logo
Beloved star who played iconic role for incredible 50 years as the first soap ‘vixen' dies aged 91

Beloved star who played iconic role for incredible 50 years as the first soap ‘vixen' dies aged 91

The Sun5 days ago
A BELOVED soap opera star who played an iconic character for 50 years has died, aged 91.
Eileen Fulton, best known for her on and off portrayal of Lisa Miller in the popular show As the World Turns, died on July 14 in her hometown of Ashville, North Carolina.
4
4
Her tragic passing came "after a period of declining health", Groce Funeral Home 's obituary for her said.
Fulton popularised her character Lisa with a "bad girl" aesthetic, winning the hearts of many at home - from 1960 all the way until 2010.
The star previously revealed that her character had been written as a more innocent "sweet girl next door" figure.
But after delivering her lines in a more "conniving" manner to make Lisa more interesting, the writers picked up on the idea and played into it.
Her character was renowned for her "vixen" vibe - and Time magazine once described Fulton's interpretation of Lisa as a "superb****h".
Later on in the show, Lisa became a more gentle dame, with her personality maturing as both the actress and character grew older.
At one point during the show, Fulton famously had a "grandma clause" locked into her contract.
This would have prevented the character of Lisa from having grandchildren - out of fear that it would make her seem old or irrelevant.
Her iconic portrayal of Lisa on As the World Turns earned her a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1988 and 2004.
Fulton and Don Hastings - who played her first husband on the show - were also both given Lifetime Achievement honors at the Daytime Emmys.
Eighties TV star with A-list actress daughter and famous ex passes away aged 78 after year-long battle with cancer
Eileen Fulton was born as Margaret McClarty in Asheville in 1933.
She moved homes frequently as a child due to her dad's vocation as a Methodist priest.
By the age of two, she was already keen on acting.
She interrupted one of her dad's services by singing the old folk song Shortnin' Bread - and the endured the resulting spanking, she told the Washington Post.
Fulton majored in music at Greensboro College and her dad got her a job in a church choir.
But she was dead-set on moving to New York City - with big dreams of "being the greatest actress on Broadway".
She studied under renowned acting teachers Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg, as well as modern dance pioneer Martha Graham.
And her journey continued after embarking on a showbiz career that finally took off in 1960 - when she was cast on As the World Turns.
For the next 50 years, she repeatedly left the show.
But she always wound up coming back - on one occasion commenting: "I've quit forever three times."
Early on in the show, Fulton worked tirelessly to juggle the soap and the stage.
She would film by day - acting in such shows as The Fantasticks - and act by night, in the Broadway production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? for example.
Her most enduring role, however, will always be known as her chic and ruthlessly conniving portrayal of Lisa on As the World Turns.
Fan-favourite Lisa made a whopping eight thousand appearances on the show - cementing herself as a core presence on the soap opera.
She was known for her quick-thinking improvised quips while performing live - and her character even got a brief spin-off called Our Private World in 1965.
Alongside her soap work, she performed a touring cabaret act.
She one said: "I love to sing. I love to make the audience cry. Of course, then I have to cheer them up."
Fulton also wrote a string of novels during the 1980s and 1990s - including six murder mysteries and a roman à clef called Soap Opera.
She is survived by one of her two brothers, both of her sisters-in-law and her niece, as well as a grandnephew and grandniece.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Famed Wanamaker Organ will again be heard by the public in fall art series in Philadelphia
Famed Wanamaker Organ will again be heard by the public in fall art series in Philadelphia

The Independent

time7 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Famed Wanamaker Organ will again be heard by the public in fall art series in Philadelphia

One of the most famous organs in the world, which graces one of Philadelphia 's favorite public spaces, was at risk of going quiet this spring when Macy's closed up shop in the city's storied Wanamaker Building. But countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, the avant-garde opera star hired last year to run Opera Philadelphia, is leading an effort to let the public again enjoy the Wanamaker Organ, a National Historic Landmark-designated treasure. The organ boasts more than 28,000 wood and metal pipes hidden behind a soaring wall of gold-leaf pipes that frame the building's seven-story marble atrium. Costanzo, with $1 million in philanthropic funding, is organizing a series of public performances this fall — including opera, ballet, theater and drag — before renovations begin next year on the building's conversion to a retail and residential hub. The first event is set for Sunday, Sept. 7. 'John Wanamaker, when he built this Grand Court, said he wanted it to be the intersection of arts and commerce, and that's why he put the world's largest pipe organ into it,' Costanzo told The Associated Press in an onsite interview Thursday evening. 'This space is operatic,' he said. 'So I thought it was a perfect umbrella to bring in every arts organization I could, and all these different collaborators.' The organ was made for the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. Wanamaker, a successful merchant and civic leader, had it moved to his new emporium next to City Hall in 1909 and then hired a crew of 40 pipe makers to enlarge it so the sound filled the vast space. A decade later, famed conductor Leopold Anthony Stokowski performed there with the Philadelphia Orchestra as 15,000 people crowded into the great hall and mezzanines. With the merchandise now gone, the acoustics rival those of the great cathedrals, Costanzo said. 'The organ for the first time is in perfect cathedral acoustic condition, so it will be the best way to hear this instrument in the history of the space, because there's actually nothing in there,' he said. The building's new owner hopes to continue to incorporate art and culture into their plans, which include retail on the lower floors and office and residential space above. The organ adds unique challenges. 'You've got this organ music going in the grand atrium, but meanwhile you've got other uses on these upper floors looking into that space, so you have to figure out how to make that work for everybody,' said Jon McMillan, a senior vice president of TF Cornerstone, the New York-based development firm. Local civic groups, in an announcement Friday, said they hope to raise funds to bring back one of the city's most beloved annual events, a holiday light show that drew generations of families to the store. Costanzo, who continues to perform around the world, believes he can build enthusiasm for the arts by bringing it to the places where people gather, including the Wanamaker Building. And he hopes that, in turn, will help people find a way to connect with each other. 'This space is so deeply embedded in the emotion of Philadelphia,' Costanzo said. "I want them to come to Wanamaker and discover something they've never seen before.'

Joy Taylor breaks silence on Fox Sports firing months after bombshell sex lawsuit
Joy Taylor breaks silence on Fox Sports firing months after bombshell sex lawsuit

Daily Mail​

time8 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Joy Taylor breaks silence on Fox Sports firing months after bombshell sex lawsuit

Joy Taylor has finally spoken out on her Fox Sports split one week after it was revealed the network axed her weekday show. The host's nine-year stint at Fox came to an abrupt end after the network reportedly failed to renew her contract four months after she found herself embroiled in a bombshell sex lawsuit. Now, the 38-year-old has been left questioning her future in sports media as she addressed her Fox exit for the first time. 'Overall, like the saying 'it doesn't feel like work when you're doing something that you actually enjoy.' I think what happened to me this year took that away from me,' Taylor said on The Ringer's Higher Learning. 'I don't know if I'll get that back. I might — and maybe like when the callous forms over the wound and you get away from things you it doesn't feel, like the tremors go away, so we're not there yet — but right now, it doesn't feel that way. It doesn't feel exciting. More to follow.

Ms. Rachel rails against Hollywood celebrities over Gaza silence following 'feud' with Olivia Munn
Ms. Rachel rails against Hollywood celebrities over Gaza silence following 'feud' with Olivia Munn

Daily Mail​

time8 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Ms. Rachel rails against Hollywood celebrities over Gaza silence following 'feud' with Olivia Munn

YouTube star and children's entertainer Ms. Rachel has come out swinging against Hollywood by calling out celebrities over their silence on Gaza. The former preschool teacher, whose real name is Rachel Griffin-Accurso, 42, has been an fierce critic against Israel's assault on Gaza and has emerged as one of the internet's most outspoken advocates for the thousands of Palestinian children that have been maimed and killed from the war. In her latest statement, the Maine-born performer railed against Hollywood in a post shared to Threads. She scathed, 'Celebrities - You won't get canceled for saying people in Gaza should not be starved to death.' She continued, 'We will remember your silence. And that you chose it over people's lives.' The statement came just one day after Rachel vowed not to work with anybody that has stayed silent on the Gaza situation. 'To anyone asking to with work with me who hasn't spoken out about Gaza: Thank you for the request. I'm not comfortable working with anyone who hasn't spoken out about Gaza. Much love and God bless,' she wrote. Not only does Ms. Rachel boast almost 16 million subscribers on YouTube, her self-titled show is also one of the most-watched shows on Netflix. Her latest comments on Gaza come after she found herself in a public clash with actress Olivia Munn. It began after Munn - who is mom to two kids - explained in an interview her personal preferences when it comes to the kind of children's content she allows in her household. 'I know kids love [Ms. Rachel], but the thing is, if I can't watch it, I'm not going to spend the rest of my life going crazy,' she said. Munn, 44, also shared that she avoids cartoons, noting that when her son Malcolm asked for Blue's Clues, she responded, 'Hell no. Not in my house.' She added that while her partner, John Mulaney, introduced their son to Spider-Man cartoons, she prefers live-action films like Spider-Man: Homecoming. 'If you want to watch the real-life ones, then we can watch that,' she said. 'It might be a little too old for him, but I can't take the cartoons.' While Munn's comments appeared to be more about her personal viewing preferences than criticism of any specific creator, it did not stop online speculation that it was a slight on Ms. Rachel. And afterwards, Ms. Rachel furiously hit back to express her disappointment at the coverage of her allegedly brewing 'feud' with the actress. In her latest statement, the Maine-born performer blasted Hollywood, writing, 'Celebrities - You won't get cancelled for saying people in Gaza should not be starved to death' The statement came just one day after Rachel vowed not to work with anybody that has stayed silent on the Gaza situation In response, Rachel commented directly on the social media posts of certain outlets, writing, 'I'd rather you cover my advocacy for kids in Gaza.' She later followed up with a post on her own Instagram account, sharing screenshots of those comments alongside a caption that read: 'WHO CARES?! 'I'd rather you cover me advocating for kids in Gaza who are literally starving, largest cohort of child amputees in modern history, thousands and thousands killed – no medical care, no education, no homes… do better!!!' she added. She emphasized that her frustration was directed at the coverage - not at Munn. 'Not against her at all and don't care that she doesn't want to watch the show - all my love to her and her family - disappointed in the outlets,' Ms. Rachel wrote. Since the start of the humanitarian crisis, Ms. Rachel has continuously used her platform to raise awareness about the conditions faced by children in Gaza, including lack of access to food, education, and medical care. Rachel has even made videos with Palestinian children who were able to escape Gaza - including three-year-old Rahaf who was left a double amputee after Israel's siege of the region. The children's entertainer has repeatedly said that her advocacy is non-negotiable - even if it comes at the expense of her career. 'I am fully willing to risk my career for this,' she stated in a video shared earlier this year. 'It is more important to me to speak out than to remain silent.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store