Some TV stars are on popular series for ages. Kelsey Grammer, Mariska Hargitay, and Henry Winkler are three examples of popular actors whose longevity in their roles is or was legendary. However, Deirdre Hall could beat all of them and many others for years logged in. She has played Marlena Evans on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives for an incredible 50 years. And Hall declares that she has no intention of stepping back anytime soon.
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Per People, the beloved actress said, "When you join a show, you start with a 13-week contract, so all that I thought was, 'Okay, that'll be fun.' It was always a happy surprise to be invited back." She began her run on the series in 1976. On June 21, Hall hit her amazing 50th anniversary there.
There are no gripes, just gratitude. "I have loved every moment. It's the best job." Deirdre Hall also said, "I've found a home there with longtime friends." She proudly vowed, "I'll keep coming back as long as my key card still opens the gate."
Hall's Character Means So Much to Viewers
A fictional character can come to seem so real to an audience. That apparently is true of Marlena, according to Deirdre Hall, 78. People feel like they go through their own lives right alongside that "person."
Hall shared, "We hear that all the time: 'I watched with my grandma after school, I watched with my mom; my mom would record it.' It's a thing that families share. We are in their living room every single day, whether it's during the day when they're ironing or at night when they're putting their kids to bed and watching; we're home with them."
Some of the emotional storylines Hall has been involved in have resonated intensely with the show's fans. The one about Marlena's grandson coming out was clearly one of those. The actress noted, "We had tons of fan mail about that, young men writing saying, 'I wish I had a mom like you; I wish I had a grandma like you.' Everybody wanted Marlena to be their person, and the truth is, what you want is just somebody to care and accept you. It was so important."
Her Family Has Been on the Show
Per the outlet, Deirdre Hall's sons, now adults in their 30s, were on Days of Our Lives as extras during their childhood. Additionally, her twin sister, Andrea, was on the series for a while as well. "It was terrific," Hall fondly recalls.
