The thread on longest running cast members got me thinking about actors and actresses whose careers were essentially based around soaps. They may have left daytime for a year or two here and there but never achieved major success elsewhere and were basically part of the daytime scene for years on end.

eg Liz Hubbard.

She started on GL in 62,went to EON in 63,joined The Doctors in 64 and stayed till 69 ,returned a year later and stayed till 77,was back in 81 till the show was cancelled in 82.Had a short run on OLTL in 83 then onto ATWT 84-99 then returned till 2010.That's 47 years in total.

Who are some other performers you think deserve recognition in this category?

Liz did make a few movies, although not enough to leave the genre.

Others would be Eileen Fulton, Emily McLaughlin, Rachel Ames, Jackie Zeman, Tony Geary, and probably many more.

I still consider Mary Stuart the Queen of Daytime for SEARCH FOR TOMORROW alone. And after 35 years, she still wanted to work, on OLTL and on GL, so memorably as Meta. Her showdowns with Claire were so NOT Jo.

Ann Williams graced several soaps. She left SFT too soon, even after a decade, as Eunice, and then left this world too soon, after playing June on LOVING and blind Lucy on GL. I think she might've enjoyed her Margo on EON the best. From THE DOCTORS to LOVING--over two decades in soaps.

Thanks for the contributions. I was thinking more along the lines of performers who went from show to show and built a body of work, rather than someone like Eileen Fulton,who stayed in the one role for years.

eg Robin Mattson

She started off with a year or so on GL as Hope Bauer in 76,before leaving soaps until 1980 when she hit GH as Heather till 83.Then in 84 she was Delia on RH,before she became Gina on SB 85-93.Then onto AMC from 94 - 2000.In 2003 she had a short stint on B&B,then back to GH in 2004.ATWT was next in 2007,Days in 2010 and back to GH this year.So a total of around 36 years in daytime.

Edited July 1, 201213 yr by Paul Raven

Augusta Dabney: Young Doctor Malone - Another World - As the World Turns - Love is a Many Splendored Thing - The Guiding Light - A World Apart - General Hospital - One Life to Live - The Doctors - Loving

Edited July 2, 201213 yr by Bright Eyes

Isn't Nicolas Coster like the king of this?

Perhaps Patricia Barry.

Marj Dusay has a nice body of work from soap hopping with several primetime and film credits to her name, but her most loyal fans are undoubtedly soap fans (and I suppose Trekkers).

Augusta Dabney

Young Doctor Malone 58-63,AW 64-65,ATWT 66,LIAMST 68,GL,70,AWA 70-71,ATWT 73,GH 76-77,OLTL 79,TD 80-81,LV -pretty much 83-95 with some breaks.Almost 40 years on soaps.

Kim Zimmer

TD - 79-82,OLTL 83,GL 84-90,SB 92-93,GL 95-2009,OLTL 2010 31 years in daytime

Edited July 2, 201213 yr by Paul Raven

Judi Evans - Beth on GL 83-86, Adrienne on DAYS 86-91, Paulina on AW 91-99, Bonnie on DAYS 2003-2006, Adrienne 2006-2008, on ATWT briefly in 2009, back on DAYS 2010-present.

Justin Deas:

Bucky on Ryan's Hope (1975-1978)

Tom on As the World Turns (1980-1984)

Keith on Santa Barbara (1986-1988)

Buzz on Guiding Light (1993-2009)

Total: 25 years

Nat Polen:

Doug on As the World Turns (1956-1968)

Jim on One Life to Live (1968-1981)

Total: 25 years

Nicolas Coster

Mark on Young Dr. Malone (1962-1963)

Paul on The Secret Storm (1964, 1968-1969)

Robert on Another World/Somerset (1970-1976, 1980, 1989)

Anthony on One Life to Live (1983-1984)

Lionel on Santa Barbara (1984-1993)

Eduardo on As the World Turns (1993-1995)

Total: 19 years

Barbara Berjer

Lynn on From These Roots (1958-1961)

Claire on As the World Turns (1965-1971)

Barbara on Guiding Light (1971-1981, 1989, 1995-1996)

Bridget on Another World (1985-1996)

Total: 31 years

Nic Coster also did ATWT/Our Private World the first go round, and later AMC.

Just because...

Lauren Koslow:

1984-1986, Y&R as Lindsay

1987-1992, 2002, B&B as Margo

1996-present, DAYS, as Kate

28 years in daytime, so far.

Nancy Lee Grahn - Beverly Welles on OLTL in 1979 or 1980, Julia on Santa Barbara 1985-1993, Alexis on GH 1996-present

Larry Haines (My favourite soap actor!): I apologize if years are wrong

1950 - 1951, The Guiding Light

1950, The First Hundred Years

1951 - 1986, Search for Tomorrow

1989, Another World

1994-1995, Loving