Five Things That Happened On December 11 In Soap History

In 1968, Susan Seaforth Hayes (r., with Frances Reid as Alice Horton) made her Days of Our Lives debut as Julie Olson, later Julie Williams. She recalled to Soap Opera Digest in 2018 of landing the role, "The audition [then-Executive Producer] Betty Corday, [then-Executive Producer] Wes Kenney, [then-Head Writer] Bill Bell, [then-Producer] Jack Herzberg ... Those names that most people would know would be Betty Corday and Bill Bell across the desks from me. It was a highly emotional scene with Denise Alexander [ex-Susan] and I gave it everything I had — tears and hysterics and all those things — because in the scene I was supposed to confront Denise and try to cause her to have a heart attack, but instead bring on my own labor pains, so it was quite a range-y scene emotionally. I came out of it and I got the job and I was thrilled. Years later, I reminded Bill Bell about the scene and he said, ‘Oh, yeah.’ I said, ‘How did you happen to choose me?’ He said, ‘I liked your smile, so there!’ That was kind of a kick in the head to say, ‘Well, maybe you weren’t quite at your zenith of acting ability, but you had potential.’ ”

In 1991, Joanna Johnson debuted on Bold and Beautiful as Karen Spencer (pictured with Jim Storm as Bill Spencer, Sr.), the secret twin of the late Caroline Spencer Forrester. Johnson, an original B&B cast member, had departed the show the previous year as heroine Caroline. When Caroline's widower, Ridge, wed Taylor, Taylor's former husband tried to win her back, but was rejected. In Texas, he discovered a waitress named Faith, who was a dead ringer for Caroline. Blake realized that she was actually Caroline's twin, who had been abducted at birth, and brought her back to Los Angeles with him in hopes of stirring up trouble in Ridge and Taylor's newlywed paradise.

In 2000, David Lewis, who originated the role of Edward Quartermaine on General Hospital, passed away at the age of 84. He joined GH as Edward, the Quartermaine patriarch, in 1978, and received the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 1982. His on-screen daughter, Jane Elliot (Tracy), recalled to Soap Opera Digest in 2013, "David was just an extraordinary actor, an extraordinary man, incredibly bright, incredibly funny, with dry humor. When I left the show in 1980 and went back to New York and did Guiding Light [as Carrie] he used to write me letters in character from Edward to Tracy. When I was on All My Children [which, like GH, was on ABC], he would send the letters interoffice, and I would get Daddy/Tracy mail from him without stamps on them."

In 2003, Heather Tom assumed the role of Kelly Cramer on One Life To Live. Already a Daytime Emmy-winning actress for her run as Victoria Newman on Young and Restless, Tom succeeded Tracy Melchior in the role (Gina Tognoni was the original Kelly), and stayed at OLTL until 2006. Upon her departure, she said in a statement, "It is with great regret that I have decided to leave the cast of OLTL. The time has come for me to return to Los Angeles and pursue other creative avenues. I have loved my time in New York City, and I have been so lucky to have known and worked with some of the best people in daytime. The love and support from everyone on the set of One Life and from all my fans has meant more to me than anyone can imagine." Shortly thereafter, she inked a deal with Bold and Beautiful to take over the role of Katie Logan.

In 2015, Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) and Dylan McAvoy (Steve Burton) wed on Young and Restless in an impromptu ceremony. "Will you marry me? Right now?" proposed Dylan. "Now?" gasped Sharon. "Right now. This second. Or sooner," he replied. "Yes! Yes!" was her enthusiastic answer. Paul, Dylan's father, conducted the ceremony, deciding not to use the template he had downloaded from the Internet because "this is anything but a cookie-cutter union."