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New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Eileen Fulton, Glamorous Villainess of ‘As the World Turns,' Dies at 91
Eileen Fulton, who enthralled and infuriated daytime audiences for half a century as the flashy vixen of the CBS soap opera 'As the World Turns,' died on July 14 in Asheville, N.C., where she was born. She was 91. Her brother, Charles Furman McLarty, said the cause of her death, in a hospital, was heart failure. As a mainstay of 'As the World Turns' from 1960 until it went off the air in 2010, Ms. Fulton inhabited the world of Lisa Miller (later Lisa Grimaldi) across eight marriages, dozens of love affairs and the deaths of two children. She had the role for so long that she liked to say she led a double life. Along with her castmates Don Hastings, who also joined 'As the World Turns' in 1960 and stayed until the end, and Helen Wagner, who was on the show for almost its entire 54-year run (she died a few months before it ended), Ms. Fulton was among the longest-tenured stars in the history of American daytime television. The role of Lisa Miller was initially conceived as a temporary one — as a wholesome love interest for Bob Hughes, a college student played by Ronnie Welsh and later by Mr. Hastings. The opportunity to act in a soap opera represented a big break for Ms. Fulton, even though, as the headstrong daughter of a minister, she had tired of playing the nice girl. 'Sweetness and goodness had been shoved down my throat all my life,' she wrote in a memoir, 'How My World Turns' (1970, written with Brett Bolto), so whenever she was given the opportunity to inject a sliver of malice, she added, 'I played it to the hilt.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Khaleej Times
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
American soap opera icon Eileen Fulton dies at 91
Eileen Fulton, known for her iconic role as Lisa Miller on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, has died at the age of 91. Fulton passed away on July 21 in Asheville, North Carolina, after a period of declining health, according to Variety. Her death was confirmed by a funeral home through an obituary. Fulton joined As the World Turns in 1960 and remained on the show until it ended in 2010. She played Lisa Miller, one of soap opera's earliest and most famous "bad girl" characters. Over five decades, Lisa's storyline included eight marriages, countless plot twists, and a long-standing place in viewers' hearts. Fulton herself helped shape the role, asking writers to add more edge and drama to her character, which helped keep the show popular. In 1998, Fulton was inducted into the Soap Opera Hall of Fame. She also received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 for her work in television. Outside the soap opera, Fulton had a successful stage career. While acting live on As the World Turns, she also appeared in Broadway's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and off-Broadway in The Fantasticks. She performed acts across New York and Los Angeles for years. Fulton also wrote two autobiographies: How My World Turns in 1970 and As My World Still Turns in 1995, marking her 35th year on the soap. In the late 1980s, she wrote six murder mystery novels. She retired from acting in 2019 and moved to Black Mountain, North Carolina. Fulton is survived by her brother Charles Furman McLarty, niece Katherine Morris, and sister-in-law Chris Page McLarty.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Eileen Fulton, 'As the World Turns' soap star, dies at 91
Actor Eileen Fulton, known for her long-running role as Lisa Grimaldi on the CBS soap opera "As the World Turns," has died at 91. Fulton died July 14 in Asheville, N.C., after a period of declining health, according to an obituary posted by Groce Funeral Home in North Carolina. She would become one of the longest-serving soap opera actors, playing Lisa with only a few interruptions from 1960 until the show's end in 2010. Fulton played the character as a villain, telling The Times in 1990 that Lisa was initially "a conniving, screaming witch" who "lied and wanted everything her way," a characterization that led fans to scorn her. Throughout the course of the show, Lisa was married eight times. But over time, Lisa evolved and "matured and learned from her mistakes." Fulton said she began to receive "love letters" from fans who admired the character's spunk. Fulton was inducted into the Soap Opera Hall of Fame in 1998 and received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. Fulton was born Margaret Elizabeth McLarty on Sept. 13, 1933 in Asheville. The daughter of a Methodist minister and a public school teacher, she graduated from Greensboro College in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in music and performed in an outdoor drama in North Carolina before moving to New York to pursue a career in acting, according to her obituary. She later adopted the stage name Eileen Fulton, and in 1960, she was cast in the drama "Girl of the Night." In addition to her soap opera career, Fulton had a cabaret act for years in New York and Los Angeles. She retired in 2019 and moved to Black Mountain, N.C. She is survived by her brother, Charles Furman McLarty, a niece and other family members. Sign up for Screen Gab, a free newsletter about the TV and movies everyone's talking about from the L.A. Times. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Solve the daily Crossword
The Sun
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Beloved star who played iconic role for incredible 50 years as the first soap ‘vixen' dies aged 91
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.
Forbes
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Eileen Fulton, Iconic ‘As The World Turns' Star, Dies At 91
NEW YORK - APRIL 17: Eileen Fulton performs at Don't Tell Mama on April 17, 2010 in New York City. ... More (Photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage) Eileen Fulton, the actress, singer and author known for her role as Lisa Miller for almost 50 years in the daytime drama As the World Turns, died July 14 in Asheville, North Carolina at the age of 91. Her family announced her death, stating she had been in a period of declining health. Known as the "first bad girl of daytime television," Fulton joined As the World Turns in 1960 for what was originally planned as a three-month storyline. She immediately resonated with the audience and, in 1965, and segued into the primetime spinoff Our Private World, which ran twice weekly and aired for four months. Following its cancellation, Fulton returned to As the World Turns and continued on through the final episode broadcast on Sept. 17, 2010. For her work on long-running serial, Fulton received an Editor's Award at the Soap Opera Digest Awards in 1991 and a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. Portrait of actress Eileen Fulton, one of the stars of the television soap opera As The World Turns. Born Margaret Elizabeth McLarty on September 13, 1933, in Asheville, North Carolina she made her professional acting debut in the play The Lost Colony in Manteo, North Carolina. In 1956, she moved to New York City, where she studied under acting legends Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg. Supporting herself by modeling and selling hats at Macy's, she adopted the stage name Eileen Fulton shortly before landing her breakout role. Before her soap opera fame, Fulton appeared in the 1960 drama film Girl of the Night, opposite Anne Francis. In addition to her television career, Fulton was an accomplished stage actress, with credits including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and The Fantasticks on Broadway. She also performed in cabaret and authored two memoirs and several mystery novels. Fulton retired in 2019 and moved to Black Mountain, North Carolina. She is survived by her brother, Charles, and her niece, Katherine. A funeral service will be held on August 9, 2025.
