How lucky were we, to be invited into Eileen Fulton’s home to bring our readers this in depth glimpse into this wonderful actress. My daughter and I arrived at her door and were met by Ms. Fulton holding her adorable dog Gerri in her arms! They both gave us a warm welcome and we immediately had to meet Eileen's two new puppies, Rosie and Ella. Then this charming actress invited us to sit down, graciously served mint tea and cookies and we started chatting.

Eileen was born in Ashville, North Carolina, moving with her family around the western part of the state until her father, a minister joined the Navy during WWII.  "His post was Staten Island, and I expected palm trees because it was an island”, Ms. Fulton recounts. “I remember going across on the ferry and seeing New York City rising up before me. As a child, I just simply knew that people needed to be entertained. I’d come out to cheer everyone up by dancing, singing and passing out marshmallows.”

Starting out on ATWT in 1960 as the young Lisa Miller, I asked this veteran what the show was like back in those days. "When I went on the show was in black and white and all the sets were painted a dark green. Everyone had the same color walls in Oakdale, except one very rich woman, Claire Cassen. She had green and white wall paper. Irna Phillips (series creator and head writer for over 15 years) wouldn't even let us have flowers because we were supposed to be middle class and poor,” Ms. Fulton recalls. “Even though Chris Hughes was a lawyer, she said she didn't want flowers on the sets, except for Claire's house. Also, Bob and Lisa couldn't have a double bed, they had twin beds with a table nailed between them so they couldn't be moved! But the beds had a symbolic little drape over them, held up by an angel to symbolize that they were together." Ms. Fulton continues, “I didn't like the idea of twin beds, but I liked the symbolism! When there was a storyline of someone being raped, (the viewers) didn't see the actual rape, they saw the struggle and then the pearls break. That's symbolism and I like that. It took talent to write that. Now they just show everything. I think our show has done very well about getting away from that, and getting back to relationships. That's what the show was like when I first came on, and for the first 20 years. It was about relationships and why people do things to another person, and how it affects everybody, like a ripple effect.  Then a soap called Love is a Many Splendored Thing came on, and they took everything off in their storylines. So we had to catch up fast."                      

And speaking of catching up fast Lisa’s had eight, count them eight, husbands in the character’s years on the show. Naturally I wanted to know who Eileen’s favorite was. "I have four favorite ATWT husbands! Bob was my favorite and then there was Grant Coleman, Earl Mitchell, and Eduardo Grimaldi. Grant was played by James Douglas and he was very handsome. We had a sexy scene in a car when we were engaged and Grant wanted to go all the way. The rain was pouring down and for once in Lisa's life she said, ‘No, I want to wait.'  Lisa had hopped in the sack with everybody and she wanted to make this special. He looked at me and his line was 'Oh, but it's so good in the rain!' I will never forget that line. Several years later I was on a TV show and they had a surprise caller, and he said that line to me! I knew immediately it was James Douglas!"

"I loved Farley Granger, who played Earl. Years ago, when I was in high school, Farley was a few years older than me but he was already a big movie star. He was in a movie, Rosanna McCoy. In one scene, he made a sound like a whippoorwill to signal his girlfriend, and she went running out to the mountains to find him. He grabbed her and they kissed, and then he took her behind a bush. The sun came up later, and she was seen buttoning her front up. My high school girlfriends and I knew what happened, and we knew just when that scene would come up in the film. We would cut class and go to the movies, and pay just to see that scene! So when I heard that he was going to play my husband I was out of my mind! I put on a pretty black dress and 2 strands of pearls, because I really wanted to be dressed up to meet him. He was sitting in a chair and I just went over and in sat in his lap and sang, 'Rosanna, Rosanna, Rosanna McCoy.' And he said, 'I hated that movie!' I really adore Farley Granger! Then, of course, there was Nicolas Coster who played Edwardo, or as Martha Byrne called him Edweirdo! I always referred to him as poor dead Ed. But that was a wonderful marriage because it only lasted a day. We weren't together long enough for me to despise him or rainbow ugly necklace he gave me!"

With so much experience and history what would Eileen write for Lisa, after all she’s been living in her skin for 46 years, who could possibly know what Lisa needs any better. "I'd give Lisa a vacation! Then I'd get her involved with some shady people. She's got enough stuff - a hotel, a nightclub, she could get some shady people involved with that. I'd like to see Lisa get mixed up with someone horrible and do him in, in self defense. It's time that Lisa bumped someone off! That would be especially good if her son, grandson, or Margo were threatened!"

And how does Eileen feel about the current state of veteran actors and their storylines, or lack there of? Its something every soap is struggling with and they try to bring in newer and younger viewers. "I hate the vets being backburnered but I don't seei t as much because (executive producer) Chris Goutman and (head writer) Jean Passanate have made a big effort to slowly work us into a story. They don't just throw us back in, but they put us in for a reason, and they try to make it a family show that involves people of all ages. I love the four kids (Zach Roerig, Alexandra Chando, Jesse Lee Sofer, and Jennifer Landon) and I asked Chris to give me a story with them. I love doing the Crash story, the kids are just darling! It's wonderful to work with them, we have a great rapport. Zach, who plays my grandson, is such a ladies' man! But I never have anything with Margo and Tom anymore, I would love to work with them too. They're both such good actors!"

Even with ATWT’s efforts at focusing on generational family Eileen did feel that Lisa should have been more involved in last year's baby switch, something I think the whole audience would agree with. "It was a cheat to the fans because Lisa certainly should have had something to do with that. She lost her son, Chucky Shea many years ago, she'd lost her fantasy baby, and she'd had a miscarriage. She could have helped her grandson and Gwen. A few years ago when Barbara Ryan burned her face, Lisa only went to see her once with some hot chocolate or something. I should have seen her more because I was her friend! Barbara was Lisa's best friend! Then Barbara went on trial and everybody was there - Nancy, Kim, and others but Lisa wasn't. I guess I was busy running my businesses!"

Of her thoughts on 50 years of ATWT this wonderful actress had this to say, "I think it's amazing, and I hope it continues. I think it will if they continue to produce good stories involving characters of all ages. But the viewers have to write in and support us. Without their support we won't make it."     

All that nostalgia really makes you think – wow 50 years, quite the anniversary and ATWT didn’t disappoint in celebrating that milestone. In fact, Eileen wished there had been a whole week of shows like the recent anniversary show. "I walked into the studio and it had been totally converted into the woods. It was brilliant, it smelled like Connecticut and had hills and trees. It put Hollywood to shame! They had the bus on top of some earth but underneath that were air pillows to turn the bus on its side. The bus teetered but it wouldn't go over, so finally 6 stagehands came out and tipped it over!"

“When I read in the script that there was going to be a bear in the story that got disgusted with our singing, I wondered who would play the bear!  The show said they were getting a real bear - Diana, who'd appeared on The Sopranos, and we shouldn't worry because she's coming with her two trainers, a 45 foot trailer and her agent, a woman named Bambi. Bambi also looked after the rat that played Nick in the I Dream of Jeannie sequence. They told us not to worry the bear is no higher than 36 inches. Well, maybe when she is lying on her side asleep she's 36 inches! She is actually about 8 feet on her haunches. The bear came in, they gave her carrots and she sat up on her hind legs. We had to be very quiet while she was on the set. They had marshmallows on a long stick like a fishing pole to direct her. She ate the marshmallows then rummaged around for other stuff like bears do, then went over to the bus and chewed on the fender! All of us in the scene were fascinated with the bear, Colleen Zenk-Pinter loved her! She even fed the bear. I wouldn't do that, coming from the mountains and all I know that bears don't know their own strength. But we all loved that bear and wanted to take it home.”

So what was Eileen's favorite storyline? 46 years is a long history to pick from!  "My first one with Bob was fabulous because I made the choice to be a bitch. I was supposed to be the sweet girl next door, and then one day a telegram came in from a fan in Hartford that said, 'if that bitch Lisa marries Bob, I will never watch the show again.’ Irna Phillips said, 'that's it, she's going to marry Bob!' And the bitch was born. Lisa was a liar, had everything she wanted, a wonderful husband, the security of the Hughes home and a baby on the way but that wasn't enough for her. She wanted excitement - she met but didn't marry Bruce Elliot, and then everything unraveled. So she wanted to get back with Bob, but Bob would have nothing to do with her. Later on, Bob wanted Lisa back, but she was interested in someone else at the time. So we never could get back together. It was really my favorite."

"I also enjoyed the Michael Shea storyline. I didn't really like the actor, poor thing, I'm sorry. Some people don't get along, and it was appropriate because we weren't supposed to get along. The characters had to pretend to be happy for Lisa's mother's sake, Alma who was living with her. Lisa would fix him a wonderful dinner of everything he was allergic to, wear filmy gorgeous negligees, and then open them to make him pant! Then Lisa would tell him, 'it would take a real man to make love to me' and walk away. It was really fun!"

And finally, this remarkable actress shared, "I loved the Eduardo storyline because we had a great romance. I loved all those scenes, when he died it was horrible! I still cry over that. Then dirty Dr. Dixon came along and I loved working with Larry Bryggman. We had some really great stuff in the graveyard. That was a great storyline.”

We couldn’t end our discussion of great storylines without Ms. Fulton touching on what she thought was the worst storyline she’d ever done. Lisa had one husband that was left of the list. "They left out Martin Chedwynn. He was thrown to the sharks or in prison somewhere. It was the worst storyline I’ve done in my life because Lisa got bamboozled with this con artist. The things he did were so slimy she should have not been fooled, she is too sophisticated for that. Originally, and I was so upset they didn't, the writers were going to make him Asian. All these wonderful actors auditioned with me, one had the lead for Ms Saigon, all excellent actors. But then the writers got cold feet and said they couldn't have Lisa with an Asian man. I thought 'what is wrong with you that would have been an excellent story' but they were afraid of insulting someone, so they went with the British actor Simon Prebble instead. A very good actor but the whole thing just fell apart.The part was actually written for an Asian man." 

Moving to the present, given how ATWT has been a jumping off platform for some of the most talented actors working today I asked her about some of the alumni who have gone on to other things. "Marissa Tomei is one of my favorites! I was thrilled when she won an Oscar. And William Fichtner has gone on to do a lot of character work. He has these chiseled cheek bones, and often he plays a bad guy. He's a wonderful actor, and on a TV series right now. I haven't seen it though all I watch is The Simpsons!" Eileen also thinks that many of the talented actors in today’s cast have more than what it takes to succeed in other mediums. "Jennifer Landon is amazing, she could really go far! She has a lovely voice and is very talented. So are Zach Roerig and Trent Dawson! Trent is very special, he’s a Tony Randall type of character.”

Multi-talented, Ms. Fulton has often combined her acting on ATWT, appearing on stage and in a nightclub act, all in the same day! I asked Eileen how she managed everything, giving her patented wonderful performances in all.  "Once you know your character and it’s drilled into you, then you can do that. People used to say 'don't you get mixed up?' Of course not!", she exclaims. In fact, Eileen still does many personal appearances, including "Standing Room Only Cabaret" at the Wadsworth Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut on Friday, July 14, and an appearance at Odette's in New Hope, PA on August 11 and 12. 

Not just the consummate performer, this generous actress is also involved in many charities. "I haven't done as much as I'd like to do with Soldier's Angels, and I'm interested in things for animals. I especially enjoyed the work I did for the March of Dimes. It's a wonderful organization. Once I was working for NOW with Ellie Smeal who asked me how I could work for an organization that advocated having babies. I explained it's a research organization to prevent birth defects. Children born with horrible birth defects could be diagnosed early and be taken care of when they come into the world."  Eileen was especially honored to meet the doctor who developed the amniocentesis procedure.

But then Eileen is a doctor too!  She laughingly told me, "Yes, I AM Dr. Fulton, I have an honorary degree from Greensboro College, my alma mater. I've done a lot of concerts to help raise money for them, to build their new auditorium, and it's really quite wonderful. I was heartsick when I visited there once and went backstage and saw all the practice rooms crammed with storage. When Dr. Craven Williams came to the college as president he made it one of the finest schools in the country for music, literature, and drama.  I went to Greensboro once for a benefit concert, and there was a mega ice storm knocking the lights out everywhere except the theater. So people slid their way in for the concert and it was a great success!"

Sadly my time with Eileen had come to a close. Her music conductor was coming to rehearse so we stood to leave. But Eileen thrilled us by inviting us to look at her display of photos and memories that she kept on a wall in her home. We even took a photo standing next to the display! And yes, she did let me hold her Emmy before she posed for a picture of herself holding it.

Eileen Fulton is a talented, charming, gracious, warm and above all entertaining actress who went out of her way to allow Soaptown into her home and into her heart. Our sincere thanks to Ms. Fulton for taking so much time out of her busy schedule to allow us this interview. It was an afternoon we won’t soon forget, just as her legions of loyal fans who will never forget her characterizations, be it on ATWT or on the dramatic and musical stage.

Visit Eileen's official site