Days of our Lives

Five Fast Facts About Days of Our Lives Icon Deidre Hall

Published by

Garren Waldo

5 years ago

Days of Our Lives Deidre Hall February 8

She has portrayed the cool, elegant, and frequently in trouble heroine Doctor Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives for over 40 years. But just how well do you know actress Deidre Hall?

Below you will find five fast facts about this fiercely beloved daytime legend who was once possessed by the devil himself. Well, at least the character she played.

Mirror Image
Almost every DAYS fan knows that Hall has an identical twin sister named Andrea who starred alongside Hall on the soap as Marlena’s twin Samantha. However, the sisters (who are “mirror twins”) first appeared together in print advertisements for the 1952 Hudson Twin-H-Power engine.

Early Ambitions
Evans has admitted that she fell into acting “accidentally” as she really had no great ambition to be a working actress in Hollywood. In fact, the only two careers she had ever given serious thought to were a hairdresser or, ironically, a psychiatrist.

Hall nearly turned down the role of Dr. Marlena Evans for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that the character was more than likely a short-term investment.

In fact, Evans was considered nothing more than a place holder for the character of Doctor Laura Horton, another blond psychiatrist who was in the midst of being recast.

The Big Gun
DAYS producer Ken Corday might have likened Hall to a, “spoke on a wheel” back in 2008 but he also knew her character is a major draw. In fact, he personally requested that she return to the soap in 1991 hoping that the resurrection of the Marlena character would boost the shows sagging ratings. It did.

Right For the Part
Hall has always been open and honest with her fans about her infertility struggle and her decision to have a baby using a surrogate mother.

When producers decided to adapt her story into the television film Never Say Never: The Deidre Hall Story, Hall played herself declaring that there was no one more suited for the role. Days of Our Lives airs weekdays on NBC. Check your local listings for airtimes.