Legendary Soap Actress Passed Away At Age Of 91

“I dreamed of being the greatest actress on Broadway,” she told The Washington Post in 1990.

Fulton moved to New York in 1956 and took classes with the legendary acting teachers Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg. She adopted Eileen Fulton as a stage name and worked modeling gigs to support herself before appearing in the 1960 film Girl of the Night.
Also in 1960, Fulton landed the role of Lisa on As the World Turns, which was in its fourth year. It was originally supposed to be a short role with the character meant to be a good girl.

“I had a lot of experience being conniving as a minister’s daughter,” Fulton told NPR in 2010. “I found the people in my daddy’s church fascinating. When I went up for Lisa, she was just a nice girl next door. And just for the summer, for Bob’s interest. I didn’t want to play anything so close to myself. So I decided to just give her a background.”

She continued, “I thought about where her family came from. I thought about what she really wanted. And I thought amazing thoughts when I did those scenes. I didn’t change their lines — not yet, because I knew better — but I certainly had other ideas about what I’d like to do with that Bob. And it read.” Soon, she was on the show long-term.
“I’m the classic daytime meanie,” Fulton told PEOPLE in 1978 of Lisa. “I’ve had 32 lovers, four husbands, two children and one phantom fetus.”

“They hated her — and I thought it was fabulous,” she told NPR of fan reaction to her character. Once, she told the outlet, a woman even hit her in the middle of a department store. “And people looked at me like I was rotten and this woman was a heroine. But I thought, you know what? I’ve reached them.”