Here Are Where These Iconic Soap Stars Are Today

Find Out Where Iconic Soap Stars Are These Days

Have you ever wondered why soap operas are the longest-running shows in television history? Well, there’s no denying that the dramatic nature of each episode leaves you on the edge of your seat. While some actors have continued to appear as their character in these soaps, others have moved on. Still, we can’t help but wonder what these soap stars are like now. Keep scrolling to read about what these iconic actors are up to today…

Joan Collins

Joan Collins is an English actress who got her start on stage at the young age of nine years old. Collins entered the British film industry in 1951, but it wasn’t until 1955 that she’d sign a contract with the big Hollywood film studio 20th Century Fox.

Joan Collins

By 1981, Collins was an international superstar after landing the role of Alexis Carrington on the primetime soap opera Dynasty. In 2002, Collins played Alexandra Spaulding Von Halkein Thorpe in Guiding Light, as well as The Grand Duchess Alexandra of Oxford in The Royals from 2014 to 2018.

Erika Slezak

Erika Slezak is an award-winning actress known for her role as Victoria “Viki” Lord on the daytime soap opera One Life to Live, which she played from 1971 until the television finale in 2012, and again in the online revival a year later.

Erika Slezak

With almost 50 years of experience under her belt, it’s no surprise that Slezak is one of the longest-serving serial actors in the American entertainment industry. Since then, Slezak appeared as Dr. Eileen Jacoby on The Resident in April 2018. A year later, she starred alongside Jeff Daniels in the drama film Guest Artist.

Susan Sullivan

Susan Sullivan is an actress best recognized for her roles as Maggie Gioberti Channing on the primetime soap Falcon Crest, as well as Lenore Curtin Delaney on the soap opera Another World. Some of you kids may even recognize her as Kitty Montgomery from the ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg (1997-2002).

Susan Sullivan

Since then, Sullivan has kept herself busy, appearing on shows and films alike. You may have even spotted her on the Netflix original series The Kominsky Method, starring Michael Douglas.

Rebecca Herbst

Rebecca Herbst is an American actress that made her television debut in 1986, appearing in a single episode of LA Law. She then went on to play in different episodes of highly successful shows including Step by Step, Beverly Hills 90210, Boy Meets World, and more.

Rebecca Herbst

Even with these credits under her belt, though, Herbst is best known for playing nurse Elizabeth Webber Spencer on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital — a role she has been playing since 1997.

Linda Evans

Linda Evans is an American actress who has been making waves in the entertainment industry since the early-’60s. Although Evans played Audra Barkley in the Western TV series The Big Valley, the actress is best recognized for portraying Krystle Carrington in Aaron Spelling’s 1980s ABC primetime soap opera Dynasty.

Linda Evans

Evans played this role for 8 years, from 1981 to 1989, aside from reprisals here and there. In 2009, Evans appeared in and won the British television program Hell’s Kitchen in which she worked under Michelin-star chef Marco Pierre White.

Eileen Fulton

Eileen Fulton, now 86 years old, rose to stardom when she began portraying Lisa McColl on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. While Fulton has played other roles throughout the years, Lisa was perhaps her greatest character. In fact, Fulton played this role almost continuously for 50 years from May of 1960 until the show’s finale in September of 2010.

Eileen Fulton

Aside from soaps, Fulton has appeared in several films and even four episodes of Private Lives — playing the character of Lisa Hughes. Since then, the actress has spent her time writing various memoirs.

Nancy Lee Grahn

Originally from Illinois, Nancy Lee Grahn is an actress primarily known for her work in daytime soap operas. Her credits include Julia Wainwright Capwell on Santa Barbara from 1985 to 1993, and Alexis Davis on General Hospital since 1996.

Nancy Lee Grahn

If that wasn’t impressive enough, by 1997, Grahn landed a gig on Melrose Place and was given the lines of a character named Denise Fielding. Since then, Grahn has appeared in other television shows including 7th Heaven where she played Principal Russell from 1997 until 1999.

Michelle Ryan

Michelle Ryan is a 36-year-old English actress best known for playing Zoe Slater in the British soap opera Eastenders. The year was 2000 and Ryan was just 16 years old when she landed the role. After leaving the show in 2005, Ryan went on to star in the short-lived American TV series Bionic Woman. She also appeared as the evil sorceress, Nimueh, in the BBC fantasy series Merlin.

Michelle Ryan

In 2012, Ryan toured with Will Young in a production of Cabaret. In 2013, the actress starred in several episodes of Covert Affairs where she played two different characters.

Julie Goodyear

Julie Goodyear is an English actress better known as Bet Lynch — and later, Bet Gilroy — on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Goodyear first began portraying Bet in 1966 but it wasn’t until 1970 that she became a series regular until 1995. In 2002, she returned for eight episodes before coming back for another seven in 2003.

Julie Goodyear

Since then, Goodyear has gone on to appear in several reality shows including Road Raja, Age Swap, Celebrity Penthouse, Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes, and Celebrity Big Brother for season 10.

Holly Valance

Holly Valance is a British-Australian actress, singer, and model. Her acting career began in 1999 when she was cast as Felicity “Flick” Scully in the long-running Australian soap, Neighbours. Valance stayed on the series until 2002 when she left to dabble in music.

Holly Valance

Her first single, “Kiss Kiss” — an English rewrite of a Turkish version — was released that same year and ultimately reached the Number One spot on the singles chart in Australia, the UK, and in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Today, Valance resides in London with her two daughters and husband, Nick Candy.

Bryan Dattilo

Bryan Dattilo is an American actor that first entered the industry during the mid-’80s. After playing a series of small roles on different television shows, Dattilo landed the part of Lucas Roberts on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives.

Bryan Dattilo

Dattilo has been portraying this character since 1993 and has shown no signs of stopping any time soon, although he did take a brief break from the show at one point to play Eric in a web series called Youthful Daze.

David Selby

Having entered the industry in 1968, there’s no denying that actor David Selby has had quite a fruitful career. Since his kickstart in the horror-fantasy show Dark Shadows, Selby has appeared in more than 60 films and TV shows. After his time as a vampire came to end, Selby went on to play Michael Tyrone in Flamingo Road.

David Selby

After a year, this role was then swapped for Richard Channing on the primetime soap Falcon Crest. Since then, not only has Selby landed other acting jobs but he has also written several books including novels, memoirs, and collections of poetry.

Terri Conn

Originally from Indiana, Terri Conn is an American actress best known for portraying Katie Peretti Snyder on the CBS soap As the World Turns, which she played in from 1998 until 2010 when the show ended.

Terri Conn

After that breakout role, Conn went on to play Christine “Aubrey Wentworth” Karr on an ABC soap called One Life to Live, and Ashley Dupree on the American-Canadian teen drama Breaker High. In December of 2018, Conn joined the shopping network QVC as a program host.

Tyler Christopher

Tyler Christopher, now almost 50 years old, entered the entertainment industry during the mid-’90s when he began portraying the character of Nikolas Cassadine on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. Aside from that soap, Christopher has also played in Felicity, Angel, and Crossing Jordan.

Tyler Christopher

The actor also spent two years as Dan Whitehorse in The Lying Game. In 2016, Christopher made his last appearance on General Hospital and has supposedly been keeping himself busy working in the film industry ever since…

Doug Savant

Doug Savant — some may be too young to recognize the name but you’ll certainly recognize the face. The longtime soap opera actor first appeared in Knot’s Landing before going on to play Matt Fielding on Melrose Place from 1992 until 1997.

Doug Savant

Once that show went off the air, Savant appeared in several television shows and even landed a gig on 24 as Craig Phillips in 2004. And, of course, we can’t forget about the fact that Savant played alongside Felicity Huffman as her character’s husband on the primetime drama Desperate Housewives from 2004 to 2012.

Robert S. Woods

Robert S. Woods, now 72 years old, entered the industry in 1976. It wasn’t until a few years later, though, that he would rise to international stardom as Vietnam War veteran Bo Buchanan on the ABC soap One Life to Live. In 1983, Woods won a Daytime Emmy Award for that very role!

Robert S. Woods

Although he left the series in 1986, he ultimately returned in 1988 and continued playing Bo until the series cancellation in 2012. Woods is also known for portraying Dr. David Spencer the CBS television series The Waltons.

Andrew Shue

Although his first few film roles are largely uncredited, actor Andrew Shue managed to get quite a few projects under his belt throughout the 1980s. But it wasn’t until ’92 that Shue would become a household name as Billy Campbell on Melrose Place, a role that he would go on to play until 1999.

Andrew Shue

During his time on the soap, Shue also landed the role of an abusive husband in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Rainmaker. Aside from working on a feature film with his sister and actress Elisabeth, Shue also co-founded the NGO DoSomething and is the co-founder of CafeMom — a social networking website.

Steve Burton

Steve Burton is an American actor that got his start in 1987 on a fantasy-sitcom called Out of This World. After the show went off the air in 1991, Burton landed the role of Jason Morgan on General Hospital from 1991 to 2012 and 2017 to present.

Steve Burton

It was also during this time that Burton began playing Dylan McAvoy on The Young and the Restless from 2013 to 2017. Burton is also known for voicing the character of Cloud Strife in a wide range of Square Enix video games including Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

Gordon Thomson

Gordon Thomson is a Canadian actor who has basically appeared in every soap that’s existed during his time. He’s widely known, though, for his portrayal as Adam Carrington on the 1980s primetime soap opera Dynasty. Following his time on that show, Thomson went on to play Mason Capwell on NBC’s Santa Barbara for three years.

Gordon Thomson

Since then, not only has Thomson made appearances on several shows including Sunset Beach and Passions but he has also worked on films including the 2017 romantic-drama Afterburn Aftershock in which he portrayed ruthless power player, Parker Rutledge.

Don Hastings

Don Hastings has been a household name since the mid-1940s. After his stage career, Hastings made his television debut when he appeared in Captain Video and the Video Rangers. From there, Hastings was cast as Jack Lane on The Edge of Night from ’56 to ’60.

Don Hastings

Immediately after he left the show, Hastings landed the part of Dr. Robert “Bob” Hughes on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. Given that he has been playing this character for 50 years, Hastings is now the longest-serving cast member of an American television soap opera, after the death of matriarch Helen Wagner.

Lorenzo Lamas

Lorenzo Lamas, the son of two iconic Golden Age actors, Fernando Lamas and Arlene Dahl, is an award-winning soap star. Whether it’s his seductive stare or the fact that talent just courses through his veins, Lamas is undeniably one of the most beloved soap actors of all time. He got his start on television in 1981 as Lance Cumson on Falcon Crest, a role he played for nine years.

Lorenzo Lamas

By the time he left the show, Lamas had made a name for himself and went on to star in several films. In later years, Lamas has made appearances on different shows including Jane the Virgin!

Thomas Calabro

Thomas Calabro may have started out as an actor but these days, he’s also a director! Calabro’s career began on stage before making his film debut with a relatively small role in Exterminator 2. Calabro then made his television debut in 1989 as Joey Coltrera in Dream Street before landing the role of Dr. Michael Mancini in Melrose Place in 1992.

Thomas Calabro

After seven years on the show, Calabro decided that it was time to leave. Since his departure, Calabro has been working in both television and film.

Matthew Ashford

There’s no denying that Matthew Ashford has taken a step out of the spotlight during recent years. At one point, though, Ashford was a fan favorite. Known for his performance as Cagney McCleary in Search for Tomorrow, Ashford played McCleary for two years before leaving the show in 1986.

Matthew Ashford

A few years later, in 1989, Ashford scored the role of Jack Devereaux in Days of Our Lives — a part that he would continue playing until 2016. Since 2011, Ashford has also starred on the soap web series The Bay opposite his former Days of Our Lives co-star, Mary Beth Evans!

Colleen Zenk

Originally a musical theater actor, Colleen Zenk is widely recognized for playing Barbara Ryan in the daytime television drama As the World Turns from September of 1978 to September of 2010. While she starred on the soap, Zenk also appeared in a periodic film.

Colleen Zenk

After getting diagnosed with oral cancer, Zenk underwent several surgeries before returning to the stage just weeks later and while still on pain medication, this actress reportedly brought down the house! In June of 2018, Zenk returned to take on the role of Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly! at The Little Theatre on the Square.

John Aniston

John Aniston — we know what you’re thinking and yes, he’s related to the beloved Jennifer Aniston. In fact, he’s actually her father! As you can all guess, John entered the entertainment industry long before his daughter was even a thought. John made his debut in 1962 on The 87th Precinct but it wasn’t until 1969 that he landed a role on Days of Our Lives.

John Aniston

Although he originally played Eric Richards on the show, Aniston left to work on other projects before returning to portray Victor Kiriakis in July 1985. Despite the fact that he’s 86 years old, Aniston continues to play Victor to this day…

John James

John James, now 64 years old, stepped into the business in the late ’70s when he landed the role of John “Junior” Bergman in Search for Tomorrow. Just a few years after this, James was offered the part of Jeff Colby — a role that he ended up playing throughout the 1980s in both the primetime soap Dynasty and its spin-off series The Colbys.

John James

The actor has also made appearances on other shows including The Love Boat, All My Children, and As the World Turns. In 2016, James starred alongside William Baldwin and Danny Trejo in The Lost Day, originally called Chronology.

Maurice Benard

Maurice Benard made his first soap opera appearance as Nico Kelly on All My Children, a role that he ended up playing from 1987 to 1990. Still, it was only when Benard landed the role of Sonny Corinthos on General Hospital that the actor rose to international prominence.

Maurice Benard

Considering that Benard has been playing this manic depressive mobster Kingpin since 1993 and has made no signs of stopping, it’s evidently clear that this award-winning actor found his place in the industry.

Kate Linder

Some of you may have not known this but before Kate Linder became a big soap star, she actually worked as a flight attendant for Transamerica Airlines. It was only after this that she would go on to find work in television, making appearances on shows including Archie Bunker’s Place and Bay City Blues.

Kate Linder

Linder really rose to fame, though, when she landed the role of Esther Valentine on The Young and the Restless in 1982. Aside from playing this character for over four decades, Linder has also done plenty of film work. Her latest role was LaVeccia in the psychological thriller Voice From the Stone.

Cameron Mathison

Cameron Mathison, a Canadian-American actor, began his career in entertainment when he landed the role of Ryan Lavery on All My Children. Mathison played this character for 14 years, from 1997 until the show’s finale in 2011. Since then, Mathison has continued to rack up different acting credits having appeared in shows including Castle, Desperate Housewives, Hot in Cleaveland, and Drop Dead Diva.

Cameron Mathison

In 2017, Mathison played in the Hallmark Channel TV-movie at Home in Mitford. His latest appearance was as Edward Taylor in another Hallmark TV-film called The Christmas Club (2019).

Ronn Moss

Before Ron Moss pursued an acting career, he was a singer/songwriter and musician for the band Player. 11 years after Player released their first hit single, Moss landed his first television acting job and it was a role that would ultimately launch him to stardom. Moss portrayed Ridge Forrester on the CBS soap The Bold and the Beautiful from 1987 to 2012 when he exited the show after 25 years.

Ronn Moss

Since then, Moss has kept busy with appearances on different shows including a Flemish soap called Familie. Ronn also played the part of John Blackwell on The Bay, a web series soap that he co-produced.

Josie Bissett

Josie Bissett — while the name may not ring a bell with you youngsters, there’s no doubt that you recognize her as Grace Bowman’s mother from The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008-2013). Bissett entered the industry long before she began playing this role, though. In early 1990, Bissett played a recurring role on The Hogan Family for two seasons before landing the role of Jane Andrews-Mancini on the primetime soap Melrose Place.

Josie Bissett

Bissett played the part of this fashion designer for five and a half seasons until she left in 1997 when she suffered a real-life miscarriage.

Jon Hensley

Jon Hensley — not to be confused with the actor from Nip/Tuck — is an actor best known for his long-lived, recurring role as Holden Snyder from As the World Turns. Although he played this part from 1985 until the series finale in 2010, Hensley first made his television debut in an episode of One Life to Live during the ’80s.

Jon Hensley

Following his time on As the World Turns, Hensley portrayed Dr. Meade on The Bold and the Beautiful for two years but he has yet to be seen anything else since then…

Josh Taylor

Born Tommy Tim Taylor, Josh Taylor’s story about his start in Hollywood is actually an interesting one. After earning his Juris Doctor, Taylor decided to take a year off and ended up visiting a friend in LA. Before he knew it, Taylor began landing different acting gigs. In 1977, he was cast as Chris Kositchek on the NBC soap Days of Our Lives.

Josh Taylor

By 1981, Taylor had his own, albeit short-lived, detective series called Riker although his role on Days of Our Lives continued uninterrupted. Taylor also spent time on The Young and the Restless as Jed Sanders and as Jack McKay in Beverly Hills 90210.

Kassie DePaiva

Kassie DePaiva is an American actress and singer who got her start as Bobby Hoe in the 1987 horror film Evil Dead II. She then made her soap debut as Chelsea Reardon on Guiding Light, a role that she played from 1986 until 1991.

Kassie DePaiva

When 1993 came around, DePaiva landed the role of Blair Daimler Cramer on One Life to Live, formerly portrayed by actress Mia Korf. The 59-year-old actress played Blair until 2013 before moving on to portray Eve Donovan on Days of Our Lives.

Michael E. Knight

Best recognized for playing Tad Martin on ABC’s soap opera All My Children from 1983 until the show’s finale in 2011, Michael E. Knight’s career spans almost 40 years! Aside from this gig, Knight has also made cameos on One Life to Live as the same character of Tad Martin.

Michael E. Knight

Following the end of All My Children, Knight made appearances on The Young and The Restless. In September 2019, Knight signed on with General Hospital, playing a lawyer named Martin Gray.

Pamela Sue Martin

Pamela Sue Martin may be known for her portrayal as Fallon Carrington Colby — a feisty and spoiled heiress — on ABC’s nighttime soap Dynasty but it was thanks to another role that she even landed a spot on this show. Before signing on with the soap in 1981, Martin played detective Nancy Drew on the television series The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries.

Pamela Sue Martin

Since these jobs, Martin has appeared on various TV shows and films. In 2019, Martin even played the part of Harriet Grosset — a small-town psychic — on CW’s Nancy Drew series.

Jacklyn Zeman

A New Jersey native, Jacklyn Zeman began her entertainment career in 1972 as a Bunny in the Playboy Club. It was just five years later that Zeman was cast as Bobbie Spencer in General Hospital — and it’s the role that the actress is best remembered for to this day!

Jacklyn Zeman

Aside from her time on the show, Zeman also appeared in films throughout the ’80s including National Lampoon’s Class Reunion. Today, Zeman works as a jewelry presenter on the Home Shopping Network.

Katherine Kelly Lang

Katherine Kelly Lang was just 18 years old when she made her acting debut in Skatetown, U.S.A. alongside Scott Baio, Maureen McCormick, and Patrick Swayze. Following that gig, Lang continued to play small roles in shows and films until she landed her breakthrough role in 1987.

Katherine Kelly Lang

From that point on, Lang has been portraying Brooke Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful, a role that even crossed over into The Young and the Restless. Aside from these gigs, Lang made a special guest appearance as herself in Neighbours in 2016 and served as a contestant on an Australian reality show in 2019.

Renée Jones

Renée Jones may have retreated from the spotlight in recent years but that doesn’t mean she won’t be remembered. With a career that spanned over 30 years, Jones became a household name as Lexie Carver on NBC’s long-running soap Days of Our Lives. Before she landed that part, Jones appeared in over 40 different TV shows including other soap operas like Santa Barbara, Knot’s Landing, and The Bold and the Beautiful.

Renée Jones

After a very successful entertainment career, Jones confirmed in April 2012 that she would be departing from her long-standing role and retiring to a simpler life.

Sharon Case

Originally from Detroit, Sharon Case began working as a model at 17 years old and even briefly relocated to Japan before pursuing a career in acting. During the early stages, Case kept busy making appearances in different daytime soap operas including General Hospital, As the World Turns, and even Cheers!

Sharon Case

Today, Case is prominently recognized as a leading actress in The Young and the Restless, portraying the role of Sharon Newman who was previously played by Monica Potter and Heidi Mark for two months each.

Christian Jules Le Blanc

Christian LeBlanc has been playing the role of Michael Baldwin on The Young and the Restless for so long that he might as well change his name to his character’s. After LeBlanc landed the part in ’91, he took a brief hiatus in ’93 before returning to the show in ’97.

Christian Jules Le Blanc

Aside from this gig, the 59-year-old actor has also appeared in a different soap called As the World Turns as well as a music video for “I Keep on Loving You” by Reba McEntire.

Tracy E. Bregman

Born in Germany, Tracey E. Bregman has been acting since she was 11 years old when her family relocated to the Golden State — California. Bregman is predominantly known for her portrayal as Lauren Fenmore on The Young and the Restless. Prior to this breakthrough role, though, Bregman portrayed a troubled teen on Days of Our Lives from 1978 to 1980.

Tracy E. Bregman

Aside from her acting career, Bregman dabbles in business. Not only did the critically-acclaimed actress launch a jewelry line but she also founded her own yoga-inspired clothing line in 2004 called Bountiful Buddha.

Peter Bergman

Born in Cuba to a United States Navy officer, Peter Bergman began acting at the age of 26. Although he originally auditioned for the role of Dr. Jeff Martin on All My Children, Bergman ended up landing the part of Dr. Cliff Warner instead.

Peter Bergman

While he may not have gotten the character he initially went for, Bergman still had a good run being that he was on the show from 1979 to 1987, and again in 1988 for a year. Since then, Bergman has been portraying Jack Abbott on The Young and the Restless.

Walt Willey

An Illinois native, Walt Willey attended Southern Illinois University where he became involved in acting in which he performed major roles in several productions. By 1981, Willey left his home state for New York in order to professionally break into the acting world.

Walt Willey

After many Off-Broadway productions and small appearances on different shows, Walt joined the cast of ABC’s All My Children where he portrayed Jackson Montgomery from 1987 to 2011. Since then, Willey played Gregory Ashford on Tainted Dreams. He also appeared in the 2017 horror-comedy Butcher the Bakers.

Eric Braeden

A German-born American, Eric Braeden emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 18 years old. Within the first two decades that Braeden lived in the U.S., he managed to rack up more than 120 credited roles to his name. It wasn’t until 1980, though, that Braeden landed the part of Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless.

Eric Braeden

After 30 years portraying Victor, the award-winning actor revealed in 2009 that he would be leaving the show — that is until his publicist announced that an agreement was reached and Braeden would be remaining in the soap.

Shemar Moore

A former fashion model, Shemar Moore has been one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood since the mid-’90s. His acting career began when he portrayed Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless for eight years, a role that ultimately got him several Emmy Award nominations. During his time on the soap, Moore managed to land various other projects.

Shemar Moore

Following Y&R, Moore began playing Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds. Since 2017, Moore has been starring as Sergeant II Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson Jr. on the crime-drama TV series S.W.A.T.

Jess Walton

Jess Walton was just 17 years old when she left her home to join a Toronto theater company. It was only a few years later, at the age of 20, that Walton left her life behind to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. Within a year, Universal Studios signed Walton.

Jess Walton

After appearing as a guest in a number of television shows, Walton joined the cast of Capitol. Once the show was taken off the air, Walton then landed the part of Jill Abbott on The Young and the Restless — a role she plays to this day.

Natalia Livingston

Natalia Livingston’s love for acting in high school only got stronger when she attended college where she began taking theater classes. Although she took an internship in the field of social work after graduation, it wasn’t long before Livingston up and moved to LA in order to pursue an acting career.

Natalia Livingston

After getting discovered working at a Home Depot, Livingston started doing national commercials before landing the roles of Emily Quartermaine and Rebecca Shaw on General Hospital. Following that gig, the award-winning actress portrayed Taylor Walker on Days of Our Lives. In 2011, Livingston produced a documentary called The Man Who Ate New Orleans.

Anthony Geary

Anthony Geary is an award-winning actor who was shot into stardom when he was cast as Luke Spencer on the daytime soap General Hospital in 1978. His performance as Luke had been so outstanding that Geary actually received an all-time record of eight Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

Anthony Geary

Aside from this gig, Geary made appearances in films including Fish Tank, Teacher’s Pet, and Johnny Got His Gun. In May 2015, though, Geary publicly announced his departure and retirement from the entertainment industry.

Carolyn Hennesy

An American actress from sunny California, Carolyn Hennesy is recognized for quite a few different notable roles on TV and films. Although her early work consisted of guest appearances and small roles, Hennesy ultimately rose to prominence when she was cast in a recurring role on Dawson’s Creek. Before long, Hennesy landed the iconic role of Diane Miller on General Hospital, a part that she earned an Emmy nomination from.

Carolyn Hennesy

After her time on this soap, Hennesy had recurring characters on Cougar Town, Revenge, and Jessie. Aside from acting, Hennesy enjoys writing and released her own novel in 2011.

Alison Sweeney

Even if you’re not a big soap fan, there’s no doubt that you recognize Alison Sweeney’s face. She began acting at the young age of eight years old, appearing in small roles on shows including Simon & Simon.

Alison Sweeney

In 1993, when Sweeney was 20 years old, she was cast as Sami Brady Hernandez in Days of Our Lives until 2014. Although she still makes appearances on the soap as Sami, Sweeney is also known for hosting The Biggest Loser, an American competition reality show.

Susan Lucci

Susan Lucci, now 73 years old, stepped into the acting world in the late-’60s. Although she’s also a television host, entrepreneur, and author, Lucci is mostly known for her portrayal as Erica Kane on the daytime soap All My Children. Lucci played Erica from 1970 to 2011 before moving on to other endeavors.

Susan Lucci

With a career that has spanned five decades, Lucci is undoubtedly considered one of the most iconic soap opera stars of all time, and let’s not forget about her appearances in over 30 other television shows. After 18 failed Emmy nominations, Lucci not only finally won in 1999 but she received a 4-minute standing ovation for this win.

Kristen Alderson

Kristen Alderson began acting at the young age of six when she was cast as Starr Manning in One Life to Live, making her the youngest soap star to have ever landed a contract. Although she played this part for a short time, she was put on contract as a series regular in 2001 and continued working on the show until 2012.

Kristen Alderson

Since her time there, Alderson landed a gig on General Hospital in which she originated the role of Kiki Jerome.

Eileen Davidson

You may recognize this face from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills but before Eileen Davidson became a reality show sensation, she was actually best known for her roles in various soap operas including Kristen DiMera on Days of Our Lives and Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless as well as The Bold and the Beautiful.

Eileen Davidson

An award-winning actress, Davidson has been portraying Ashley on and off since 1985. Considering that Davidson has also returned to the Days of Our Lives set, it’s clear that soaps are a way of life for this bombshell.

Deidre Hall

Deidre Hall, an award-winning actress, first made her way into the business in 1970. Little did she know at the time that just six years later, she’d land the part of Dr. Marlena Evans Black on Days of Our Lives. Aside from this iconic role, though, Hall has appeared in various other shows over the last four decades.

Deidre Hall

In 2011, Hall made a guest appearance on the season finale of Drop Dead Diva and received her very own Walk of Fame star in 2014. Her latest appearance in the 2016 Hallmark TV-film My Christmas Dream.