Deidre Hall made her debut as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of our Lives 45 years ago! Recently, the show celebrated the legendary star with a ceremony on the DAYS stage specifically in a set that’s very familiar to her — the Brady Pub!
Deidre Hall’s DAYS Milestone
“[I]t was a wonderful afternoon celebrating 45 years as Marlena,” Hall said in an Instagram post, which can be seen below. “How lucky to do a job I love with people I adore. The cake was delicious and a complete surprise, as was the mosaic and flowers from the fans. #days.”
The actress’s co-stars weighed in with congratulatory messages in her post. Both Alison Sweeney, who plays Hall’s TV daughter Sami, and former castmate Jen Lilley (ex-Theresa) congratulated Hall on this milestone.
The character of Marlena was created by head writer Pat Falken Smith and introduced to the series by then-executive producer Betty Corday in 1976. Marlena was woven into the story instantly as she was Mickey Horton’s (John Clarke) psychiatrist. This put her in contact with Don Craig (Jed Allan), who worked for Mickey at his law firm.
Hall’s real-life twin (Andrea Hall) joined the show as Samantha, who managed to switch places with her sister for a while. Later, Marlena and Don wed and they welcomed a son, Don Jr. (D.J.) into their family. Tragically, D.J. died of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Don drifted into an affair with Liz Chandler (Gloria Loring) to deal with his grief. He and Marlena split.
Next, Marlena met Det. Roman Brady (Wayne Northrop; Josh Taylor), who camped out on her living room floor with a sleeping bag as he was assigned to protect her from a stalker. Marlena and Roman wed and she gave birth to twins Sami (Alison Sweeney) and Eric (Greg Vaughan). Roman was believed to have died while fighting Stefano (Joseph Mascolo) on his island. Later, Marlena shot Stefano on a catwalk during an ice show after he threatened to kidnap both her and her twins. The Phoenix, of course, rose from the ashes.
Marlena had a brief romance with lawman Richard Cates (Rod Arrants) but he turned out to be a bad guy. She next met “John Black” (Drake Hogestyn) whom she believed was Roman but he was not. Next, Marlena was presumed dead after having been kidnapped by Orpheus (George DelHoyo). She came back to the show in 1991 but so did Northrop, which meant that Hogestyn’s “Roman” was really John Black after all!
In the 1990s, Stefano aggressively pursued Marlena whom he dubbed his “Queen of the Night.” He helped expose her affair with John, ending her marriage to Roman. Vulnerable, Marlena became possessed by the devil in one of TV’s most talked-about storylines. After an exorcism was performed, Marlena found a new foe in Kristen (Eileen Davidson; Stacy Haiduk), who was determined to win John’s heart.
In 1999, John and Marlena finally remarried. A few years later, Marlena began killing many of Salem’s favorite citizens. Her first victim was Abe (James Reynolds) and she ended her reign of terror by murdering beloved Alice Horton (Frances Reid). It turned out all to be a DiMera hoax! (“What else?” said an exasperated Julie, played Susan Seaforth Hayes.) Everyone was alive and Marlena hadn’t killed anyone.
Viewers learned that Marlena had once been married to Alex North (also played by Northrop) whom she’d never divorced so, many of her other marriages were never valid. Later, John and Marlena left town after he’d been paralyzed. They returned after John regained the use of his legs. Marlena was a source of great support to grandson Will (Chandler Massey), who was coming to terms with being gay.
In recent years, Marlena treated reformed serial killer Ben Weston (Robert Scott Wilson). Marlena and John were set to marry once more when she was shot! Belle (Martha Madison), Marlena’s daughter, a lawyer, staunchly defended her mother’s right to die as she had decreed in documents. DAYS delivered a pair of twists — not only did Marlena live but it turned out the woman in the hospital bed was Marlena’s doppelganger Hattie Adams (also played by Hall).
Currently, Marlena and John are happily wed and all three of her children — Eric, Sami, and Belle — are all living in Salem. The best is yet to come! Soap Hub also sends congratulations to Hall on her 45th anniversary with Days of our Lives. Days of our Lives (DOOL) airs weekdays on NBC. Check your local listings for airtimes.
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