Deidre Hall has spent decades making Dr. Marlena Evans one of daytime’s most recognizable characters on Days of our Lives. Now, another legendary television franchise is having a little fun with that legacy. Hall guest stars in Season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as a psychiatrist in a soap opera-themed story, and she told Soap Hub exclusively that discovering Marlena and DAYS were on Star Trek’s radar left her “stunned.” Plus, she realized that both fan bases share something in common.
Key Takeaways
- Deidre Hall plays a psychiatrist in a soap opera-themed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds story.
- Hall says her Star Trek character is essentially Marlena in another world.
- The DAYS star was stunned and flattered that another iconic franchise wanted to honor her television legacy.
Hall Didn’t Try to Leave Marlena Behind
When Hall learned Strange New Worlds wanted her to play a psychiatrist, there was no wondering whether the similarities to Marlena were intentional.
“I think Marlena was a slam dunk,” Hall told Soap Hub, laughing about the obvious connection between the two characters.
In fact, Hall didn’t approach her Star Trek psychiatrist as someone completely different. “She is exactly who Marlena is,” Hall explained. “She is a loving, compassionate therapist.”
That becomes especially important when her character shares a pivotal scene with Captain Pike (Anson Mount). Hall described her job in that moment as listening, leaning in, and giving Pike the space to feel safe enough to unburden himself.
After all these years of playing Marlena, Hall apparently has that part down. Maybe a little too well.
“I’ve had people tell me secrets that I thought, ‘Oh, what? I’m just here for a gallon of milk,'” she joked. She doesn’t really have that patient-doctor confidentiality.
Salem May Actually Be Stranger Than Star Trek
Walking onto the Strange New Worlds set was a very different experience from Hall’s usual workplace. She marveled at the elaborate sets, lighting, costumes, and tiny details throughout the production.
But was anything happening aboard the Enterprise really that much stranger than Salem?
“We did everything but possessions,” Hall joked about Star Trek. “So, well, we got it.”
Marlena has been possessed, brainwashed, presumed dead, and survived enough bizarre situations to make interstellar travel seem almost ordinary.
Hall Sees Something Familiar in Both Fanbases
Hall also recognized something DAYS and Star Trek viewers share: extraordinary loyalty.
“I think it’s a sense of family and belonging,” she said. “You have to accept us as your family. You have to come back every day, you have to accept us as we are and learn to love us and forgive us.”
Perhaps that’s why the tribute meant so much.
“I was stunned,” Hall said of realizing DAYS and Marlena had made an impression on another legendary franchise. “To find out that you’re on somebody else’s radar like that and well thought of like that is just…high praise.”
And Hall isn’t done sharing her Star Trek experience. She told Soap Hub that she’s expecting photos of her different costumes and other images from the set, which she plans to share at DeidreHall.com. Considering how much she raved about costume designer Bernadette Croft’s work, DAYS fans may want to keep an eye out for those.
DAYS fans and Star Trek fans can tune in to Paramount+ to watch Hall’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode titled “Like Chronitons Through the Hourglass” today.
