Deidre Hall

Deidre Ann Hall /ddrə hɔːl/ (born October 31, 1947) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Dr. Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama Days of Our Lives, whom she has played for over 40 years.

Deidre Hall
Hall in November 2005
Born
Deidre Ann Hall

(1947-10-31) October 31, 1947
Years active1970–present
Known forMarlena Evans in Days of Our Lives
Spouse(s)William Hudson (19661970)
Keith Barbour (19721977)
Michael Dubelko (19871989)
Steve Sohmer (19912006)
Children2
Websitedeidrehall.com

Hall has won many awards for her portrayal of Dr. Marlena Evans, including two Best Actress Soapy Awards in 1982 and 1983. Hall has won three Soap Opera Digest Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1984, 1985, and 1995. [1] Hall was the first recipient of the Outstanding Contribution by an Actress/Actor Award in 1986;[1] in addition to receiving a shared award with Drake Hogestyn in 2005 for Favorite Couple: John and Marlena.[1] Hall has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy three times. [2]

Early years

The third of five children born to John and Jeanie Hall, Deidre and her twin sister, Andrea, were born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,[3] and raised in Lake Worth, Florida along with a brother, John Terry Hall and two other siblings. At age 12, Hall was elected Junior Orange Bowl Queen. She is a graduate of Lake Worth High School, Class of 1965, and studied psychology before sidetracking into acting.[4]

Career

Along with her sister, Andrea, Hall appeared in press materials for the 1952 Hudson Twin-H-Power engine. In her late teens, Hall traveled to Los Angeles for the summer – while attending Palm Beach Junior College[5] – and there she landed some modeling jobs and commercials through an agent. Quickly, she began appearing in television shows, thinking it was temporary until landing a serious career as a psychologist. In a later interview, she recalled that one day, she realized that acting was her serious career.[4]

In 1975, she portrayed the superheroine Electra Woman in Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, a Sid and Marty Krofft children's show that aired on Saturday mornings.

Hall appeared on a number of shows, including Emergency! (as Nurse Sally Lewis in the first two seasons), and The Young and the Restless (as Barbara Anderson), before joining Days of Our Lives in 1976 as Dr. Marlena Evans. In an interview, Hall said that she thought that she would have no chance to land the role of Marlena, considering that she was unsure about a career in soap operas, as well as having to compete against established soap opera veterans for the role.[5] Hall was cast, though, and the role skyrocketed her to fame, which was proved by fan protests when a 1979 NBC promo hinted that Hall's character would be killed off.[4] Two separate daytime television magazines named Hall the best soap actress of 1983.

In 1986, Hall began playing Jesse Witherspoon on the family drama Our House, which ran for two seasons on NBC. Wilford Brimley, who was 13 years older than Hall, played her father-in-law in the series; Chad Allen, her son; Shannen Doherty, her older daughter. Hall initially reacted without concern on playing on two television series at a time, explaining that she filmed Our House on weekdays while taping Days of our Lives on Saturdays.[4] However, she left Days of our Lives in 1987 when it became too difficult to co-ordinate her prime time and daytime schedules. Our House was cancelled in 1988, though she did not immediately return to the soap opera.

Hall made make guest appearances on a variety of prime time shows until March 1991, when she made a return to Days of our Lives. This decision was a result of a request by producer Ken Corday, who hoped her return would have influence on the low ratings. According to the actress, she was approached to play a new character, but she refused and insisted on portraying Marlena, with a contract for six months only.[5] Producers were reluctant to give into Hall's requests, fearing that the fans would leave after six months when she left.[5] However, she remained on contract with the show for 18 more years until January 24, 2009, when she was terminated because of budget cuts mandated by NBC. Her salary on Days of Our Lives was in the range of $60,000 per month, much higher than most other daytime serial actors. Hall has appeared in more than 3,800 episodes.

In 1995, Hall produced and starred in Never Say Never: The Deidre Hall Story, a made-for-TV movie about her personal struggles to become a mother. Her longtime Days co-star Suzanne Rogers (Maggie Horton) is featured in the program.

Since at least early 2009, Hall has occasionally guest-hosted Clout, a talk radio program syndicated through Air America Media. In 2010, Hall and her writing partner Lynne Bowman wrote "Deidre Hall's Kitchen Closeup." In 2011, Hall guest-starred on the season finale of Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva. She and Drake Hogestyn reprised their roles as Marlena Evans and John Black on September 26, 2011.

Hall received a star on the Walk of Fame in 2014.[6]

Hall from an autograph session for "Deidre Hall's Kitchen Close Up." in 2010

Personal life

Hall donated $1,000 to the campaign of Representative Dennis Kucinich for President.[7]

She has been married four times:

  • William Hudson (May 6, 1966 – 1970)
  • Keith Barbour (1972–1977), a singer
  • Michael Dubelko (1987–1989), a producer and writer
  • Steve Sohmer (December 31, 1991 – 2006), an author and screenwriter. Hall and Sohmer have two sons: David Atticus Sohmer (born August 23, 1992) and Tully Chapin Sohmer (born January 19, 1995). Both were born via a surrogate mother known as "Robin B".

In between her marriages to Barbour and Dubelko, Hall dated Louisiana State Senator Ned Randolph in the early 1980s. She made several campaign appearances during Randolph's run for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in 1982, which he lost to incumbent Gillis William Long. She is close friends with General Hospital's Jane Elliot.

The Hall Family was one of the founding families of the town of Meriden,Connecticut. Also, Diedre is descended from two notable Halls. John Hall immigrated from England and settled in Boston in 1625. Another ancestor, Lyman Hall, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. [8]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1970 San Francisco International Airport Episode: "We Once Came Home to Parades"
1971 Night Gallery Night Gallery Episode: "Pickman's Model/The Dear Departed/An Act of Chivalry"
1972 Adventures of Nick Carter Ivy Duncan
1972 Adam-12 Nurse Episode: "Lost and Found"
1972 The Streets of San Francisco Bank Teller Episode: "In the Midst of Strangers"
1972–1973 Emergency! Nurse Sally Lewis Recurring role, 6 episodes
1974 Columbo Receptionist Episode: "Mind Over Mayhem"
1973–1975 The Young and the Restless Barbara Anderson Series regular
1975 Kung Fu Luisa Episode: "Barbary House"
1975 Karen Janet Bartel Episode: "I Gave at the Office"
1975 S.W.A.T. Diane Episode: "Courthouse"
1976–1987,1991-2009,2011-Present Days of Our Lives Dr. Marlena Evans Series regular
1976 The Krofft Supershow Lori / Electra Woman Episode: "Pilot"
1976 Joe Forrester Episode: "Fire Power"
1976 Special Delivery Gloria
1976 Electra Woman and Dyna Girl Lori / Electra Woman Series regular, 16 episodes
1980 Pray TV Sarah of Nazareth
1981 The Million Dollar Face Barbara Sanderson
1984 Hot Pursuit Stephanie Wyler Episodes: "Home Is the Heart: Part 1" and "Home Is the Heart: Part 2"
1984 Hotel Maggie Dawson Episode: "Transitions"
1985 A Reason to Live Delores Stewart
1986-1988 Our House Jessica 'Jessie' Witherspoon Series regular, 46 episodes
1988 Take My Daughters, Please Nell
1989 Wiseguy Claudia Newquay Recurring role, 4 episodes
1989 Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin Linda Horton
1990 Columbo Diane Hunter Episode: "Columbo Cries Wolf"
1990 Murder, She Wrote Claudia Carboni / Jennifer Paige Episode: "The Sicilian Encounter"
1991 And the Sea Will Tell Muff Graham
1991 For the Very First Time Mrs. O'Neil
1993 Night Sins Dr. Marlena Evans
1993 Woman on the Ledge Quinn
1995 OP Center Kate Michaels
1995 Women of the House Deidre Hall Episode: "Women in Film"
1995 Never Say Never: The Deidre Hall Story Deidre Hall
2011 Drop Dead Diva Deidre Hall Episode: "Change of Heart"
2013 Dating in the Middle Ages Fiona Fleming Web-series
2014 Lucky in Love Erin Billings A Hallmark Channel Movie
2016 My Christmas Dream Victoria A Hallmark Channel Movie

Awards and nominations

Daytime Emmy Awards
Year Award Work Result
1980 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Days of Our Lives Nominated
1984 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated
1985 Nominated
Soapy Awards
Year Award Work Result
1982 Soapy Award for Best Actress Days of Our Lives Won
1983 Won
Soap Opera Digest Awards
Year Award Work Result
1984 Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Days of Our Lives Won
1985 Won
1986
Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor/Actress to the Form of Continuing Drama who is currently on a Daytime Serial
Won
1995 Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Won
1996 Nominated
1998
Soap Opera Digest Award for Hottest Romance shared with Drake Hogestyn
Nominated
1999 Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Nominated
2005
Nominated
Soap Opera Digest Award for Favorite Couple shared with Drake Hogestyn
Won
TV Land Awards
Year Award Work Result
2005 TV Land Award for Superest Super Hero shared with Judy Strangis Electra Woman and Dyna Girl Nominated

References

  1. "Deidre Hall Awards". SoapOperaDigest.com. February 20, 2004. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
  2. "Deidre Hall snubs 'unfair' Daytime Emmys". Gold Derby.com. February 20, 2004. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
  3. "Newspapers.com - Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s". Newspapers.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  4. "Deidre works day and night" by Jerry Buck. Merced Sun Star, August 23, 1986. p. 40.
  5. "Deidre Hall brings Marlena back to 'Days'". Lewiston Morning Tribune, August 2, 1991. p. 3c
  6. Tepper, Allegra (June 20, 2013). "Walk of Fame Announces 2014 Honorees". Variety. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  7. "Election Center 2008: Candidates - Election & Politics News". CNN. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
  8. "Newspapers.com - Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s". Newspapers.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
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