'As the World Turns' Soap Opera Legend Eileen Fulton Dead at 91 After Dealing With Years of 'Declining Health'

Born Margaret Elizabeth McLarty on September 13, 1933, in Asheville, Eileen Fulton’s journey to stardom was shaped early on by a creative upbringing. Her father, a Methodist minister, and her mother, a public school teacher, grounded her in a world where storytelling was paramount.

Fulton famously recalled her first performance at the tender age of two, when she "jumped from my mother’s lap and ran to the altar and sang, ‘Mama’s little baby loves shortening bread.'"

In a 1998 interview with CBS News, she humorously reflected: "They couldn’t shut me up, and they haven’t been able to shut me up since."

Fulton's passion for the performing arts led her to Greensboro College, where she studied drama and music.

1956 marked a pivotal year when she moved to New York City, where she took classes under legendary acting instructors Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg. Her talents soon caught the eye of casting directors, leading to her film debut in the 1960 drama Girl of the Night alongside Anne Francis. However, it was her role on As the World Turns that cemented her place in television history.

Initially cast as Lisa Mae Bailey, Fulton became synonymous with the character Lisa Grimaldi when the soap opera debuted its fourth season in 1960.

Although her character was slated for a brief run, Lisa's complexity captivated audiences, leading to a remarkable 50-year tenure on the show, which concluded in September 2010.

Fulton became a staple of daytime television, with her character experiencing eight marriages and numerous affairs over the series' lifespan.

Her co-star, Don Hastings, who portrayed Bob Hughes, shared the screen with Fulton in countless scenes, and the chemistry between their characters became a hallmark of the show.

Fulton once quipped: "I had a lot of experience being conniving as a minister's daughter. I found the people in my daddy's church fascinating."

As she developed Lisa's character, Fulton made a conscious decision to craft a rich backstory, stating: "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."

In an emotional response to the cancellation of As the World Turns, Fulton expressed her disbelief and sorrow, saying: "It's just a shock – it's like mother and daddy got divorced or died or something."

Despite this turbulent moment, she exhibited unwavering confidence in her colleagues, stating: "We're all very good at what we do, and we'll all be working again."

Beyond daytime drama, Eileen Fulton's career was diverse and dynamic. She graced Broadway stages with her performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 1963 and starred in the brief spin-off Our Private World, which ran in 1965.

Her contributions to the genre were recognized and celebrated, earning her a Soap Opera Digest Award for her portrayal of Lisa in 1991, followed by a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2004 Daytime Emmys.

In 1995, she recounted the unique nature of her career, saying: "I have gone through two lives, my own and Lisa's, and not many actors get to do that."