Over the past five decades, Days of Our Lives’ Deidre Hall has helped Marlena endure just about every calamity Salem could invent. When Hall reflected on her favorite storyline, she immediately landed on Marlena’s possession. The reason fans remember it is obvious. The behind-the-scenes ritual that accompanied it is a little less well-known.
Key Takeaways
- Deidre Hall says Marlena’s possession storyline remains her favorite DAYS story.
- Hall revealed that a priest blessed the set and that cast and crew used holy water before possession scenes.
- Ken Corday gave Hall a cross from Jerusalem that she carried throughout the storyline.
- Hall credited Frances Reid with teaching generations of actors the importance of preparation and professionalism.
Holy Water and Possession
Hall spoke to Access Hollywood as part of a celebration of her 50 years on DAYS, and it didn’t take long for the conversation to turn toward possession. “I’ve always said that ‘Possession’ will be on my tombstone,” Hall admitted, referring to the wildly popular story that became a pop culture phenomenon in the 1990s.
The storyline, in which Marlena was possessed by the Devil, may have featured spinning heads and supernatural chaos, but Hall approached it with great seriousness. “I have a deep faith,” she explained. Hall recalled that a priest came to bless the set, while executive producer Ken Corday brought her “a cross from Jerusalem.” She added, “I had that with me all the time.”
Then came the detail that may surprise even longtime fans. Hall said Corday also brought holy water, and before filming scenes tied to the possession story, she would tell the cast and crew, “I’ve sprayed myself, does anybody else want holy water?” When asked who accepted the offer, Hall laughed and replied, “Everybody. Everybody.”
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Lessons From a Television Legend
Hall also reflected on some of the people who shaped her during her early years in Salem, including Frances Reid. Fans knew Reid as beloved matriarch Alice Horton. Hall remembered something a little different. “Frances was not Alice. She was a firebrand,” she said, explaining that Reid expected actors to arrive prepared and take the work seriously.
That mindset stayed with Hall long after Reid stopped keeping actors on their toes. It carried into some of Marlena’s most difficult stories, including the devastating crib death storyline. Hall remembered discussions about warning viewers ahead of time, but the show ultimately decided not to because tragedies like that don’t call first to let you know they’re on the way.
Looking back on her career, Hall seemed most grateful for the impact those stories had on viewers. “We teach lessons all the time,” she said. After five decades in Salem, that’s a legacy few actors can match.
