting as Paul Williams on The Young and the Restless
- Susan Seaforth Hayes, the American actress best known for her six-decade-long stint on the Days of Our Lives (1965), was born Susan Seabold on July 11, 1943 in Oakland, California. She was the daughter of the actress and writer, Elizabeth Harrower. She made her debut on the Cavalcade of America (1952) omnibus TV series in 1954 and, beginning in 1956, started working steadily on series television, though not as a regular in any one series.
In 1968, she made the transition to daytime soap operas when she was cast as "Julie Williams" on Days of Our Lives (1965), playing the role continuously from 1968 to 1984 and 1990 to 1993. She made recurring appearances on the show in 1994 and 1996 and has appeared regularly since 1999. She married her co-star, Bill Hayes, in 1974. They became the first soap opera actors to appear on the cover of Time Magazine in its January 12, 1976 issue. She was nominated four times for a Daytime Emmy as Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series for her work on "Days of Our Lives" from 1975 through 1979. She lost to her fellow "Days of Our Lives" co-star, Susan Flannery, in 1975 and to Helen Gallagher of Ryan's Hope (1975) in 1976, Laurie Heineman of Another World (1964) in 1978, and Irene Daly of Another World (1964) in 1979.
From 1984 to 1989, she appeared as "JoAnna Manning" on The Young and the Restless (1973), with guest appearances in 2005-06 and 2010. She also had a recurring role on the show, Sunset Beach (1997), as "District Attorney Patricia Steele".
In 2005, she and husband Bill Hayes published a joint autobiography, "Like Sands through the Hour Glass", taking its title from their soap opera's catch phrase.36 years and counting as Julie Williams on Days of Our Lives - Actress
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Scott was born Melody Ann Thomas in Los Angeles, California. Her first film credit was as a child actress in the 1964 Alfred Hitchcock movie, Marnie (1964). After bit parts in movies in the mid-'70s (most notably in John Wayne's final film, The Shootist (1976)), she was offered bit parts on nighttime series, such as The Waltons (1972), The Rockford Files (1974) and Charlie's Angels (1976).
In 1979, at the age of 23, she began playing the part of stripper "Nikki Reed" on the daytime serial, The Young and the Restless (1973), choosing the part over a sitcom pilot that, in the end, was not picked up. She was a replacement for the previous Nikki, who had lasted six months. Over time, her character reformed and became an important part of Genoa City society, as she married "Victor Newman" (Eric Braeden). Scott has said, "It's a miracle for an actor to have a job last 28 years", although she finds it frustrating to go through periods when she doesn't have a storyline. In 1987, she was offered to play the role of "Taylor Hughes" on As the World Turns (1956), but turned the offer down.
Scott was parodied in the satire publication, "The Onion", in 1999, in which a picture was edited to show her holding a Daytime Emmy (that year, Susan Lucci won the Emmy after 19 nominations). The caption read "Awards Given Out Randomly To Skinny Blonde Women". She appeared on various game shows over the years, including Family Feud (1976) (with various "Young and the Restless" co-stars), The $10,000 Pyramid (1973), Body Language (1983) and Match Game (1990).35 years and counting as Nikki Newman on The Young and the Restless- Patricia Bruder was born on 14 April 1940 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for As the World Turns (1956), Lights Out (1946) and Hands of Mystery (1949). She has been married to Dr. Charles Debrovner since 6 June 1959. They have two children.35 years as Ellen Lowell on As the World Turns
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She reigned on Search for Tomorrow (1951) for nearly four decades and became one of TV's most popular daytime ladies. As the ever-noble Joanne Gardner Barron Tate Vincente Tourneur, Mary Stuart remained on board for its entire run, and when that four-times-married role was in the can, she was ready for more.
Born Mary Houchins on Independence Day, 1926 in Miami, Florida, actress Mary Stuart grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Demonstrating musical talent at an early age, she sang with local bands at age 12 and performed with the USO at various military bases during her high school years. After she graduated she worked as a photojournalist before gearing up for an acting career in New York.
A hat check girl and table photographer at New York's Hotel Roosevelt Grill, she had started to sing on the club stage when she was discovered by producer Joe Pasternak who put her under contract with MGM. Moving West, she spent years in obscure starlet parts while doubling for the stars in screen tests. Going nowhere and playing everything from a Mexican half-breed in Thunderhoof (1948) to a cigarette girl in The Girl from Jones Beach (1949), a very disappointed Mary called it quits with Hollywood within a few years and returned to Gotham to study.
She happened upon the role of a lifetime after the director of "SFT" caught her in an acting class performance. She married Time-Life executive Richard Krolik a month before the soap's premiere and the couple went on to have two children, Jeffrey and Cynthia. Both Mary and her Joanne character remained survivors despite a long series of hassles which included a battle with writers who tried to kill off her character, and numerous potential cancellations of the show, which finally happened in 1989.
Mary earned the distinction of being the first daytime performer to be nominated for an Emmy Award, competing against prime-time actresses Shirley Booth, Cara Williams, Gertrude Berg and Mary Tyler Moore in 1962. She lost to Booth's "Hazel" character. At age 63, she ventured on with the role of a judge in One Life to Live (1968) in 1988 for a year, and then a longer-running part on Guiding Light (1952) in 1996. This role lasted until her death from cancer in 2002 at age 75. Mary's autobiography entitled "Both of Me" was written in 1980 and also serves as a comprehensive history of "SFT."35 years as Joanne Gardner on Search for Tomorrow- Actor
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Appeared in scores of programs from radio's "Golden Age", such as "Suspense", the "Shadow", "Inner Sanctum Mysteries", and "X Minus One". Mr. Haines also starred in a short-lived series of 1953, "That Hammer Guy", in which he played the character created by Mickey Spillane, "Mike Hammer". He was on almost episode of _"Search for Tomorrow" (1951) since its debut.35 years as Stu Bergman on Search for Tomorrow- Larry Bryggman was born on 21 December 1938 in Concord, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Spy Game (2001) and As the World Turns (1956). He has been married to Tracey Hanley Bryggman since 1999. They have two children. He was previously married to Jacqueline Schultz and Barbara Creed.35 years as John Dixon on As the World Turns
- Michael Storm was born on 9 August 1939 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor, known for One Life to Live (1968), Deep Cover (1997) and The Practice (1997). He has been married to Sally Beall since 21 February 1969. They have two children.35 years as Larry Wolek on One Life to Live
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Reedy and regal actress Ruth Warrick will be remembered for two names and two names alone. In films, she will indelibly be referred to as the castoff first "Mrs. Citizen Kane," and on TV she will forever be synonymous with her character of Phoebe Tyler Wallingford, the obnoxiously wealthy, viper-tongued, manipulative and meddlesome Pine Valley grande dame who held court for 35 years until her death in 2005.
Born in St. Joseph, Missouri in 1915, Ruth moved to Kansas City while in high school and later studied at the University of Kansas City. An essay contest winner, a resulting promotional tour brought her to New York where her interest in acting was increasingly piqued. Stage-trained in New York, she appeared in such plays as "Bury the Dead" (1933) and was a radio singer at one point. She met her first husband during one her many broadcasts. This in turn led her to Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater, and the rest is history. In 1941 Welles escorted her and his company of members to Hollywood...and major stardom.
Exclusively chosen by Welles to make her ladylike debut as Emily Norton Kane in what most consider the greatest American film of all time, she followed Citizen Kane (1941) with nearly two dozen films, most of which were "B" melodramas and rugged adventures. She could play the altruistic wife with stoic ease but enjoyed more enthusiastic notices when controlling, tightly-wound or neurotic. Appearing with some of Hollywood's most illustrious male and female stars, she played a countess opposite Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in The Corsican Brothers (1941); co-starred with Mercury Theater compatriots Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead and Everett Sloane in the classic film noir Journey Into Fear (1943); and starred in several war-themed movies including Secret Command (1944) with Chester Morris, Mr. Winkle Goes to War (1944) with Edward G. Robinson, and China Sky (1945), with 'Randolph Scott' (I). Post-war credits tended to regress her to second lead status opposite the likes of Joan Crawford and Ingrid Bergman, yet she still managed a few top femme roles in such films as Driftwood (1947) and One Too Many (1950), the latter in which she played an alcoholic.
The focus of Ruth's career switched to the "Golden Age" of TV in the 1950s. Aside from her many live dramatic showcases, she made a lasting mark in daytime soap opera. Her tight-lipped matrons on Guiding Light (1952) and As the World Turns (1956) were only a warm-up for her once-in-a-lifetime portrayal of one of daytime's most dominant, colorful and enduring characters. Cast on All My Children (1970) from the show's inception, Phoebe Tyler became a clear and instant favorite -- the lady you relished hating. Her priggish socialite character carried strong story lines for nearly two decades until advancing age and failing health restricted her time. Her well-received (and aptly titled) autobiography "The Confessions of Phoebe Tyler" (1980) chronicled the lives of both her and her alter-ego. Prime time also made use of Ruth's sudsy-styled talent as her Emmy nomination for the role of Hannah Cord in Peyton Place (1964) will attest.
Making her Broadway debut with "Miss Lonelyhearts" in 1957, Ruth's talents also included singing and, in between on-screen assignments, enjoyed the musical stage now and then. She understudied in "Take Me Along" (1959) with Jackie Gleason and in 1973 enjoyed a successful return to Broadway with the revival of "Irene" starring Debbie Reynolds. In regional and summer theater she starred in "Dial M for Murder," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Long Day's Journey Into Night," among others. She also toured as Anna in "The King and I" and appeared in the musicals "Pal Joey" and "Roberta."
Her life, however, was not dedicated to just on-camera pursuits. On the contrary, long active in arts-in-education programs, including programs for the disadvantaged, Ruth received the first national Arts in Education Award in 1983 from the Board of Directors of Business and Industry for Arts in Education, Inc. The award was subsequently named the Ruth Warrick Award for Arts in Education and continued to be given annually. In 1991, she received her certification as a licensed metaphysical teacher. In her senior years, she became an avid spokesperson for the rights of senior citizens as well as the disabled, and was appointed to the U.N. World Women's Committee on Mental Health.
In frail health in later years, the still feisty, five times married-and-divorced actress made occasional appearances on her beloved daytime show, even while confined to a wheelchair after a serious fall in 2001. She made her final appearance on the show in early January, 2005 to commemorate its 35th anniversary, and passed away shortly after at age 89 of complications from pneumonia.35 years as Phoebe Tyler Wallingford on All My Children- Actress
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Marie Masters was born on 4 February 1941 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for As the World Turns (1956), Scream for Help (1984) and Slayground (1983).35 years as Susan Stewart on As the World Turns- Eric Braeden is a German actor in America who began his career playing Nazis and eventually became a star of daytime soap operas. Born Hans Gudegast in Kiel, Germany, during the Second World War, he was a superb athlete who excelled in track-and-field events. As a teenager, he immigrated to the United States and worked in Texas and Montana as a translator, a cowhand, and a lumber millhand. His athleticism won him a scholarship to Montana State University. While attending college, he and friend Bob McKinnon made a film, The Riverbusters, about their successful attempt to be the first men to take a boat from the source to the mouth of the Salmon river and back again. He traveled to Los Angeles in hopes of finding a distributor for the documentary, but instead found that his handsome visage and accented English made him a valuable commodity as an actor. He appeared in small parts under his real name before landing the leading role of the antagonist, Captain Hans Dietrich, on the World War II television series The Rat Patrol (1966).
The series was a hit, and Gudegast's sympathetic German officer was very popular. He appeared in a few movies and television films thereafter in supporting roles, then was given the lead in Universal's science-fiction computer thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970). His delight at this huge career boost was muted by the studio's insistence that he change his name. With extreme reluctance, he agreed and became known subsequently as Eric Braeden. Braeden worked continuously in television movies for the next decade. He also worked on Broadway and in Los Angeles area theatre. In 1980, he reluctantly accepted a role in a daytime drama, The Young and the Restless (1973), and gained a stardom in this medium that had just eluded him in film and prime time television. As lead Victor Newman, Braeden brought a gravity and a strong center to the program. Amazingly handsome and athletic into his sixties, Braeden maintained the charisma that first brought him notice in "The Rat Patrol".
His infrequent film work during his nearly quarter century on "The Young and the Restless" included a prominent role as John Jacob Astor in Titanic (1997). A five-time Emmy nominee for his "The Young and the Restless" role (he won in 1998), he was also nominated eleven times for the Soap Opera Digest Outstanding Leading Actor Award, winning three times. In 1987, he was appointed, along with Henry Kissinger, Paul Volker, Steffi Graf, Alexander Haig, and Katherine Graham, to the German-American Advisory Board, and in 1991 received the Federal Medal of Honor from the president of his native land, Germany. He married his college sweetheart Dale Russell in 1966. Their son, Christian Gudegast is a screenwriter.34 years and counting as Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless - Charita Bauer was born on 20 December 1922 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for Guiding Light (1952), The Aldrich Family (1949) and The Cradle Will Fall (1983). She was married to Robert Stanley Crawford. She died on 28 February 1985 in New York City, New York, USA.34 years as Bert Bauer on Guiding Light
- Jackie began training for the classic ballet at age 5. She was accepted into the New Jersey Dance Company at age 15, and accepted a scholarship from New York University at age 15 to pursue a major in dance. The dark-haired beauty decided to try acting, and has become a staple of daytime drama (aka soap operas).34 years and counting as Bobbie Spencer on General Hospital
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Throughout the 1970s and a good part of the 1980s, Bill Hayes and his second wife, Emmy-winning Susan Seaforth Hayes, reigned as the Lunt and Fontanne of daytime soaps. Prior to this he had become a noted singer/actor on the Broadway stage and in night clubs. Born William Foster Hayes III in Harvey, Illinois, on June 5, 1925, and raised in the Midwest, his father was a bookseller (for 41 years). He got his talent from his dad who enjoyed singing and local community theater performing on the sly. Bill entered WWII as a naval airman, then studied at De Pauw University, where he met and married first wife Mary. They went on to have five children. He later received his master's degree at Northwestern. Blessed with a sturdy tenor, his interest in a professional career was piqued after happening upon a tour of "Carousel" in 1947. From singing telegrams to barbershop quartets to choir directing to jazz group vocals, Bill persevered musically until earning his first big break on TV. A lead singing/stooge role in Olsen & Johnson's zany burlesque revue "Funzapoppin'" in 1949 led to him joining the pair on their short-lived TV show and, ultimately, his resident crooning on Your Show of Shows (1950) starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. In the meantime he also performed in vaudeville and broke into films with a supporting role in Stop, You're Killing Me (1952). Despite a wife and family to support, he left the show on his own volition for the chance to star in a new Broadway musical. "Me and Juliet" opened with moderate success in 1953 and lasted over a year, touring with the show in its aftermath. Bill also happened to record "The Ballad of Davey Crockett," which became a surprise #1 Billboard hit and sold over three million copies. A nightclub and TV-variety fixture in the late 1950s, he later managed to flex his vocal chords in such musicals as "Bye Bye Birdie" (national tour), "Brigadoon," "The Pajama Game" and "George M!" The 1960s were a slow, difficult time for Bill professionally and personally, which culminated in the breakup of his marriage. Luck and talent played a part when he was hired to join the cast of Days of Our Lives (1965) playing the role of Doug Williams. The character was originally a louse and con artist, but grew more reputable after his character fell in love with feisty troublemaker Julie Olson, played by Susan Seaforth. Their seesaw romantic relationship became one of daytime's top story lines of the 1970s. Off-screen the couple also ignited sparks and, despite their major age difference (she is 18 years his junior), they married on October 12, 1974. In 1984, after 14 years and two daytime Emmy nominations, he and Susan left the show due to their dwindling status. While Susan went on to join the cast of The Young and the Restless (1973) the following year, Bill refocused on his singing by performing on the cabaret circuit and recording a few albums. The couple returned on and off to their soap opera alma mater over the years, but in 1999 they became part of the regular cast again with a stronger story line. Bill is still performing on stage, more recently playing Beauregard in "Mame" and with his wife in productions of "A Christmas Carol," "Love Letters" and "Same Time, Another Year," which is a sequel to "Same Time, Next Year."33 years and counting as Doug Williams on Days of Our Lives- John Beradino was born on 1 May 1917 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for General Hospital (1963), Adventures of Superman (1952) and Young Doctors in Love (1982). He was married to Marjorie Ann Binder, Charissa Hughes and Jeanette Nadine Barritt. He died on 19 May 1996 in Los Angeles, California, USA.33 years as Steve Hardy on General Hospital
- Peter Hansen was born on 5 December 1921 in Oakland, California, USA. He was an actor, known for General Hospital (1963), The War of the Roses (1989) and When Worlds Collide (1951). He was married to Florence Elizabeth (Betty) Moe. He died on 9 April 2017 in Santa Clarita, California, USA.33 years as Lee Baldwin on General Hospital
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Deidre Hall has emerged as one of America's most beloved actresses, who delighted her fans in August 1991, when she returned to NBC-TV's number one daytime program, Days of Our Lives (1965). Hall created the role of "Dr. Marlena Evans" in 1976, a character whose popularity has created a furor and a fan following, seldom seen on television. The favorable regard in which Hall is held has spanned all demographics and regions. She was named Best Television Role Model; won the prestigious America Women in Radio and Television (AWRT) award in 1994; garnered five Best Actress awards from Soap Opera Digest (1982-85,1995), and broke new ground for daytime stars when she guested on shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), Night of 100 Stars II (1985) and 20/20 (1978), at the birth of her surrogate son. Recognizing her continuing appeal, in 1990, the Hallmark Co. chose Hall as celebrity spokesperson for a new card line called, "To Kids with Love". The following spring, Deidre became the sole spokesperson for Dexatrim. Deidre's elegant fashion statements have not gone unnoticed in the press. Twice naming her the "Best Dressed Woman", she was also named one of America's ten most beautiful women by TV Guide and Satellite Orbit. Hall has graced the covers of national and regional magazines such as People, Woman, Woman's Own, TV Guide, Woman's World, McCalls, Family Circle, Shape, Los Angeles Magazine, Beverly Hills (213), Orange Coast and First for Women.32 years and counting as Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives- Actress
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Kate Linder has portrayed Esther Valentine on CBS' The Young and the Restless since April, 1982. The popular daytime drama has been the #1 rated soap opera every week for over 30 years. In 2008, Linder received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Linder has a busy feature film career as well, she was in the feature films Hysteria, Erased, Miss Meadows, Garry Marshall's Mother's Day, Voice from the Stone and The Charnel House. Linder also co-stars in Charlie Matthau's upcoming feature, Book of Leah, Echo Boomers and Shriver.
Linder has been the celebrity spokesperson for The ALS Association for over a decade since her late brother-in-law's initial diagnosis and is especially active with The ALS Association's Golden West Chapter. She has lobbied Congress on their behalf and won several of their national and state volunteer awards for her service. Linder was a longtime board member for SAG-AFTRA and a former two-time Governor of the Television Academy. She is active with countless charities that benefit research and support for health-related and LGBT causes. Linder also hosts annual charity teas in Canada that benefit the March of Dimes Canada's Conductive Education program, for which she also serves as ambassador. Linder also works with the Los Angeles Mission, has been the Grand Marshal of the Walk to End Lupus Now Los Angeles twice and has made several trips visiting troops with the USO.
Website: KateLinder.com Twitter: @KATELINDER Instagram: @katelinderyr Facebook: @officialkatelinder32 years and counting as Esther Valentine on The Young and the Restless- This vibrant Scottish character actress managed in her seven-decade career trek to not only brighten up the Broadway stage during the 1950s and 1960s in roles ranging from the man-searching milliner Irene Malloy to Hamlet's mother Queen Gertrude, but conquered the TV market too, delighting daytime audiences for not only standing toe-to-toe against Susan Lucci's Erica Kane character (and later becoming her surrogate mom), but issuing in-your-face lessons on morality to other infamous Pine Valley characters on the classic soap opera All My Children (1970).
Eileen Herlie was born Eileen Herlihy on March 8, 1918, in Glasgow, Scotland, the daughter of a Catholic father and a Protestant mother. She studied and performed for many years with the Scottish National Players before transporting herself to England where she became professionally associated with the late and great director Tyrone Guthrie. Making her official stage debut with "Sweet Aloes" in 1938, she went on to advance in such plays as "Rebecca" (1942), "Peg o' My Heart (1943), "The Little Foxes" (1944), "John Gabriel Borkman" (1944), "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray" (1944), "The School for Scandal" (1945) and "Anna Christie" (1945) before making a strong impression as Queen Gertrude in "Hamlet" in late 1945. Her film debut came in support of Margaret Lockwood and Dennis Price in the costume drama Hungry Hill (1947), but her huge breakthrough came about when Laurence Olivier cast her as his mother, Queen Gertrude, in his film adaptation of Hamlet (1948) -- this despite Eileen being 11 years younger than Olivier, who won the Oscar for his superb work in the title role. Years down the road Eileen would again earn acclaim playing Gertrude in the 1964 Broadway production of "Hamlet" starring Richard Burton and in its accompanying Hamlet (1964) film effort.
Surprisingly, Eileen was seen very infrequently on film after this initial success opposite Olivier. Instead she stayed true blue to her first love -- the theatre. Although she appeared to fine advantage on celluloid in The Angel with the Trumpet (1950), Gilbert and Sullivan (1953), Uncle Willie's Bicycle Shop (1953), Cocktails in the Kitchen (1954), She Didn't Say No (1958) and Freud (1962), she found even more rewarding roles under the theatre lights where she earned enviable notices for her work in "The Eagle Has Two Heads" (1946), "Medea" (1948) (title role), "The Way of the World" (1953) and "Venice Preserv'd" (1953).
The feisty, flaming red-haired Scot took her first Broadway bow in 1955 as hat shop owner Irene Molloy in the highly successful production of "The Matchmaker" with Ruth Gordon starring as Dolly Levi. Eileen also appeared in New York musicals, co-starring with Jackie Gleason in the nostalgic "Take Me Along" (1960), which merited her a Tony nomination, and Ray Bolger in "All-American" (1962). Elsewhere, she graced two of Peter Ustinov's plays ("Photo Finish (1963) and "Halfway Up the Tree" (1967)) and continued in classic regal fashion with her Queen Mary role opposite George Grizzard's Edward VIII in "Crown Matrimonial" (1973). She played the same role a year earlier in a TV film version opposite Richard Chamberlain as the abdicating King Edward and Faye Dunaway as paramour Wallis Simpson. Eileen's last stage role was in "The Great Sebastians" (1974) in Chicago co-starring Werner Klemperer, and her final film part came with a featured role in Chekhov's The Sea Gull (1968), directed by Sidney Lumet and surrounded by a superb cast that included Simone Signoret, Vanessa Redgrave, David Warner and James Mason.
In 1976, Herlie made a long and permanent switch to daytime soaps. As bawdy, plump-figured carny Myrtle Lum Fargate who later refined herself to a point and operated a frilly boutique store on All My Children (1970), audiences took a special liking to her down-to-earth character whose impulsive bluntness, staunch integrity, briny tongue and heart of gold made her one of Pine Valley's more beloved residents. She remained in town for over thirty years.
Divorced twice with no children, Eileen died at age 90 on October 8, 2008, due to complications from pneumonia. The stalwart actress continued to act almost to the end, last playing her "All My Children" character in June of 2008.32 years as Myrtle Fargate on All My Children - Actress
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Colleen Zenk was born on 20 January 1953 in Barrington, Illinois, USA. She is an actress, known for As the World Turns (1956), Annie (1982) and The Comedian (2016). She was previously married to Mark Pinter and Michael Crouch.32 years as Barbara Ryan on As the World Turns