Eileen Fulton, Soap Opera Icon, Dies At 91
Veteran actress Eileen Fulton, a beloved figure in daytime television and a fixture on the long-running soap As the World Turns, passed away on July 14, 2025, at the age of 91. Her death followed 'a period of declining health," according to her obituary.
Fulton became a household name with her portrayal of Lisa Grimaldi, a character she first introduced to audiences in 1960 under the name Lisa Miller. Over the course of 50 years, she portrayed Lisa in one of the longest and most dynamic character arcs in American soap opera history. Known for her scheming ways and tumultuous relationships including eight marriages. Lisa Grimaldi became an iconic soap character and a cornerstone of the series.
Fulton's early career was grounded in the arts. Born on September 13, 1933, in Asheville, North Carolina, she earned a degree in music from Greensboro College. She began her performance journey with the outdoor theater group The Lost Colony before moving to New York to study acting under Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg at the Neighborhood Playhouse. She also took dance classes with modern dance pioneer Martha Graham.
Her big break came with As the World Turns, where her evolving portrayal of Lisa won critical acclaim. 'Well, when I first started, I was a real live scheming conniving person. Not I was, I mean my character Lisa was. It was a wonderful character part," Fulton said in a 1995 interview. She later added, 'I've had great fun being dippy… I have loved every minute of it."
Beyond television, Fulton also found success on stage with roles in the Broadway production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and the off-Broadway favorite The Fantasticks.
Fulton was inducted into the Soap Opera Hall of Fame in 1998 and received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
After retiring, she returned to North Carolina in 2019 and resided in Black Mountain. She is survived by her brother Charles Furman McLarty, niece Katherine Morris, and extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother James Fulton McLarty.
May her soul rest in peace!
First Published:
July 21, 2025, 07:50 IST
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