News
Renee Elise Goldsberry Talks The Frustration, Joy & Her Eventual Decision To Leave OLTL!
Photo: The Resident/Goldsberry
Now that Renee Elise Goldsberry (Ex-Evangline Williamson, OLTL) is fast becoming a household name, the Tony Award-winning star of the Broadway smash Hamilton, and who has been cast in two exciting projects: Netflix’s, Altered Carbon and HBO films, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack, opened up about the path of her career for a feature for Cosmopolitan.
In it, Goldsberry who first shot to noteriety on ABC’s One Life to Live, related the inherant struggles of playing an African-American character on a soap opera, and then how being part of a successful soap formula triangle changed that, and why she made the decision to exit Llanview at the time in her career that she did. Here are some key excerpts below from the Cosmo piece:
Goldsberry on the original difficulties she encountered joining One Life: “At the beginning of my time on One Life to Live, I was very frustrated. This was a time in my life when I felt extremely marginalized. The formula of soap operas makes it really hard for an African-American to get any traction. There’s always a family that’s central to the story on a soap opera, and if the show loves you, you will turn into the long-lost brother or you will get married, which is easy to do for a white character. But as an ethnic person, they bring you on to be smart. You get to be the lawyer or the doctor for the family. No one sees where you live, they never bring you home. There might be one episode in February where they talk about your family because it’s Black History Month. Your character might be on once every three weeks. You walk into a room and you say something really smart and noble, and then you walk out. And you only make money when they write for your character. You couldn’t win the game as a person of color, no matter how talented or beautiful you were.”
Goldsberry on becoming front and center on One Life in story: “But after the first couple of years, they put me in a love triangle and it just blew up. The love triangle was interracial, there was drama, there was a war between fan groups — it was the best thing that had ever happened to my career. I was featured in magazines and I was being voted a fan favorite character. I was being asked to co-host, The View. At the same time, I was doing Shakespeare in the Park, being seen by the elite New York theater community and getting unbelievable reviews. I had high visibility and there were moments throughout this period where people said, “This is it.” But it doesn’t necessarily make you A-list. I was probably G-list most of my life.”
Goldsberry on her decision to not renew her contract with One Life:Â “In 2007, I left the soap. I wanted to evolve and do the next thing in my career. I used to joke that I wanted the Kelly Ripa deal. But I didn’t see that future for me in soap operas. Why would I give up another four years of my life for a new contract if ABC primetime’s not going to call me to do a job?”
So, what did you think of Renee’s thoughts and her experiences at One Life to Live? Share your comments below!
i have been watching soaps for over fifty years and everything she said rings so true for ethnic actors/actresses…………….
i must say she was fabulous on oltl and i was very sad when she left but i do understand her reason for leaving. – i always knew she was going places and i have so much respect her her
So very well said, both by you and by her.
What a treat it was to see her talent on display during her time on the show and how great to see her continuing success.
Great talented actress…i liked when they did introduced her family but their stay was unfortunately short-lived…Days did have the Grants in the 70s-an African American family with parents and a brother and sister-i believe they were daytimes first black family with both parents in the home…there were blacks on soaps befoe-really enjoyed them but other fans did not approve of black Valerie dating white David and the Grants soon came to an end…Tina Andrews should have been a daytime superstar like Debbie Morgan was a few years later and hated it when she left Days…Y&R for years did a fine job writing for the Winters family…B&B doing well with an African American family…what is more rare is an Asian family and Native Americans too!!!
There are no Jewish characters let alone families.
nora hanan buchanan on oltl was very much jewish – she celebrated jewish holidays with her son matthew………………
I know elm1951. Lol, who else? How many Jewish characters are on GH (or any soap…or prime time for that matter). How many characters celebrate Hanukkah instead of Christmas…Passover instead of Easter?
Kristen Alderson, Sean Kanan, Nancy Grahan, Matt Cohen, Renee Sofer (Lois and now Quinn), Stuart Damon (Alan Q.), Kin Shriner…and so many more are Jewish (Kristen, Nancy, Kin are half) but none of them play Jewish characters. Weddings and prayers take place in Church, not a Synagogue. It’s not as obvious because Jewish people are “white” for the most part but it’s a very under represented “community” on soaps…more so than black people. I’m not talking about behind the scenes writers, producers, etc. I’m talking about people being represented and their religion, holidays, existence acknowledged.
As a further example, imagine if it was reversed. That EVERY character on a soap was Jewish, Hannukah was the holiday everyone celebrated and people went to their Rabbi to get married. Instead of the Church in the hospital where our characters go to pray…a Temple. all weddings take place in a Synogogue. Oh. And maybe one non-Jewish character (which GH doesn’t even have one Jewish character).
When One Life to Live started, in 1968, featured families included:
the Lords – the wealthy WASPs
the Siegels – Jewish Dave Siegel who was married to Irish Catholic Eileen and their children
the Woleks – the working class Polish Americans
the Greys – the African Americans – Initially only mother Sadie and her daughter Carla. As the series progressed, more black characters were added, including Police Captain Ed Hall (excellently portrayed by Emmy award winner Al Freeman, Jr.). Laurence Fishburne’s first acting job was as Ed and Carla’s adopted son, Josh.
And…Both Brandon Barash and Bruce Weitz are Jewish yet their characters aren’t. There are Jewish people in the mob, see Bugsy Siegel. But instead they went for the two Jewish characters I now recall…Bernie and Benny…the accountants. Lol…nah, that’s not stereotyping.
I love how you just took a topic that had nothing to do with you and make it all about you. I’m so tired of the “what aboutism” when black people talk about their experiences. It really shows your true colors when you do that.
What helped her break the mold is that she really is a very good actress as well as being beautiful. I thought she was great on OLTL but I thought everybody was because the show was done brilliantly.
I remember the hoopla from her character on One Life being break-out to hosting the View and give the lady huge credit for being bold enough to leave the soap…and speak up about it today in Cosmo. I heard there may have been contract things at the time, too (she wasn’t offered enough), and that wonderfully in leaving, she had time to have kids (via her Tony speech)…so I have been following because to “walk away” is of interest to me–when should we, when should we “compromise”….it’s a quintessential life question. It worked for this exciting actress, and now her resurgence, her truly big-time is here. Her talent, her choices, set a great example on many levels.
This interview kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It comes off as REG thinking she was too good for soaps (which is probably true) but there have been other soap actors who’ve found breakout fame but still manage to be gracious in acknowledging the genre as a great training ground and find some good words to find about their co-stars as. REG comes off as sounding like fame didn’t come fast enough for her so screw this. As an OLTL watcher I can say her character was front burner, paired with two of the most popular leading men and had a sister added to prop her. I’m not really sure what she’s complaining about.
Did we read the same excerpts? She clearly said that being in that JoVan/JoLIE triangle was the best thing for her career. I think she was being pretty gracious about her time on OLTL.
Did you just not like her honesty? Is that what offended you?
Well said.
I agree with you KM, she does sound stuck up and not very thankful for what she had there. I don’t remember her much on OLTL, she didn’t leave that much of an impression on me.
When she first started out she was barely featured at all. When she was originally with RJ (a black male), she had a smaller role. It wasn’t until they paired her with John (a white character), that she finally got attention. We never even saw where she lived prior to that.
Nothing she said made her sound stuck up at all. Is she not allowed to voice the way black actresses on many soaps were treated if they weren’t paired with a white main character?
She said she loved the attention she got from being in a bigger storyline. She doesn’t sound ungrateful at all. She left because they refused to negotiate with her in terms of her contract. They refused to pay her more even though she was popular at this point. It again shows the worth they placed on her. She handled it pretty graciously in my opinion. It worked out because now she is a huge Broadway star with a Tony award.
I recall with joy Ms. Goldsberry’s time on OLTL. OLTL was often at the forefront of social justice and social causes, a show with a genuine pulse on contemporary life. And it was based in New York, giving the program a feel that was exciting and alive. This is a lovely interview with a lovely woman, deserving of her post-soap success. I do hope casting agents will continue to see her beauty and talent for films, television, and stage.
Her frustrations with her character sound like most of the characters on General Hospital nowadays-many, the viewers see every few weeks and storylines are lost and never heard of again. The Kelly Ripa deal? Good Grief. I, for one, cannot watch Kelly’s show; can’t even watch her Colgate commercials.
Great interview. Her take on her stint @ OLTL and her character’s limitations and shelf life is sad, but true. Good for her for realizing it and moving on. Goldsberry was excellent and underused on The Good Wife as well. Bigger and brighter things for this beautiful and talented lady – films, stage and television!
I love Renee. And as someone who has been a soap fan for most of my life, she’s absolutely right. I like McBain and Evangeline, I loved Todd and Evangeline, but if she wasn’t getting where she needed to go career wise, I don’t blame her one bit for moving on.
Love her and always loved her. So glad she spoke out about how she felt at the time. Such a good actress on OLTL, she had amazing chemistry with both Trevor St. John and Michael Easton. Was such a fan of Evangeline and Todd and very disappointed when they cast her aside for Todd and Blair. Was so pissed the way they killed her character off too… was it a coma or a catatonic state? Anyway, it was ridiculous! I’m glad she spoke out about it and thrilled she’s seeing the success she has earned!
So glad she “evolved” and seems to be happy and *really* so glad she made the decision to leave.
Very dissapointed that she plays the race card when does it stop ? She has had a very successful career I don’t get it somebody enlightened me! The same thing with Victoria Rowell I don’t get it we are so in this country wound tight like a dorm about every word that is uttered out of our mouth every gesture we might do every movement we are drowning in political correctness and we are lost.
How was she playing “the race card” when what she said was TRUE???
Are you saying that black people on soaps aren’t typically “the doctor,” “the lawyer,” “the judge,” etc.? Or are you saying that because she got do to more than just be “the lawyer,” she shouldn’t speak out about how black characters aren’t typically developed on soaps?
What exactly is your issue? Would you have preferred that she lie?
Do you always feel the need to control? You must do that at home and in every day life.
Trophy Lady, it’s a soap. EVERYONE is playing a relatively stock role. To your list I’d also add “the cop”, “the born wealthy”, “the scrappy or screwed up long lost kid deprived of their birth right by their wealthy family” and so on. They’re all stereotypes.
REG’s talents are obviously theater and musical theater in particular and good for her in that respect. She’s done well for herself but to make it sound like she was held back on soaps because of racism when she was actually pushed forward (her character, besides being cast as the brilliant lawyer, also got to sing now and then) comes off as a little bitter.
So she didn’t get “the Kelly Ripa deal” but what did she REALLY want? To be a talking head on The View? A “gimme” role on an ABC primetime show? What?
That’s show biz. Not everyone gets to the star of the show. But she has been in Hamilton so I’m not why she’s even mentioning her soap roots if she can’t say something nice about how she got her start.
KM — c’mon! Are you kidding me??? When was the last time a black person on a soap was part of the “wealthy family”? When was the last time the black family was “the wealth family” so that when a black person comes on the show they can actually be “tied” to said wealthy family? Seriously, now, you MUST understand that, by default, since these types of black families don’t exist on soaps, Renee was absolutely telling the truth.
And, I think you missed the point of what Renee actually said. She said that, initially, Evangeline was portrayed as the stereotypical black female attorney — no home, no family, just on air three times a month to say something noble, only to vanish until needed again. She then said that she got put into a love triangle (with John and Natalie) and that’s what got her exposure. By being in that love triangle with Michael Easton — that’s what made Evangeline a “main” character, because she was now FRONT AND CENTER in a HOT romance with the show’s heartthrob. That made all the difference in the world. She was with John McBain, Todd Manning, and Cristian Vega. Three HOT guys, and none of them black. When have you seen that on daytime before? Have you seen it since Evangeline on OLTL? The answer is NO. NEVER.
Her point was that, typically, that doesn’t happen for black actresses on daytime. If you disagree with her personal assessment, PLEASE give me examples of where black women have been front and center in daytime with white men who are the centerpiece of the show? And I’m talking REAL DEAL ROMANCES — not a kiss here and there, and then the storyline gets dropped or they are NEVER on screen together. I’m talking leads that are portrayed as such. And please, don’t mention Maya and Rick Forrester on B&B. That entire story is BEYOND ridiculous.
Not the same as VR at all.
And as for “playing the race card”, I guess you’re saying you’d rather she not speak honestly about the reality of being a woman of color in the entertainment industry. Too bad. Why the truth offends you, I don’t know….but you probably do.
k/Kay…I there are PC topics that I should be addressed, but I get tired of them being overused for what seems as anything and everything as well. But when you look at the demos of soaps compared to % of US demos there is certainly a big case to be said for under-representation in a meaningful way with all racial groups in soaps. Actually “real life” does a better job than soaps…just look at the President. đŸ™‚
I agree k/kay, it’s never ending. even after you win a tony award. Stop playing the victim and make changes.
Wow, Blake — You must LOVE me because you’ve commented everywhere that I have.
Are you starting to agree with me? It’s okay. You can admit it. And if you just want to comment on my post to say “hello,” you can do that, too! I’m not trying to control you, dear; I just want to “encourage” you to see the light. See the truth! đŸ™‚
I remember being very disappointed when she left, and disappointed with her as well. OLTL knew what they had, that is why they put the character into a coma. If anyone could have broken through Elise was the girl. Who knows, maybe OLTL would still be, had she not bailed. Glad she’s doing good, but she lost me as a fan a long time ago. The same way Oprah lost me as a fan 6 years later. OLTL should have recast the character.
I will reply ! I think the actress is awesome she is a great singer etc! Just worn out that Hollywood and Washington, D.C. Have the answers they are no where in the realm of what is going down in this country ! We are in deep trouble our answer is a criminal HC and a blow heart! Our family has decided we back off we slide into the wood work and hope we can live our final days at oeace
Peace ! Never intended to insult her she is phenomenal but she has no idea what is going on in the AA community
So if I insulted her in anyway I apologize just worn out we are drowning and I wish someone anyone would throw a life jacket
Wow, I don’t think she sounds very appreciative of OLTL. They gave her a start to her career. It kind of ticks me off that she so down on daytime soaps.
Same here, it is annoying.
If you have not, please read the whole Cosmopolitan article for a better perspective.
Agree. I wrote that as well further down the page. Perhaps she says more positive things in the full interview.
Smart girl. I respect REG on her decision to leave OLTL. I am so looking forward to The Henrietta Lacks movie. The book is fantastic. I highy recommend it.
Wow she sounds like a big narcissist. Her Tony win was a big upset. The Tony’s just caved into the PC crap.
I’m sorry — EVERYONE EXPECTED that she’d win that Tony. Were you not aware that she was on everyone’s talk show/couch because of her role in Hamilton?
She won her Tony because she deserved it. What “PC Crap” are you talking about? If she shouldn’t have won, then who should have?
Well said
do you have to comment on everyone’s post that you don’t agree with? people have the right to voice their opinion. You must always control people in life, huh?
And it’s not true that everyone expected her to win. every award show is now caving in to the Oscars protest of nominations. it’s why the Emmys went crazy with nominations in the same way. throw a dog a bone.
Must be hard to see your prejudices take a knock.
LOTS to love about Renee Goldsberry. At the top of the list is that we GH fans can breathe a sigh of relief she will not be the next friend of FV’s to join the cast! Seriously, I also loved seeing her as one of the three backup singers on Ally McBeal.
If she has won a Tony in Hamilton, she won’t ever be around a daytime soap again. Kudos to her!
she also “won” a grammy for “Hamilton”… as a cast member
she’s an emmy nominated actress
I don’t know… for me… I think winning a Tony award is the crème de la crème
with the Oscar that close
she’s certainly known in the inner circles of her peers
Kudos to her… I can certainly understand how she felt … about being a supporting player… ie: OLTL
that’s a lot of patience and time .. to get to where she is currently
plus she has a bachelors and a masters degree
wow and woah
she’s got her two children… and a loving husband
moment of silence
peace
I just LOVE Renee’s honesty! Her frustrations were not only felt by her, but by her fans as well. We all knew she was better than what they were giving her. I was a tried and true JoVan fan, and I loved every minute of it. What I didn’t love was how they eventually acted like JoVan NEVER existed! Anyone with good eyes could see that John and Evangeline were great together — that they made total sense. To belittle their storyline and their connection was a slap in the face to viewers.
I still hate that we never got to fully see all that JoVan could’ve been. But I must say that I’m glad we got have John and Evangeline for the short time we did. Evangeline Williamson was a groundbreaking black character for daytime. She wasn’t pigeonholed. She wasn’t just a lawyer; she was a woman with a full life, family, friends, and romance!
What other black woman on daytime gets that???? She dated John McBain, Todd Manning, and Cristian Vega! What other black female on daytime gets that kind of diversity and exposure to white A-List love interests? NONE!!! We hadn’t seen anything like Evangeline Williamson before, and sadly, we haven’t seen anyone like her since. That really needs to change ASAP!
I like Renee. I’ve mentioned this before but I met her on my lunch break in Manhattan; we were shopping in the same organic market. Spoke to her just for seconds but she was very nice and seemed down to earth. I loved her character Evangeline; one of my favorites and I actually preferred her over Natalie. Liked her with Michael Easton and Trevor St John.
With that said I have mixed feelings about the excerpted interview above. What I took away from it was that even though she broke through in the soap, had a great storyline and a huge fan following, she left because, “why would I give up anothe four years of my life if ABC wasn’t going to offer me prime time?” (Computer’s freezing on and off as I’m typing so that’s as close to verbatim as I can get without scrolling up. Point is there was a way to phrase that that wouldn’t come off like she didn’t want to “waste her time” which can make the viewer feel like an idiot for “wasting his or her time watching if soaps are so inconsequential. As for the race card that a few have mentioned, I’m not sure if Renee was implying they didn’t offer her prime time because she was black. ninety-nine percent of soap actors are white an how many of them are on heading their own time time shows? Not everything is about race. On the other hand, maybe she wasn’t attributing that part to race and I misinterpreted.
Selective excerpts can be a disservice. I read the whole Cosmopolitan article and came away with a better perspective of her viewpoint.
Hi Lillian…yes, I acknowledged that might be the case. It’s sort of like being taken out of context in many instances if it’s just a fragment of what someone said. Still, I think it could have been worded differently other than “why give four more years of my life if I’m not going to be offered prime time…” An actor can want to leave the genre or get into others but the way she said it puts a negative, insulting spin on soaps, which I think actors and fans are trying to get away from. As for the race thing, again, I don’t know, (as we both said) maybe that’s not what she meant in terms of being offered a prime time show. Again, not many white soaps actors are heading those spots either.
Does no one remember that when OLTL began on the late 60s it centered on three diverse families? The Lords rich Wasp family, the Woleks, a working class Polish family and the Greys, an African American family. This went on for about 10-15 years before the focus moved to the rich and powerful Lords.
I don’t think OLTL ever left its multicultural roots and in its last years made a real effort to bring Destiny and Matthew together to begin a future together In fact that was one of the beautiful last stories when Destiny gave birth the Bo’s grandson.
I think Ms Goldsberry knows what she is talking about, but a hat should be tipped to this Soap!
I agree, and it is not unusual for soap actors to feel like they are in a box.
There should never be a ‘black’ storyline just for the sake of diversity, because that would be pandering…
What OLTL was great at doing was showing all sorts of people, living and reacting to a diverse world.. And most of the stories grew out of decades long attachements to their characters and situations (just like life).
While there is no denying she is a fabulous and brilliant actor, Miss Goldsberry might have seen more stories about the black culture in American society had she stuck around a bit longer. and maybe we would have discovered that she was actually one of Victor Lords long lost child, or Asa Buchanon’s? The possibilities were endless.
I liked your well thought out response . You are obviously a big fan! Still miss our days in Llanview.
I am a big fan. But I do find this story ironic in that one of the main stories that drew me to OLTL and blew my five-year-old mind was the story of the Gray family. OLTL was a soap known for its diversity. I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective.
Always wishing her well and continued success!
Lol, maybe abc wrote the story and paid her to say it, to tarnish our memories of OLTL.
OLTL made strides and had many epic stories, talented cast, and memorable characters. As a 30+yr fan, I agree – she broke an invisible ceiling – not too many people of color in Llanview… first there was Hank, Rachel, then a really boring Sheila, maybe a few others…. and then came Evangeline – she had hot romances with John and then Cristian,even though she had came to town as just the smart lawyer, but we fell in love with her – and were heartbroken when her character ended up in a permanent coma. She and her sister (Tika Sumpter, another talented actress who could sing) were on for just a week together before Renee left the show. She paved the way and I’m so happy to hear of her deserved success.
I love Renee..She is a star, a good actress, and wonderful singer. She is right about black people on soaps. On OLTL they brought on Tika Sumpter and BARLEY used her in any story-lines until her last year on the show, and now Tika is doing hit shows and movies. #BlackGirlMagic
Well said Renee. The fact is, day time soap was not ready at that time to have a black women in a leading role. Renee was smart, beautiful and sexy. She was paired with a lot of the leading male characters, therefore she soon became a fan favorite. Thankfully they have learned, by having Kerry Washington the leading lady of colour in Scandal.
I think she is a very talented actress. But by the time she left I think they finished her role by having her involved with almost all of leading men on the show. just took away from the character
This summer beginning on July 21, Netflix streams the return of WWE: Unreal for its third season. The behind the scenes docudrama series gives fans a glimpse of life in WWE and inside the writers room, as injuries, last-minute pivots, and career-defining decisions reshape WWE’s biggest event of the year, WrestleMania 42.
WWE Unreal is taking fans deeper than ever inside World Wrestling Entertainment’s creative process, The hit docuseries will once again pull back the curtain on some of the biggest moments, boldest decisions, and unforgettable storytelling with some of the WWE’s greatest legends who’ve shaped the industry and new stars who are emerging as prominent parts of the future.
In the new season of ‘Unreal’ which consists of 5 episodes at 50 minutes each: John Cena says goodbye, a fan favorite returns, and the next generation of Superstars rise to the occasion.
Photo: WWE
The cast and WWE superstars featured include: the aforementioned Cena, plus Cody Rhodes, Liv Morgan, CM Punk, AJ Lee, Trick Williams, Lash Legend, Stephanie Vaquer, Oba Femi, Bron Breakker, Chelsea Green, Matt Cardona, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
As previously reported AJ Lee revealed on General Hospital star Maurice Benard’s (Sonny Corinthos) mental health series, State of Mind, that she was part of the cast of WWE: Unreal.
WWE: Unreal production credits include: Directors/Showrunners: Chris Weaver and Erik Powers Executive Producers: Peyton Manning, Jamie Horowitz, Ross Ketover, Keith Cossrow, Ken Rodgers, Jessica Boddy, Lee Fitting, Ben Houser, Marc Pomarico Sr. Producers: Harley Glantz, Brian Decker, Michael Flynn Producers: John Galiani, Dan Gati, Jeremy Lundblad Production Companies: Omaha Productions, NFL Films, Skydance Sports, WWE.
So, what do you think of the loglines for the new season of WWE: Unreal? Who are you most excited to see featured in the behind the scenes drama from the list of WWE superstars and the twists and turns leading into this past April’s WrestleMania 42? Let us know via the comment section below.
If you have ever tuned-in to the soap opera genre over the last 50 years, and witnessed some of the greatest romances, drama, classic and outlandish storylines of all-time, you would have seen Deidre Hall smack dab in the middle of it as longtime Salem heroine, Dr. Marlena Evans.
It was 50 years on this date, June 21, 1976 that Hall first appeared on DAYS on NBC which was its home for 57 years before it moved to its current streaming platform on Peacock in September of 2022.
In Hall’s first episode she was introduced as a psychiatrist treating Mickey Horton (John Clarke) at Bayview Sanitarium after he suffered a complete mental breakdown. Mickey learned that his brother Bill Horton (Edward Mallory) was the biological son of Mike Horton (Wesley Eure) with his wife Laura (Susan Flannery) and that he had been lied to for years and years. From that moment on, the rest is television and soap opera history. Days of Our Lives put Hall front and center.
Photo: NBC
There were so many heartbreaking and shocking story twists involving the beloved Marlena. One of the first was the historic crib death of baby DJ (Don Jr.) in 1980, Marlena’s infant son with Don Craig (Jed Allan). The story had never been told on daytime television and Hall’s performances received accolades from TV critics to fans when Deidre received thousands of letters from grieving mothers who had gone through the same thing in their own lives.
DAYS also brought Deidre’s twin sister, Andrea Hall Lovell to the show as her on-screen sister Samantha, who had a grudge and even locked Marlena up in a sanitarium and took her place! Fast-forward and in 1982, DAYS launched the Salem Strangler story where everyone believed Marlena was his next victim, only it turned out to be Samatha. Jake Kositchek (played by Jack Coleman) was revealed to be the actual serial killer.
Later, Deidre would assume the role of Marlena’s look-alike, Hattie Adams in 2004, once played by her sister, Andrea. Over the years, Hattie has come back to Salem and caused trouble giving Hall a chance to play a different type of character, then the always upstanding Marlena.
Photo: JPI
THE LOVES OF MARLENA
Deidre Hall struck gold with all her leading men: from the late Jed Allan, to Wayne Northrop as Roman Brady, and of course, her enduring love story with the late John Black played by the iconic Drake Hogestyn. In fact, Marlena’s 1986 wedding to John (who was believed to be Roman at the time) remains a favorite of fans to this day.
TOP MARLENA STORYLINES OF ALL-TIME
While the list is long, here are several that were some of the memorable during Deidre’s five decades in Salem!
The Possession (1994- 1995)
Considered one of the most ambiguous, outlandish and unforgettable story arcs in soap opera history, then Days of Our Lives head writer, James Reilly went there! Marlena was possessed by the devil! That included; the demonic eyes, hissing at father John (Black) the priest, morphing into creatures, and the classic levitating in her bed! It became a cultural phenomenon and cemented Deidre Hall’s status as a daytime television legend. Just ask Ryan Gosling!
Photo:JPI
The Affair with John Black (1993)
John and Marlena’s forbidden love could not be denied and they had passionate affair, while she was still married to the real Roman. Problem was her daughter, Sami (Alison Sweeney) caught her mother having sex with John on a desk that changed Sami forever.
The Salem Stalker Mystery (2003-2004)
In a shocker, Marlena was revealed to be a serial killer who bumped off several Salem favorites residents who were all alive on the island of Melaswen (spelled “New Salem” backward). Turns out, she was manipulated and gaslighted by Andre DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) to do the “killings” and had no memory of her actions.
The Pier Scene (1991)
This remains Michael Fairman TV’s all-time favorite Deidre Hall moment, which featured some of the best acting in the storied careers of both Hall and Drake Hogestyn.
In the story, a presumed-dead Marlena returns after four years. One foggy night on the pier, John is alone, and Marlena steps out of the fog to reveal herself, and is reunited with the love of her life. You can watch it any year, any decade, and in any moment, and it will have you reaching for the hankies again and again. (best music score fo a soap scene of all-time too!)
Photo: NBC
Kristen’s Secret Room Reveal (1997)
Marlena was caught in Kristen Blake’s (Eileen Davidson) elaborate web of lies, when she was held hostage in a secret wine cellar/room until John managed to track her down, leading to an iconic on-screen reunion. The classic catfight between Hall and Eileen Davidson was one for the ages.
It should be noted that Maison Blanche, Queen of the Night, Possession, Aremid and Lady in a Cage were all a part of classic DAYS storyline and all featured Hall at the epicenter of it from 1993-1996.
THE RECENT YEARS OF MARLENA
In recent years, DAYS brought back the possession 2.0 storyline under then head writer Ron Carlivati in 2021 where the devil leapt back in Marlena after taking advantage of a frail Doug Williams (the late Bill Hayes)
In 2025, viewers watched the end of the love story of John and Marlena, as John succumbed to injuries sustained in an explosion saving a vial of medication needed to bring Bo (Peter Reckell) back to life. Marlena has been a widow on-screen since June of 2025 as Hall as portrayed the good doctor struggling with her grief and to move on with her life since his death.
Photo: JPI
One story that never goes away is Stefano DiMera’s (the late Joe Mascolo) obsession with Marlena, his “Queen of the Night.” Even in death, Stefano is toying with her from the great beyond with the mysterious chess set and the missing “pawn,” that he had gifted John and Marlena in his will. The mystery is currently unfolding on all-new episodes of Days of Our Lives.
Tune-in to Days of our Lives on the Monday, June 22 episode as Marlena looks back at her 50 years in Salem.
Share your congratulations to Deidre Hall for this incredible 50-year milestone as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives in the comment section. Then let us know, what is your all-time favorite storyline or moment in the life of Marlena over the past 5 decades? And, just for kicks, and to celebrate this amazing milestone, here is Marlena levitating below circa Christmas Eve 1994.
General Hospital
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
With the highly-anticipated returns of Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) on this week’s June 24 episode of General Hospital, Steve Burton’s (Jason Morgan) upcoming return on July 13, which also serves as the ABC daytime drama’s 16,000 episode, things are about to fire on all cylinders in the story, as noted today by series star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos).
On Father’s Day, the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor and mental health activist took to his Instagram and expressed in a video that he has some unbelievable upcoming senes with the aforementioned Burton and Hughes. Add to that Nazneen Contractor (Justine Turner) and Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing), where Benard gave credit where credit is due to the GH writing team, which is led by co-head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten..
In this video, Benard said, “I just want to get on here and say that I did some work with Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Rick Hearst, Nazneen Contractor, and they’re all just fantastic. Truly fantastic. But, I want to say the writing was just exceptional. It truly was. It was exceptional. So, thankful for that kind of writing. I know writers don’t get the credit a lot, but I just want to say to the General Hospital writing team, keep rolling!”
GENERAL HOSPITAL PREVIEW
So now the question becomes, with a major tease like that, what is about to go down between Sonny, Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric? Will we finally get to the end of the line for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), as previously teased by the GH co-head writers? Will we learn what happened to Jason and Anna, fully? Will Justine and Sonny becomes closer or stop their liaisons? And what of Ric? Will he be true blue to his brother or double-cross him? There is a lot at stake as we move further into the summer and one that looks like it could be one of the more exciting ones in years!
FINOLA HUGHES CONFIRMED AMAZING SCENES WITH MAURICE BENARD
As a punctuation point to his video, Benard also shared this written message in the post: “I just did some wonderful scenes with Steve Burton, Rick Hearst, Finola Hughes and Nazneen Contractor and and unbelievable writing, freaking amazing scenes that you will see in the near future on General Hospital.” In fact, Finola Hughes jumped in the post comment thread and responded, “I loved our scenes so much xxx”
Fans will most likely see all the scenes Benard referred to later in July, since GH tapes approximately six weeks ahead of air.
So, are you excited to see what Maurice is talking about? Are you hyped for what’s to come on GH? Any clue on what you think will go down between the main characters on the soap with the returns of Anna Devane and Jason Morgan to the mix? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
View this post on Instagram
DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Marlena Looks Back at 50 Years in Salem
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
‘General Hospital’s’ Controversial Luke and Laura Rape Episode: Writer Sheri Anderson Reveals Behind the Scenes Decisions and Admits ‘I Was Wrong’ to Defend It (Exclusive)
‘Days of Our Lives’ Eric Martsolf Recalls Moment He Learned He Was Cast as Brady Black, and Last Scenes with Drake Hogestyn (SOAPY Exclusive Preview)
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL Promo: Rocco’s in a Panic as Britt’s Health Takes a Turn, Chase is Called to the Carpet
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Y&R Preview: Matt Clark Asks Phyllis on a Date, Would You Be Down for the Pairing? Roger Howarth & Michelle Previously in GH’s Franco/Nina Romance
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Reflects on Dante’s Guilt for the ‘Atrocity’ That Happened to Michael Which Kept Everyone From Telling Him the Truth About Rocco (Exclusive)
-
General Hospital2 days agoMaurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’s’ Controversial Luke and Laura Rape Episode: Writer Sheri Anderson Reveals Behind the Scenes Decisions and Admits ‘I Was Wrong’ to Defend It (Exclusive)
-
Days Of Our Lives1 week ago‘Days of Our Lives’ Eric Martsolf Recalls Moment He Learned He Was Cast as Brady Black, and Last Scenes with Drake Hogestyn (SOAPY Exclusive Preview)
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)
-
General Hospital1 week agoGENERAL HOSPITAL Promo: Rocco’s in a Panic as Britt’s Health Takes a Turn, Chase is Called to the Carpet
-
Days Of Our Lives2 days agoAl Calderon Reflects on ‘Major Chapters’ Coming to an End on ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘Brilliant Minds’
-
Beyond the Gates5 days ago‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Karla Mosley Weighs-in on Dani Dupree’s Love Life Endgame: Are You Team Bill or Team Andre?
-
General Hospital1 week agoGENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Michael Puts Willow On Notice After Tracy Is Arrested
