Throughout soap opera history, there have been many memorable heroines who don’t always make the right choices. One such leading lady was Holly Norris on Guiding Light, played by Emmy-nominee Maureen Garrett. Here’s a look back at Holly’s life and loves.
Daddy’s Girl
Rather than go to college, 19-year-old Holly Norris went to work for her wealthy father, Stanley, whom she had sought out. He’d abandoned her as an infant. Stanley paid employee Roger Thorpe to date his daughter. She preferred the enigmatic Roger to boyfriend Peter Wexler, but Holly was devastated after her dad was murdered.
Mrs. Ed Bauer
Holly found comfort in the arms of her doctor, Ed Bauer, after she’d been hit by a car. They wed impulsively in Las Vegas. Frustrated by Ed’s long workdays, Holly drifted into an affair with Roger. Pregnant with Roger’s daughter, Christina, Holly returned to Ed, letting everyone believe the baby was his.
Roger learned he was Chrissy’s dad when she needed a blood transfusion. Holly split from Ed and moved on to a romance with Dr. Peter Chapman, but lost him to another woman. Roger convinced Holly to marry him to give Chrissy a family.
Marital Rape
Roger raped Holly after she turned to Ed for comfort. She filed a report with the police, and Roger was put on trial for rape. Fearing Roger was going to steal Chrissy, Holly shot him. She went to prison for his death (he was really alive) and befriended a fellow inmate.
Roger came back to town and fled to Santo Domingo with Holly (who had been released), who was his hostage. Ed and Mike teamed up to save Holly and Ed even tried to save Roger, but he fell off a cliff. Shortly thereafter, Holly moved to Switzerland with Chrissy.
Blake’s Mother
Holly, split from husband Dietrich Lindsey, showed up on Ed’s door on Christmas Eve, hoping to reconnect with her Chrissy who was back in Springfield and going by her middle name – Blake. Holly was horrified to learn on the day of Blake’s wedding to Phillip that Roger was alive and back in Springfield!
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Holly’s pal Alexandra convinced her to go to Acapulco with Roger for a TV convention to test his fidelity. Roger told Holly he couldn’t make love to her given their past and the two came to a new understanding. The ruse cost Holly her relationship with Ross.
The Doctor Is Out
Roger saved Holly from her unbalanced fiancé, Dr. Daniel St. John. She reunited with Ross, but Blake seduced Ross away for sport, but then it turned to love. Holly supported widowed Ed by acting as a surrogate mother to his daughter, Michelle, after his wife Mo’s death. Roger ended up saving Ed after he nearly fell to his death off a railing. A grateful Holly made love to Roger, but she couldn’t bring herself to remarry her ex.
Reade All About It
Holly fell for newspaperman Fletcher Reade. She gave birth to Fletcher’s daughter, Meg, who was born with Down syndrome. Holly’s marriage hit the rocks after Fletcher found out she was confiding in Roger things that he felt she should have told him. Holly gave Vanessa’s daughter, Maureen, a kidney.
Mother Madness
After Fletcher and Meg moved away to parts unknown, Holly became the “Nursery Rhyme Stalker,” kidnapping the children of several Springfield citizens. Holly was sent away for help. Later, she violated her parole by associating with Sam, a convict. Holly reconnected with Ross, who was separated from Blake, but he reunited with her after learning Blake was pregnant.
Love Match
Next, Holly dated Billy Lewis (her former relative-by-marriage) and also Buzz Cooper. Those relationships didn’t advance much and Holly reconnected with Ed once more — until Ed accepted a medical assignment in Africa.
Losing Roger And Ross And Finding Ed
Blake and Holly were stunned to learn that Roger had died. Sebastian, Roger’s long-lost son, became obsessed with Holly and took her to the same hotel where Roger had kidnapped her to years ago. Holly had sympathy for Sebastian, who was battling an illness, but she couldn’t commit to him.
Holly eulogized Ross after he was presumed dead in an airplane crash. Soon after, she departed Springfield to go back to Europe. She returned in 2009 to visit Blake and give advice to Olivia. Ed surprised Holly by asking her to go on a worldwide trip with him. She happily accepted as Guiding Light came to an end.
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