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New York Post
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘As the World Turns' soap opera star Eileen Fulton dead at 91
Eileen Fulton, the beloved soap opera star best known for 'As the World Turns,' has passed away. She was 91. Fulton died on Monday, July 14, in her hometown of Asheville, N.C., following 'a period of declining health,' according to an obituary from Groce Funeral Home. Born Margaret Elizabeth McLarty in Asheville on September 13, 1933, Fulton's father worked as a Methodist minister, and her mother was a public school teacher. Advertisement 7 Eileen Fulton in the 1960s. Courtesy Everett Collection 7 Eileen Fulton as the conniving Lisa Grimaldi in 'As the World Turns.' ©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection The legendary actress once said that her first performance took place at church when she was just 2 years old. Advertisement 'I jumped from my mother's lap and ran to the altar and sang, 'Mama's little baby loves shortening bread,'' she told CBS News in 1998. 'They couldn't shut me up, and they haven't been able to shut me up since.' After studying drama and music at Greensboro College, Fulton moved to New York City in 1956 and took classes with famed acting teachers Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg. 7 Eileen Fulton as Lisa Grimaldi in a 1965 episode of 'As the World Turns.' ©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection But it wasn't until 1960 that the actress, now using the stage name Eileen Fulton, was cast as Lisa Mae Bailey in the drama film 'Girl of the Night' alongside co-star Anne Francis. Advertisement Later that same year, Fulton was cast as the conniving Lisa Grimaldi on 'As the World Turns' during the soap's fourth season. Although her character was initially supposed to have a short role in the CBS drama, Fulton remained on 'As the World Turns' until the show came to an end 50 years later in September 2010. 7 The soap opera star in 'Our Private World,' a brief spin-off of 'As the World Turns,' in 1965. Courtesy Everett Collection Don Hastings, who played Bob Hughes, portrayed Fulton's on-screen love interest for the majority of the soap's lengthy run. Advertisement 'I had a lot of experience being conniving as a minister's daughter,' Fulton shared with NPR in 2010. 'I found the people in my daddy's church fascinating.' 'When I went up for Lisa, she was just a nice girl next door. And just for the summer, for Bob's interest,' she added. 'I didn't want to play anything so close to myself. So I decided to just give her a background.' 7 Eileen Fulton as Lisa Grimaldi in 'As the World Turns.' ©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection 'I thought about where her family came from. I thought about what she really wanted. And I thought amazing thoughts when I did those scenes,' Fulton continued. 'I didn't change their lines – not yet, because I knew better – but I certainly had other ideas about what I'd like to do with that Bob. And it read.' By the end of the series, Fulton's character had gone through eight husbands and dozens of different lovers. Fulton was surprised when CBS announced that 'As the World Turns' would end in 2010 after an impressive 54 seasons. 7 Eileen Fulton and the cast of 'As the World Turns' in 1971. ©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection 'It's just a shock – it's like mother and daddy got divorced or died or something,' she said at the time. Advertisement However, the actress was confident that everyone from the show would land on their feet. 'We're all very good at what we do, and we'll all be working again,' she added. 7 Eileen Fulton attends a farewell to the cast of 'As the World Turns' at the Paley Center for Media on August 18, 2010, in New York City. Getty Images Besides 'As the World Turns,' Fulton starred in the Broadway play 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' in 1963. She also appeared in 'Our Private World,' a brief spin-off of 'As the World Turns,' in 1965. Advertisement Fulton earned a Soap Opera Digest Award for her role as Lisa Grimaldi in 1991 and was later presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2004 Daytime Emmys. 'I have gone through two lives, my own and Lisa's, and not many actors get to do that,' she told The New York Times in 1995.
Daily Record
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Soap legend Eileen Fulton dies at age of 91 as family confirm sad death
The 91-year-old first appeared in As the World Turns in May 1960, remaining in the cast until the CBS show went off air in September 2010. Soap star, Eileen Fulton has sadly died at the age of 91. The iconic soap star was best known for her work as the first bad girl of daytime television for her role as Lisa Miller in As the World Turns. Eileen sadly passed away on 14 July in Asheville, North Carolina, at the age of 91 following a period of declining health, her family confirmed on the Groce Funeral Home website, sharing that her funeral service will be held on August 9. The 91-year-old first appeared in As the World Turns in May 1960, remaining in the cast until the CBS show went off air in September 2010, reports the Mirror. While she did exit the soap three times, including when she took time out to film her own primetime spin-off Our Private World, she always returned to the soap that made her famous. Her 50-year stint on the series made her one of the longest-starring soap actors in US TV history, despite the role initially being created as a short-term character. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Eileen - whose real name was Margaret Elizabeth McLarty - was inducted into the Soap Opera Hall of Fame in 1998 and received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. She co-wrote her first autobiography, How My World Turns, in 1970 and jointly wrote her second, As My World Still Turns, 25 years later. Eileen also wrote a series of murder-mystery books and a novel titled Soap Opera. She retired in 2019 and moved back to North Carolina. Eileen is survived by her brother, Charles Furman McLarty, niece Katherine Morris and their children, and her sister-in-law Chris Page McLarty. The actress was married and divorced three times over the years. Instead of flowers, Eileen's family has asked for donations to be made to the Reverend James B. McLarty Music Scholarship, or the Margaret Glenn McLarty '28 and Eileen Fulton Music Scholarship Fund. Reminiscing about her As The World Turns character, Eileen once said, "She's a romantic, that's why she falls in love so much."
