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For almost five decades, Deidre Hall has been a fan favorite on the iconic soap opera “Days of Our Lives.”
Friday marked a major milestone for the actress. She has played the role of Dr. Marlena Evans for 5,000 episodes, which makes her the longest-running soap actress, ever.
As for Hall herself, Day 5,000 still feels like Day One.
“It’s always my first day when you start to get a 13-week contract, and then I kept thinking, ‘Oh, maybe I’ll get more than 13 weeks, maybe they’ll like me a little bit,’” she revealed to KTLA 5’s Sam Rubin.
Hall’s character’s storylines have run the gamut.
She had a twin sister, was possessed by the devil, and was murdered by the Salem Stalker, which ended up being her evil twin.
When it comes to playing the psychiatrist, Hall explained it’s basically an extension of herself.
“I play her from myself because we work so hard that if I was stretching into a different character, I’d never have a life,” she said. “I play her as myself. So her values are mine. Her opinions are mine. And you know, her look is mine.”
Hall’s character has kept up with the times as the nearly 60-year-old soap opera made the move to NBC’s streamer Peacock in 2022.
While some longtime viewers had a hard time finding the soap’s new location initially, it did find a new demographic.
“We picked up an enormous young audience because they can stream – they know how to do it. If you don’t know, go next door! Your 12-year-old can show you!”