Marie Horton (formerly Merritt and Curtis) is a fictional character on the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
soap opera, ''
Days of Our Lives
''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...
''. Created by ''DOOL'' creator
Ted Corday
Theodore "Ted" Corday (May 8, 1908 – July 23, 1966) was a Canadian-American producer, director and co-creator of soap opera for NBC, most notably the hit series ''Days of Our Lives''.
Biography
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Corday graduated ...
, actress
Maree Cheatham
Maree Cheatham (also credited as Marie Cheatham, born June 2, 1940) is an American actress, who is known for her performances on the daytime soap operas '' Days of Our Lives'' (1965–68, 1970–71, 1973, 1994, 1996, 2010), ''Search for Tomorrow' ...
is most recognized in the role, originating it on the
debut episode of the serial airing November 8, 1965, and last appearing on June 28, 2010. The youngest child of
Tom and
Alice Horton
Alice Horton is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', portrayed by Frances Reid from the show's debut on November 8, 1965 until December 26, 2007.
In her role as matriarch of the Horton family, Alice's storylines focus ...
, she is the mother of
Jessica Blake Fallon and grandmother of
Nick Fallon
Nick Fallon is a fictional character on the American soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. The role was played by Blake Berris from November 7, 2006 to January 15, 2009. In May 2012 it was announced that Berris would return to the series. He return ...
.
Casting
The role of Marie was originated by
Maree Cheatham
Maree Cheatham (also credited as Marie Cheatham, born June 2, 1940) is an American actress, who is known for her performances on the daytime soap operas '' Days of Our Lives'' (1965–68, 1970–71, 1973, 1994, 1996, 2010), ''Search for Tomorrow' ...
on the debut episode of ''Days of our Lives'' November 8, 1965, who played the role on-contract through August 23, 1968, again from January 29, 1970, through May 3, 1971, and briefly on December 22 and 23, 1971, and from May 9 through October 25, 1973. Cheatham reappeared in the role on June 28 and 29, 1994, November 1 to 15, 1996, and briefly from June 11 to 28, 2010. In Cheatham's absence, actress Kate Woodville played Marie from May 13, 1977, to December 7, 1977, and actress
Lanna Saunders
Svetlana Nikolaevna "Lanna" Saunders (December 22, 1941 – March 10, 2007) was an American actress, best known for her role as Marie Horton on the television soap opera '' Days of Our Lives'', on which she appeared from 197985. She also pla ...
played the role on-contract from April 9, 1979, through April 8, 1985.
Storylines
Marie Horton is the youngest child of
Tom and
Alice Horton
Alice Horton is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', portrayed by Frances Reid from the show's debut on November 8, 1965 until December 26, 2007.
In her role as matriarch of the Horton family, Alice's storylines focus ...
. When the show begins in 1965, Marie is a biochemistry graduate student at Salem University. She has recently broken her engagement to a wealthy man named Rick Butler and is now engaged to Tony Merritt, her neighbor. Marie's sister
Addie
Addie is a given name, nickname and surname. It may refer to:
People with the name Given name
* Addie Aylestock (1909–1998), Canadian minister in the British Methodist Episcopal Church, the first woman minister to be ordained in that church, ...
disapproves of Marie's engagement to Tony, as Tony is "merely" a teacher, while Rick is wealthy like Addie's husband, Ben Olson.
Marie and Tony plan to wed on Thanksgiving 1965, but Tony calls it off the night before. Marie grows depressed and attempts suicide, but Tony's father Craig consoles her. Marie marries Craig in 1966 and becomes pregnant by him. Soon she suffers a miscarriage and falls into another deep depression, which he cannot lift. She begins hallucinating, imagining she hears babies crying.
Her miscarriage even makes her doubt her belief in God, but she eventually resumes attending church regularly. Craig then finds out why Tony dumped Marie: he had been diagnosed with a rare blood disease and did not want her to watch him die. But now Tony has fully recovered. Realizing that Tony still loves Marie, Craig divorces her to let her be with Tony.
But Marie has changed. She distrusts Tony, and they break up in 1967. Tony leaves Salem.
Marie starts work at Salem University Hospital as a lab technician assisting Dr. Mark Brooks, a newcomer to Salem. Soon they fall in love and begin dating. But Tom and Alice notice striking similarities between Dr. Brooks and their dead son,
Tommy
Tommy may refer to:
People
* Tommy (given name)
* Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...
. Marie's brother
Mickey
Mickey is a given name and nickname, almost always masculine and often a short form (hypocorism) of Michael (given name), Michael, and occasionally a surname. Notable people and characters with the name include:
People Given name or nickname Men ...
and Tom investigate and find proof that Dr. Brooks is Tommy. Tommy was a POW in the Korean War and presumed dead, but he saved a Soviet soldier's life and has been given a reconstructed face in return. Marie is devastated that she has been dating her own brother.
Marie leaves Salem to become a medical missionary in Africa but returns when her brother
Bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
kills Tommy's ex-wife Kitty. She eventually moves to New York, where she becomes involved with Alex Marshall and his brother Haley. She has a fling with Alex and bears his child, whom she gives up for adoption so that she can join a convent. In 1977, now a nun, she returns for a visit.
In 1979, Marie returns home and runs into Alex.
Seeing him brings back traumatic memories of drugs, sadomasochistic behavior, the pregnancy, and the death of Harley, so Marie is happy to be called back to the convent. She leaves it again in 1980 to look for their child, Angelique Horton, whom she discovers has been living as
Jessica Blake
A list of notable characters from the NBC soap opera '' Days of Our Lives'' that significantly impacted storylines and debuted between January 1, 1980, and the end of 1989, in order of first appearance.
DJ Craig
Donald Craig Jr., known as "DJ" ...
. Jessica gets a position as a student nurse at Salem University Hospital, with Alex as her sponsor. Although neither he nor Jessica know that he is her father, he develops paternal affection for her. He and Marie fight over her, but Marie doesn't tell him Jessica is his daughter. Soon Alex legally adopts Jessica, and Marie reveals the truth about her to Alex. Alex wants more information, so he and Marie travel to Canada to visit the orphanage where Jessica was placed. But their plane crashes. Finding refuge in a mountain cabin, they rekindle their romance.
Later that year, Alex tells Jessica he is her father. She grows closer to Alex but hates Marie for having given her up. Alex and Marie plan to wed, so Marie goes to Montreal to resign from the convent. But the wedding is postponed when Jessica runs off to join a convent herself. Marie later works things out with her.
Marie's relationship with Alex is threatened by his jealous ex-wife
Mary Anderson.
Mary deceitfully convinces Marie that Alex is having an affair, so Marie leaves Alex. They later reconcile and plan to elope. As Marie waits for him, Alex is shot. He is paralyzed from the waist down and does not remember who shot him. Marie moves in with him to care for him but postpones their wedding.
More problems come for Marie and Alex as Jessica develops multiple personalities (Jessica, Angel, and Angelique). When Jessica's cousin
Hope
Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large.
As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...
discovers the condition, she informs Marie, who promptly flies to LA to stop Jessica from marrying Jake Kositchek, who turns out to be the local serial killer, the Salem Strangler. Jessica has a mental breakdown, and Marie helps her recover. Alex and Marie part ways in 1982, never getting married as they have planned.
Marie then starts dating a man named
Neil Curtis
Neil Curtis is a fictional character from the television drama '' Days of Our Lives''. He was portrayed by Joseph Gallison from February 13, 1974, to October 16, 1991.
Neil was a doctor and a compulsive gambler. He had a daughter, Sarah Horton ...
, who has been rejected by a woman named
Liz Chandler
Liz Chandler (formerly Courtney, DiMera, Craig, and Curtis) is a fictional character on the soap opera, ''Days of Our Lives'', and was played by actress Gloria Loring from 1980 to 1986.
Storylines
Liz came to Salem in 1980. She is the daughter o ...
. He and Marie marry a few months later. Liz hates Marie for marrying him, and Marie resents Liz because Neil still loves Liz. Liz sneaks into Neil and Marie's apartment and sleeps with Neil. Later that day, Neil has to go to the hospital and leaves Liz at the apartment. When Marie returns home, Liz mistakes her for a burglar and shoots her. Marie soon recovers, but Liz is sentenced to five years in prison. Neil and Marie divorce in 1983. Marie leaves town in 1985.
Marie returns home to visit in June 1994 for her father's funeral; in 1996 for her niece Hope's wedding;
offscreen in January 2010 for her brother Mickey's funeral; and in June 2010 when she hears that her mother Alice is extremely ill. Marie reminisces with her niece
Julie
Julie may refer to:
* Julie (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the name
Film and television
* ''Julie'' (1956 film), an American film noir starring Doris Day
* ''Julie'' (1975 film), a Hindi film by K. S. Sethumadhava ...
and Mickey's widow
Maggie
Maggie is a common short form of the name Magdalena, Magnolia, Margaret.
Maggie may refer to:
People
Women
* Maggie Adamson, Scottish musician
* Maggie Aderin-Pocock (born 1968), British scientist
* Maggie Alderson (born 1959), Aust ...
about the wonderful times she shared with Alice. Several days later, Marie hears from Bill that Alice has died in her sleep. Before leaving Salem, Marie thanks Maggie for hosting her and promises to return soon.
On August 31, 2012, Marie writes a letter to the Parole Board for her grandson,
Nick Fallon
Nick Fallon is a fictional character on the American soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. The role was played by Blake Berris from November 7, 2006 to January 15, 2009. In May 2012 it was announced that Berris would return to the series. He return ...
. She is unable to attend the hearing but her daughter, Jessica, keeps her updated on the latest happenings. In January 2013, her sister-in-law, Maggie, mentions that Marie and Jessica are unable to attend Nick's wedding but that she will take plenty of pictures and send them to Marie.
References
External links
Marie at soapcentral.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Horton, Marie
Days of Our Lives characters
Fictional nurses
Female characters in television