Deidre Hall Celebrates 50 Years on Days of our Lives: “We Take on Tough Topics”
Days of our Lives star Deidre Hall is a legend in every sense of the word.
Key Takeaways
- Deidre Hall celebrated 50 years portraying Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives, reflecting on the collaboration, longevity, and creative fulfillment she has experienced with the cast and crew.
- She described Marlena as a consistent, trustworthy figure audiences feel safe with, shared her enjoyment of playing the contrasting character Hattie, and spoke about mentoring newer actors through the technical demands of soap opera production.
Deidre Hall is celebrating an extraordinary feat few actors could even dream of. As of 2026, the Days of our Lives star has marked 50 years playing Dr. Marlena Evans.
The stirring family drama with fascinating characters set in fictional Salem, Illinois premiered on NBC in 1965 and is now churning out its 61st season. Evans has survived several presumed deaths and even a demonic possession. Hall even acted opposite her twin sister Andrea Hall on the iconic soap opera.
In an exclusive interview with Peacock Blog, Hall turns back the sands in the hourglass to share behind-the-scenes details of her first day on set and Marlena’s lasting impact.
Deidre Hall celebrates the golden anniversary on Days of our Lives
Peacock Blog: How are you feeling walking into the 50th anniversary of Days?
Deidre Hall: It's a little absurd. I mean, I feel like I just got there and every day I get to work, I think, ‘Wow, look what I get to do,’ I get to come in here with a brand-new script and see people that I really admire and respect, and I don't just mean my co-stars, which of course I do, but our directors and our producers and our cameramen, and everybody's giving over a hundred percent to pull in the same direction and make it the best job they can possibly do every single day, which is an impossible ask.
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What has been your favorite character arc or storyline that really represents Dr. Marlena Evans?
I don't know if it represents my character — Marlena is…pretty conservative — so when I had a chance to break out of that and play Hattie, that was the most fun ever and just being given permission to be completely irreverent and disrespectful and outrageous…words Marlena's never even heard before, so that was great fun. Having that incredible freedom was wonderful.
As one of the show's most respected veterans, do you consciously take on this mentorship role when new actors, new cast members join the fray?
Wow. Good question. Yes, oh my gosh. You can't possibly know what to do when you start. And not that you can't act, because that's a very personal thing, but there's so much technical information that you need to have. When I first began, I had a scene with [MacDonald] Carey and Frances Reid, and I was standing off stage wildly intimidated.
I've been watching a scene with the character of Amanda and thought, ‘Oh, she's so wonderful and she's so beautiful.' And then I was to enter the scene, and Mac began introducing me to people and they said, ‘This is Dr. Evans,’ and I said, ‘Oh, just call me Amanda,’ and it got really quiet. There was a long beat and Mac said, ‘No, darling, she's Amanda. You're Marlena.,’ My first day at work. It got better after that, trying to figure out who I was playing, but that just embodies the support of everybody and understanding that it's a natural mistake to forget who you're playing on that day.
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How has Marlena influenced Deidre Hall?
I like her. When I began playing her, I thought, ‘Gosh, I haven't been to a psychiatrist. What would that be like? What would she be like,’ and so I just began playing her from a point of view of somebody that I would want to talk to if I were in trouble. I don't know if it's accurate, but I'm glad that people feel safe with her and safe in her hands…hence the storylines they create for her.
Days of our Lives is streaming now exclusively on Peacock.
