Eileen Fulton (born Margaret Elizabeth McLarty; September 13, 1933)[1] is an American actress, singer, and author. She is known for her television role as Lisa Grimaldi on the CBSsoap operaAs the World Turns, which she played almost continuously for 50 years, from May 18, 1960, until the show's ending on September 17, 2010. She also starred on Our Private World (1965), a primetime spin off of As the World Turns. For her work on ATWT, she received an Editor's Award at the Soap Opera Digest Awards in 1991 and a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. Fulton has appeared in theatrical productions, including the original Broadway run of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? She has performed a cabaret act at theaters in New York and Los Angeles. She has co-authored two autobiographies, How My World Turns and As My World Still Turns. She has also written a novel titled Soap Opera, and six murder mystery novels.
Early life
Fulton was born Margaret Elizabeth McLarty in Asheville, North Carolina on September 13, 1933. Her father was a Methodist minister and she is descended from a long line of clergymen.[1] When she was two years old, Fulton interrupted church services by performing the song "Shortnin' Bread."[2]
Her father's work as a minister caused the family to move frequently. They lived in Mount Holly, Winston-Salem, Boone, Belmont and Marion. When she was in the third grade, Fulton told her parents, "When I grow up and become a movie star, I'm going to get you a house of your own."[3]
She attended Greensboro College, studying music and dramatics. During her college years, she performed in Candide.[4] Fulton also played an elf in a production of James Thurber's The 13 Clocks. She majored in music. After graduation, her father found her a job working with a local church choir, but she wanted to move to New York.[2][3]
She was cast as Lisa Grimaldi (then known as Lisa Miller) on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, first airing May 18, 1960. Fulton originated the role. In her early years on the show, the character of Lisa was married to Dr. Bob Hughes (Don Hastings). That romance eventually failed, but she went on to have seven more marriages.[7]
In the 1960s, Fulton became the first soap actress to hire a publicist. The character of Lisa became hated after a sequence where she hired a maid to clean the house and went gallivanting about town. When mother-in-law Nancy complimented Lisa on what a nice home she made for her son Bob, the audience became furious, stopping Fulton on the street and slapping her.[8][9]
She once refused to film a scene where the character of Lisa was being spanked, because she believed it glorified spousal abuse. Another time, when the show's producer and head writer, Irna Phillips, refused to tell her if Lisa was the culprit during a murder mystery, Fulton told her, "We're live–don’t forget. And if you don’t tell me, I'll make up your mind for you on the air."[5]
1960-1966: Our Private World
In the 1960s, she also took theater roles. She appeared in Abe Lincoln in Illinois with Hal Holbrook.[1] Fulton replaced Melinda Dillon as Honey in the original Broadway production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?[10][11] She also starred Off-Broadway in The Fantasticks.[11] Fulton would perform in the live broadcast of As the World Turns, then be on stage for the matinee performance of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? There was only a 30-minute window between the time ATWT concluded its live broadcast at 2:00 pm, and the beginning of the first act of Virginia Woolf. She had time to travel from CBS' studios to the Billy Rose Theatre and get into costume because her character did not appear on stage for the first 20 minutes. Fulton would be back onstage by evening, performing in The Fantasticks.[12]
Fulton left As the World Turns for several months in 1964. During her absence, the role of Lisa was recast with actress Pamela King.[7] In 1965, Irna Phillips, the head writer of ATWT, created a primetime spin-off series, Our Private World, focused on the character of Lisa. The spin-off lasted from May 5 to September 10, 1965, before being cancelled. Fulton took several months off before returning to As the World Turns in May 1966.[4][7] CBS hired a bodyguard to escort her to and from the studio due to overzealous fans.[4]
1966-1986: The Granny clause
In the late 1960s, after her onscreen son was aged from age 12 to 19, Fulton insisted it be written into her contract that her character could not become a grandmother. She feared that the perception of her as a grandmother, instead of a glamorous and vital woman, would cause the writers to kill off her character. (This had been done when Barbara Berjer, who was playing one of Lisa's rivals, Claire Shea, became a grandmother).[14][15]
In 1970, Fulton co-authored her first autobiography, How My World Turns. She also released her debut album, The Same Old World, on the Pan label.[16] She was briefly absent from ATWT in the late 1970s and the role of Lisa was recast with actress Lynn Rogers.[7]
She left ATWT again in April 1983 and the role was recast with Betsy von Furstenberg. Fulton returned eighteen months later, first airing on August 3, 1984.[7] She agreed to return when she was promised to have six months on the show, followed by six months off, a more glamorous storyline and time off for singing and acting appearances.[3] Fans, believing that the "granny clause" as it had become known, was still in effect (which it was not), sent Fulton so much threatening "hate mail" when Lisa's onscreen daughter-in-law, Margo, had a miscarriage in 1986, that she again had to have a bodyguard.[14][17]
1988-1998: Books
In the late 1980s, she wrote a series of six murder mystery novels: Take One for Murder, Death of a Golden Girl, Dying for Stardom, Lights, Camera, Death, A Setting for Murder, and Fatal Flashback.[1]
In 1995, she co-authored her second autobiography, As My World Still Turns, to celebrate her 35th anniversary on ATWT.[9] Fulton was nominated for a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1996.[21] She was inducted into the Soap Opera Hall of Fame in 1998.[15]
1999-present
Fulton wrote a fiction novel titled Soap Opera, loosely based on her experiences on As the World Turns.[1] In the early 2000s, she routinely performed a cabaret act at the West Bank Cafe in Manhattan. She also brought the act to the Cinegrill in Los Angeles. The spotlight song of Fulton's cabaret performances was "As If We Never Said Goodbye," from Sunset Boulevard. She would perform the song in front a slideshow tribute to her years on As the World Turns.[5] She headlined CabaretFest 2003 in Provincetown, Massachusetts.[22]
On June 1, 2000, ATWT aired a special clip montage to honor Fulton and her co-star Don Hastings' 40th anniversaries on the show.[5] In 2004, they both received Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Awards.[23] She was absent from ATWT for a few days in 2004 and the role of Lisa was temporarily recast with Carmen Duncan.[7] Fulton played Betty in the drama film The Signs of the Cross (2005), co-starring with Dan Lauria.[24] She played Joyce Singleton in the drama film Tinsel Town (2005), written and directed by Kenneth del Vecchio.[25] She also appeared as Mrs. Carreck in The Drum Beats Twice (2008), another film written and directed by del Vecchio.[26]
The cancellation of As the World Turns was announced in December 2009.[27] In May 2010, ATWT aired a tribute episode, celebrating Fulton's 50th year on the show. In the episode, the show's younger cast members re-enacted classic scenes of Lisa and Nancy (Helen Wagner).[12] Fulton remained on the show through its cancellation, but she only appeared briefly in the final episode, airing September 17, 2010.[28][29]
In 2010, Fulton performed her cabaret act at Don't Tell Mama in New York.[30][31] In April 2011, she brought her act, titled "Blame It on My Youth," to the New Hope Cabaret in Pennsylvania.[11] In July 2011, she played Mrs. Higgins in a Connecticut Repertory Theatre production of My Fair Lady, co-starring with Terrence Mann.[32]
Personal life
In honor of her father, Fulton established a music scholarship at Brevard College in North Carolina. She also established a Fine Arts Scholarship in her and her mother's name at their alma mater, Greensboro College. She was awarded an honorary doctorate at Greensboro College when she spoke at their commencement.[1]
Fulton was an investor in the New York Stars women's basketball team.[2]
She married her first husband, Bill Cochrane, in 1957 and they later divorced.[5]
She married her second husband, record producer Danny Fortunato, in 1970. They divorced in 1980. Fulton has said that she wore disguises when going to work after their breakup, because she was afraid of him.[5][9]
Fulton met landscape architect Rick McMorrow at a political benefit. They were married in 1989 and divorced three months later. She has said that the marriage was over the day after their wedding.[33][5]
