Eileen Fulton, the actress who brought the infamous Lisa Miller to life on the CBS soap opera “As the World Turns,” passed away on Monday in Asheville, North Carolina, after a long battle with declining health.
She was 91 years old.
Fulton’s death was announced through her funeral home, marking the end of an era in American television.
A Pioneering Bad Girl in Daytime Soaps
Fulton trailblazed the “bad girl” persona in daytime soaps, joining “As the World Turns” in 1960 and playing the villainous Lisa Miller until the show’s conclusion in 2010.
Her iconic character was famously married eight times throughout the series, cementing Fulton’s status as one of the longest-running soap opera actors in American television.
Fulton herself championed Lisa’s antagonism, which not only contributed to the show’s enduring popularity but also earned her a special place in the hearts of fans.
Award-Winning Career and Beyond
For her groundbreaking work on “As the World Turns,” Fulton was inducted into the Soap Opera Hall of Fame in 1998 and received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
Beyond her soap opera success, Fulton also had a thriving career in theater, performing in a Broadway production of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” and an off-Broadway run of “The Fantasticks.” She even had a cabaret act, entertaining audiences in clubs and venues across New York and Los Angeles.
Fulton was also a prolific writer, penning her first autobiography, “How My World Turns,” in 1970, followed by a second installment, “As My World Still Turns,” in 1995. In the late 1980s, she published six murder mystery novels.
A Legacy That Will Be Remembered
Fulton retired from acting in 2019 and moved to Black Mountain, North Carolina. She is survived by her brother, Charles Furman McLarty, her niece, Katherine Morris, and her sister-in-law, Chris Page McLarty.
Eileen Fulton’s remarkable life and career will be deeply missed, but her impact on the world of soap operas and beyond will continue to inspire generations to come.