Leah Laiman

Leah Laiman (born August 29, 1946 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an American soap opera writer and romance novelist.

Leah Laiman
Born (1946-08-29) August 29, 1946
OccupationWriter, novelist

Background

Laiman got her start on daytime television during the early 1980s at General Hospital. Laiman succeeded former Head Writer, Pat Falken Smith, along with novelist Thom Racina.[1] The pair began working on the show during its heyday, including Luke Spencer and Laura Webber's widely publicized 1981 wedding, which included notable Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor. After three years on GH, Laiman followed Racina to Days of Our Lives to work with Sheri Anderson where the three wrote several stories, including Bo and Hope's wedding in England, and co-created the characters of Steve "Patch" Johnson and John Black. In 1986, Laiman became sole head writer and created the character of Jack Deveraux and further developed the popular romance of Steve Johnson and Kayla Brady.

After Days of our Lives, Laiman moved to One Life to Live, where she stayed as staff writer from 1990 through 1997 and served as head writer from 1990 to 1991 and then again from 1996 to 1997. In 1998, she took a job at the ailing NBC Daytime serial Another World. The show was cancelled in June 1999. Her next job was at As the World Turns. In 2000, Laiman was fired from ATWT and turned to writing novels for five years. Laiman was rehired on As the World Turns in 2005 as an associate head writer.

Positions held

Another World

As the World Turns

  • Associate Head Writer (1997 - 1998; March 3, 2005 - 2005; October 6, 2009 - September 17, 2010)
  • Co-Head Writer (2005 - January 24, 2008; April 18, 2008 - October 5, 2009)
  • Head Writer (August 1999 - August 2000)

Days of Our Lives

  • Associate Head Writer (1991)
  • Head Writer (1988–1989)
  • Co-Head Writer (1986–1988)

General Hospital

  • Writer (1981–1984)

Guiding Light

  • Associate Head Writer (1993)
  • Co-Head Writer (1994 – November 1994)

One Life to Live

  • Co-Head Writer (1996–1998)

Awards and nominations

Daytime Emmy Awards

WINS

  • (2001; Best Writing; As the World Turns)

NOMINATIONS

  • (1983 & 1984; Best Writing; General Hospital)
  • (1985 & 1987; Best Writing; Days of Our Lives)
  • (1990; Best Writing; One Life to Live)
  • (2000, 2006, 2010 & 2011; Best Writing; As the World Turns)

Writers Guild of America Award

WINS

  • (2007, 2009 & 2011 seasons; As the World Turns)

NOMINATIONS

  • (1988 & 1992 seasons; Days of Our Lives)
  • (1995 season; Guiding Light)
  • (2006, 2008 & 2010 seasons; As the World Turns)

Head Writing Tenure

Preceded by
Sheri Anderson
Thom Racina
Head Writer of Days of Our Lives
(with Sheri Anderson: December 3, 1984 November 10, 1986)
(with Thom Racina: December 3, 1984 November 18, 1986)

November 19, 1986 March 16, 1989
Succeeded by
Anne Howard Bailey
Preceded by
Stephen Demorest
Patrick Mulcahey
Nancy Williams Watt
Head Writer of Guiding Light
(with Stephen Demorest, Millee Taggart and Nancy Williams Watt)
(with Patrick Mulcahey: 1994 August 1994)

1994 November 1994
Succeeded by
Stephen Demorest
Preceded by
Jean Passanante
Head Writer of Another World
(with Jean Passanante)

July 1998 June 25, 1999
Succeeded by
none
Preceded by
Lorraine Broderick
Hal Corley
Addie Walsh
Head Writer of As the World Turns
(with Carolyn Culliton)

June 1999 June 12, 2000
Succeeded by
Hogan Sheffer
Carolyn Culliton
Hal Corley
Stephen Demorest
Preceded by
Michael Malone
Head Writer of One Life to Live
(with Jean Passanante and Peggy Sloane)

April 1996 December 1996
Succeeded by
Jean Passanante
Peggy Sloane
Preceded by
Hogan Sheffer
Jean Passanante
Head Writer of As the World Turns
(with Jean Passanante)
(with Christopher Whitesell: May 25, 2005 October 17, 2007)

May 25, 2005 January 24, 2008
Succeeded by
Christopher Goutman (WGA Strike)
Preceded by
Christopher Goutman (WGA Strike)
Head Writer of As the World Turns
(with Jean Passanante)

April 18, 2008 October 5, 2009
Succeeded by
Jean Passanante
David Kreizman

References

  1. Cooper, Mary Ann (30 May 1982). "Speaking of Soaps". Reading Eagle. p. 9. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
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