Deidre Hall

At A Glance

Deidre Hall created the role of Dr. Marlena Evans in 1976, a character whose popularity has created a furor and a fan following seldom seen in television.

The favorable regard in which Hall is held has spanned all demographics and regions. She was named Best Television Role Model; won the prestigious American Women in Radio and Television (AWRT) award in 1994; garnered five Best Actress awards from Soap Opera Digest (1982-85,1995) along with a Best Actress nomination (1999). She broke new ground for daytime stars when she guest-starred on shows such as The Tonight Show, Night of A Hundred Stars, a Bob Hope Special, and 20/20, surrounding the event of the birth of her eldest son with a surrogate.

In 1986, Hall became the first performer ever to star in both daytime and primetime series when she was cast as Jesse Witherspoon in NBC's Our House. She left daytime the following year to concentrate on this show and a growing career in television movies.

Hall's credits include And the Sea Will Tell, For the Very First Time, Take My Daughters, Please, a Perry Mason movie of the week, one of the popular Columbo movies of the week, and, in 1993, another ratings winner, Woman On The Ledge. The same year, Hall created Never Say Never: The Deidre Hall Story, in which she not only starred but executive produced as well. The television movie was based on her real-life struggle to create a family and her final choice of a surrogate as their solution.

Hall's episodic television credits include a multi-episode arc in Stephen Cannell's hit series Wiseguy and The Cast of the All-Star Assassin.

Hall was nominated for two Peoples Choice Awards for the role of Jesse in Our House and was nominated two consecutive years as Best Actress by Viewers for Quality Television. Co-starring with Wilford Brimley, Deidre and her television family won the first Viewers for Quality Television Seal of Approval for a television show.

Hall has graced the covers of national and regional magazines such as People, Woman, Woman's Own, TV Guide, Woman's World, McCall's, Family Circle, Shape, Los Angeles Magazine, Beverly Hills (213), Orange Coast, and First For Women.

Deidre was born an identical twin, and her sister Andrea Hall-Gengler spent a short stint in Salem as Marlena's twin, Samantha. Deidre is the devoted mother of David Atticus Sohmer and Tully Chapin Sohmer, both miracle babies via surrogate birth. Hall resides in Los Angeles. Her birthday is October 31.

Acting Portfolio: TELEVISION

Intimate Portrait: Loni Anderson 1999 OP Center (a.k.a Tom Clancy's "OP Center") Kate Michaels 1995 Never Say Never: The Deidre Hall Story Herself 1995 Woman on the Ledge Quinn 1993 For the Very First Time (a.k.a Til I Kissed Ya [UK]) Mrs. O'Neil 1991 And the Sea Will Tell Muff Graham 1991 Columbo: Columbo Cries Wolf Diane Hunter 1990 Circus of the Stars #14 1989 Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin Linda Horton 1989 Take My Daughters, Please Nell 1988 Walt Disney World 4th of July Spectacular Herself 1988 Harry Anderson's Sideshow Herself 1987 Our House Jessica "Jessie" Witherspoon 1986 Circus of the Stars #10 Performer 1985 A Reason to Live Delores Stewart 1985 The Million Dollar Face Barbara Sanderson 1981 Pray TV Sarah of Nazareth 1980 Electra Woman and Dyna Girl Lori/Electra Woman 1976 The Krofft Supershow Lori/Electra Woman 1976-1977 Days of our Lives Marlena Evans June 21, 1976 to 1987; 1991 to January 23, 2009 ; September 26, 2011 to Present Columbo: Mind Over Mayhem Receptionist 1974 The Young and the Restless Barbara Anderson 1973 to 1975 Adventures of Nick Carter Ivy Duncan 1972 Emergency! Nurse Sally Lewis 1972

Acting Portfolio: FILM

Special Delivery Gloria 1976

Awards & Acclaim

Daytime Emmys Nomination, Outstanding Actress (1984, 1985) Daytime Emmys Nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actress (1980) Daytime Emmys Pre-Nomination, Outstanding Lead Actress (2005, 2008) Soap Opera Digest Awards Winner, Best Actress (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1995) Peoples Choice Awards Nominee, (1986, 1987; for Our House ) Viewers for Quality Television Nominee, (1986, 1987; for Our House )

Vital Statistics

PLACE OF BIRTH: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

DATE OF BIRTH: October 31, 1947

HEIGHT: 5' 7"

MARITAL STATUS: Divorced; Steve Sohmer [Dec 31, 1991 to 2005]

CHILDREN: Sons, David [Aug 23, 1992] and Tully [Jan 19, 1995, by surrogate mother, Robin B.]

Miscellaneous

Has an identical twin sister, Andrea, who has played her twin (Samantha) and look-alike (Hattie) on Days of our Lives.

Sometimes credited as Deidre Hudson.

News Archive

News Archive : DAYS serial killer revealed -- it's Marlena! [Dec 28, 2004]

News Archive: DAYS star Hall, husband announce divorce plans. [Mar 21, 2005]

News Archive: DAYS stunner: Deidre Hall, Drake Hogestyn fired. [Nov 17, 2008]

News Archive: Deidre Hall, Drake Hogestyn to make short-term DAYS return. [Jun 2, 2011]
News Archive: LISTEN: Deidre Hall, Drake Hogestyn visit Soap Central Live. [Aug 5, 2011]

News Archive: Deidre Hall injured, may need surgery. [Apr 21, 2014]

News Archive: Deidre Hall on Sweeney's final DAYS day. [May 31, 2014]

News Archive: Deidre Hall shares her opinion on the death of DAYS' Will [Oct 15, 2015]

News Archive: DAYS actress Deidre Hall gets star on Walk of Fame [May 9, 2016]

News Archive: INTERVIEW: Deidre Hall on her Walk of Fame star and DAYS' "bulletproof" storytelling [May 31, 2016]

News Archive: Deidre Hall marks 40th anniversary of her first Days of our Lives appearance [Jun 24, 2016]

News Archive: DAYS' Deidre Hall to star in holiday film My Christmas Dream [Sep 15, 2016]

News Archive: TODAY: Joe Mascolo's final appearance on DAYS, plus special tribute video [Feb 10, 2017]

News Archive: Deidre Hall says Ron Carlivati "has done a spectacular job of updating the show" [Feb 16, 2018]

News Archive: Deidre Hall originally turned down the role of Days of our Lives' Marlena [Apr 3, 2019]

News Archive: Days of our Lives' Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn appear in NFL Tide commercial [Sep 12, 2019]

News Archive: Tide drops second soapy commercial featuring Days of our Lives' Drake Hogestyn and Deidre Hall [Sep 25, 2019]

News Archive: Deidre Hall, Drake Hogestyn preview the "unusual time jump" headed to Days of our Lives [Sep 26, 2019]

News Archive: Days of our Lives' Deidre Hall featured in female-focused NBC ad campaign [Mar 11, 2020]

News Archive: Days of our Lives' Deidre Hall and Andrea Hall release watercolor collection [Jun 8, 2020]

News Archive: Deidre Hall celebrates 45 years on Days of our Lives [Jun 22, 2021]

News Archive: Days of our Lives launches spinoff series, Beyond Salem, with the return of Lisa Rinna, Carrie and Austin, and a new Sonny [Jul 26, 2021]

News Archive: Days of our Lives' Deidre Hall, Robert Scott Wilson visit The Kelly Clarkson Show [Sep 7, 2021]

News Archive: Devil Marlena has a Christmas surprise, previews Days of our Lives' Deidre Hall [Oct 12, 2021]

News Archive: INTERVIEW: Deidre Hall previews A Very Salem Christmas as a "genius" product stuffed with "sexy, mysterious, powerful" moments [Dec 13, 2021]

News Archive: Days of our Lives icon Deidre Hall to play herself on Max series Hacks [May 1, 2024]

News Archive: Days of our Lives' Deidre Hall gets her own day on COZI TV [May 13, 2024]

News Archive: Why Days of our Lives' Deidre Hall couldn't resist playing herself on Hacks [May 27, 2024]