Introduction:
Eileen Fulton, Iconic ‘As the World Turns’ Star and Daytime Trailblazer, Dies at 91
Asheville, NC – July 22, 2025 — Eileen Fulton, the actress who transformed soap opera history with her bold, groundbreaking portrayal of Lisa Miller on As the World Turns, has died at the age of 91. Her family confirmed that she passed away peacefully in Asheville following a period of declining health.
Fulton starred on the CBS daytime drama for five decades, redefining the soap opera villainess with a character who was equal parts glamorous, scheming, vulnerable, and irresistibly watchable. Debuting in 1960, her role was intended to last only three months. Instead, she became the first true “bad girl” of daytime TV, launching an archetype that continues to shape television today.
“They had a love/hate thing with me. It was amazing,” Fulton once said of her devoted fanbase.
Born Margaret Elizabeth McLarty in Asheville on September 13, 1933, she took on the name Eileen Fulton as she pursued her dream of stardom. After studying drama in New York and landing early film roles, she stepped into the world of soaps—and never looked back.
Lisa Miller’s wild soap journey included eight husbands, multiple identities, betrayals, faked deaths, and unforgettable feuds. Her marriages—to Bob Hughes, John Eldridge, and others—were marked by scandal and spectacle, making Lisa one of the genre’s most complex characters. As her power suits replaced sweet dresses, she symbolized a new era for women on television: unapologetic, layered, and endlessly fascinating.
Fulton’s presence went beyond the screen. She was a pioneer among soap stars, hiring a publicist and even a bodyguard when fans blurred the line between character and actress. She left the show several times but always returned—each time greeted by loyal viewers and revitalized storylines.
Her impact extended to the stage and beyond. She starred in Broadway productions, performed in cabaret venues, authored two autobiographies, and even launched a fashion line. In 2004, she received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 1998, she was inducted into the Soap Opera Hall of Fame.
Famously protective of her on-screen vitality, she once had a contract clause forbidding writers from making Lisa a grandmother. “Grandmothers had no romance,” she said. “And I wasn’t having it.”
Eileen Fulton is survived by her brother, Charles McLarty, and her niece, Catherine. Though she returned to Asheville in her final years, she remained engaged with fans until the end, appearing at conventions and in interviews that reflected her wit and deep love for the character she created.
In a now-poignant message to her fans, Fulton once said:
“I just hope with all my heart that I have given you half as much as you’ve given me.”