HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Marlena Evans is a fictional character on the NBC daytime drama, ''
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 ...
'', a long-running serial about working life in the fictional town of Salem. She has been played by actress
Deidre Hall Deidre Ann Hall is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives'', whom she has played for over 45 years. Hall has won many awards for her portrayal of Marlena, including ...
since 1976, but the character was absent from the show from 1987 to August 1991 and again from January 2009 to September 2011. Marlena was created by scriptwriter
Pat Falken Smith Patricia Falken Smith (January 21, 1926 – May 19, 2001) was a television writer, best known for her being head writer of several soap operas, including ''General Hospital'' and ''Days of Our Lives''. Positions held '' Where the Heart Is'' ...
and executive producer
Betty Corday Betty Corday (born Elizabeth Shay; March 21, 1912 – November 17, 1987) was a Broadway dramatic actress and long-time American television producer. She co-created and executive produced the long running NBC drama ''Days of Our Lives'' from 1966 ...
, and has become one of ''Days of our Lives' '' most well-known characters. Hall made her debut on the soap on June 21, 1976, currently making her the second longest running actress on the serial, surpassed only by
Suzanne Rogers Suzanne Rogers (born Suzanne Cecelia Crumpler; July 9, 1943) is an American actress with film and television credits. Her stage name was inspired by Ginger Rogers, whom she cites as a personal inspiration for joining the entertainment industry. ...
(
Maggie Horton Maggie Horton is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network, played by actress Suzanne Rogers since 1973. The character was created by scriptwriter William J. Bell and producer Betty Corday as a r ...
). Throughout the course of her existence on the program, she has experienced what some consider to be the most outrageous circumstances of any character in soap opera history. These would include being possessed by the devil two times (in 1994 and 2021); a plummet from a 30-story-window (which she survived); being used as a surrogate for genetically engineered babies, Rex and Cassie, during a four-year coma, where she was presumed dead after being involved in a plane crash; being mind-controlled to believe she was a serial killer; being targeted by several serial killers; and becoming pregnant late in life and suffering a miscarriage, which caused her to have hysterical amnesia. She has also been kidnapped numerous times over the past 45 years. She is a doctor, wife, mother, twin, grandmother and great-grandmother. Marlena is a staple in the US press during her time on ''Days of Our Lives'', a representative of the symbiosis between American's soaps and tabloid soap magazines. Widely read tabloids, such as ''
Soap Opera Digest ''Soap Opera Digest'' is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional in ...
'' and ''
Soap Opera Weekly ''Soap Opera Weekly'' was a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It featured onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional i ...
'', would routinely publish forthcoming developments in Marlena's storylines. Marlena was well received by critics, and is notable for her popular pairing with John Black. The character is well-known even outside of the show's viewer-base. In 2010,
Sheri Anderson Three-time Emmy-winning writer Sheri Anderson is responsible for helming over 3000 hours of network television. She has been involved in every aspect of the writing process including long-term storyline, daily episode breakdowns, dialogue writing ...
(a former head writer for ''Days'') began writing books about off-screen characters from the soap.
John and Marlena John Black and Marlena Evans are fictional characters and a supercouple from the American daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives''.Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn: SOAP OPERA DIGEST talks with Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn about their on-screen relatio ...
were included in one called ''A Secret in Salem''.


Creation and casting


Casting

Marlena was introduced as a guest character in June 1976, by executive producer
Betty Corday Betty Corday (born Elizabeth Shay; March 21, 1912 – November 17, 1987) was a Broadway dramatic actress and long-time American television producer. She co-created and executive produced the long running NBC drama ''Days of Our Lives'' from 1966 ...
. The show decided to cast actress
Deidre Hall Deidre Ann Hall is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives'', whom she has played for over 45 years. Hall has won many awards for her portrayal of Marlena, including ...
, who was already known in the soap world for her role as Barbara on ''
The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, Wi ...
''. The character was brought in as the psychiatrist of already established character –
Mickey Horton Mickey Horton is a fictional character from the soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', played from the show's debut episode in 1965 until January 2004 by John Clarke, spanning 3,500 episodes. The role was briefly played in 2004 by Richard Voigts, the ...
. This puts her in close contact with the soap's core family, The Hortons. This also allows her to meet her first new lover in Salem, Don Craig (Mickey's assistant). Specifically, she played a key role in a storyline involving her twin sister, Samantha Evans (who was played by Hall's real life twin,
Andrea Hall Andrea Jean Hall (born October 31, 1947) is a retired American soap opera actress. Personal life Hall is the identical twin sister of soap actress Deidre Hall. Career From 1977 to 1982, Hall played Samantha Evans, the twin of her sister Deidre ...
) at the same sanitarium Mickey was committed to. The character proved to be popular, and they decided to put her on contract. Marlena eventually started a relationship with
Roman Brady Roman Brady is a fictional character from the long-running NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. The role was originated in 1981 by Wayne Northrop, who played the role until 1984 and from 1991 to 1994, and is currently being portrayed by series ve ...
, who established her to a core family on the show, the Brady family. In the 1980s, Hall had decided to explore primetime. She landed the lead role on the family oriented series, '' Our House'', and guest starred on other prime time hits such as '' Wiseguy'' and ''
Columbo ''Columbo'' () is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on NBC f ...
''. She left ''
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 ...
'' after her primetime and daytime schedule became too hard to balance. In 1991 (after the primetime series ended), Hall began to miss daytime's creative outlet, and returned to the show that same year. Her return prompted a 10% increase in the Nielsen ratings for the soap. In 2009, after struggling in the ratings for years, ''
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 ...
'' received a two-year pickup. However, the soap's budget was decreased by 40%. To make do with the new financial restrictions, executive producer
Ken Corday Kenneth Robert Corday (born June 16, 1950) is an American television soap opera producer and music composer. He is the son of Ted Corday and Betty Corday, the co-creators of ''Days of Our Lives''. His production company Corday Productions owns 1 ...
was forced to fire
Deidre Hall Deidre Ann Hall is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives'', whom she has played for over 45 years. Hall has won many awards for her portrayal of Marlena, including ...
and
Drake Hogestyn Donald Drake Hogestyn () (born September 29, 1953) is an American actor best known for his long running role as John Black on the American soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. Early life Hogestyn was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he gradua ...
. Marlena's on screen love interest, Drake Hogestyn, had been fired in early 2007 as a way to clear money in the budget. However, he was brought back in 2008 for storyline purposes and to please fans. The couple were quickly reunited after Drake returned; and then they traveled to
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
to treat John's physical disability. Fans were furious with the way the writers wrote John and Marlena out. In an interview with Nelson Branco, Deidre said, "Yes. There was enormous upheaval. I wasn't following a lot of the brouhaha but I was told fans and critics were upset. But it is what it is. Yes, it feels good to hear that fans miss Marlena. People are deeply attached to her." After a brief two years off the canvas, Hall reprised her role as Marlena beginning in September 2011. Marlena's return was one of the many changes brought about by the soap in order to please old viewers and as an attempt to draw in some new ones. Her return was brought about in extreme changes on the soap, with characters coming and going. In an interview with ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', Hall dished on her return saying: "It's dramatic, romantic and involves the entire town. They brought in two new head writers who really believe in things that our core audience believes in. They like romance. They don't like people buried alive, they don't like who's your daddy. For a couple like Marlena and John – who endured bouts of paralysis, amnesia, false deaths and mind control – that should come as a huge relief." It was also confirmed in July 2011 that Drake Hogestyn, who portrays Marlena's on-screen love interest John, will also return to the soap in September as well. Executive producer Ken Corday issued this statement, saying: "We are thrilled that Deidre and Drake are rejoining the show. I know their return will excite loyal fans and intrigue new viewers. We are gearing up for some amazing cast surprises and guest stars visiting Salem in the fall, launching a grand event airing on September 26."


Awards

Deidre Hall Deidre Ann Hall is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives'', whom she has played for over 45 years. Hall has won many awards for her portrayal of Marlena, including ...
has won many awards for her portrayal of Marlena. She has won three
Soap Opera Digest Awards ''The Soap Opera Digest Awards'', originally known as ''The Soapy Awards'' when introduced in 1977, is an awards show held by the daytime television magazine ''Soap Opera Digest''. History 1977 until 1983 The Soapy Awards were an award presen ...
for outstanding lead actress in 1984, 1985, and 1995. She also won two Soapy Awards for Lead Actress in 1982 and 1983. She won an Outstanding Contribution Award by a Lead Actress/Actor in 1986. Hall also received an award with Drake Hogestyn in 2005 for "Favorite Couple: John and Marlena". Deidre won two Lead Actress awards at the Soap Opera Update Awards in 1994 and 1995. She has been nominated for a
Daytime Emmy The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (N ...
in 1980, 1984, and 1985 respectively. She has however, never won an Emmy.


Development

Marlena has been the subject of many high-profile storylines, including possession by the devil, a romantic relationship, and a serial killer storyline.


Possession

In 1995, Marlena was featured in a supernatural possession storyline. The storyline caused huge controversy and garnered a lot of attention to the soap. ''Soap Opera Digest'' editor Stephanie Sloane said the story "completely changed the face of daytime storytelling in the 1990s", but ''Entertainment Weekly'' called it "The Dumbest Soap Plot Ever". At the time, the head writer was
James E. Reilly James E. Reilly (July 29, 1948 – October 12, 2008) was an American soap opera writer. He was the head writer of NBC's ''Days of Our Lives'' and creator/head writer of ''Passions''. Reilly won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series ...
, known for outrageous storylines. The story begins when the villainous Stefano DiMera gives Marlena mind-altering drugs whilst she is asleep, and with her hypnotised, whisks her away into his fantasy world of romance. The mental, emotional and spiritual abuse of this leaves her open to demonic possession. Marlena completely switches personalities, and she becomes possessed by the devil. John Black, who was a priest at the time, is forced to perform an emergency exorcism. In 2010, Ken Corday discussed the storyline in an anniversary retrospective:


The Salem Stalker and Melaswen Island

''
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 ...
'' had been losing viewers in early 2000. The show managed to lure back
James E. Reilly James E. Reilly (July 29, 1948 – October 12, 2008) was an American soap opera writer. He was the head writer of NBC's ''Days of Our Lives'' and creator/head writer of ''Passions''. Reilly won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series ...
, who had left the show in 1997 to create his own
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
, ''
Passions ''Passions'' is an American television soap opera that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1999, to September 7, 2007, and on DirecTV's The 101 Network from September 17, 2007, to August 7, 2008. Created by screenwriter James E. Reilly and pro ...
''. NBC said at the time that the show "needed a fix, and we had the fix right here." James E. Reilly began crafting a big story for the 2003–2004 season. Viewers were shocked to see long-term veteran
Abe Carver Abe Carver is a fictional character on the long-running American soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. Actor James Reynolds has played the character since he originated it on the series in 1981, and is currently the fifth longest serving actor on the ...
( James Reynolds) shot at his front doorstep by a strange cloaked figure. Next, viewers saw
Jack Deveraux Jack Deveraux is a fictional character from '' Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network, most famously played by actor Matthew Ashford since 1987. He is a member of the Johnson family and first appeared onscreen in 1987. A ...
(
Matthew Ashford Matthew Nile Ashford (born January 29, 1960) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on the soap operas ''Days of Our Lives'' and '' The Bay'', for the former of which he received a nomination for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstand ...
) attacked, and killed with a brick by the same cloaked figure that killed Abe. Next, viewers saw 34-year veteran recovering alcoholic
Maggie Horton Maggie Horton is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network, played by actress Suzanne Rogers since 1973. The character was created by scriptwriter William J. Bell and producer Betty Corday as a r ...
(
Suzanne Rogers Suzanne Rogers (born Suzanne Cecelia Crumpler; July 9, 1943) is an American actress with film and television credits. Her stage name was inspired by Ginger Rogers, whom she cites as a personal inspiration for joining the entertainment industry. ...
) get bludgeoned to death with a wine bottle. The next murder is when
Caroline Brady Caroline Brady is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional United States town of Salem. Matriarch of the series' Brady family, the character has been ...
(
Peggy McCay Margaret Ann "Peggy" McCay (November 3, 1927 – October 7, 2018) was an American actress whose career began in 1949, and includes theatre, television, soap operas, and feature films. McCay may be best known for originating the roles of Vanessa ...
) is poisoned. Viewers then saw bad girl
Cassie Brady Cassie Brady is a fictional character from the NBC daytime soap opera, ''Days of Our Lives''. Cassie and her twin brother Rex first appeared in Salem after a Fourth of July meteor shower in 2002 and were believed to be aliens. They are later re ...
(
Alexis Thorpe Alexis Ann Thorpe (born April 19, 1980) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Rianna Miner on the soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', from 2000 to 2002, and Cassie Brady on the soap opera '' Days of Our Lives'' from 2002 ...
) fall out of a Halloween pinata with stab wounds. Marlena's ex-husband,
Roman Brady Roman Brady is a fictional character from the long-running NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. The role was originated in 1981 by Wayne Northrop, who played the role until 1984 and from 1991 to 1994, and is currently being portrayed by series ve ...
(
Josh Taylor Josh or Joshua Taylor may refer to: * Josh Taylor (actor) (born 1943), American comedy and dramatic television actor * Josh Taylor (baseball) (born 1993), American professional baseball pitcher * Josh Taylor (boxer) (born 1991), Scottish profession ...
) is murdered at his wedding to Kate Roberts. At the Horton circus, the serial killer releases a tiger (named Horton), and sets him loose on
Tony DiMera Tony DiMera is a fictional character from the American soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', played by actor Thaao Penghlis on and off from November 6, 1981, until October 24, 1985, and from July 19, 2007, until April 1, 2009. One of the character's ...
. Tony is dying at the hospital, and, much to the fans surprise, the killer is revealed to be Marlena. Marlena's next victim is Doug Williams ( Bill Hayes) who has been her friend for years. She kills him at
Tom Horton Dr. Thomas Horton is a fictional character and patriarch of the Horton family on the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. He was played by Macdonald Carey from 1965 until his death in 1994. Storylines Tom Horton was born in 1910, married his w ...
's grave after he finds out she is the killer. The most shocking murder occurs shortly after.
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 ...
(
Frances Reid Frances Reid (December 9, 1914 – February 3, 2010) was an American dramatic actress. Reid acted on television for nearly all of the second half of the 20th century. Her career continued into the early 2000s. Although she starred in ma ...
) finds a bloody note at her husband's grave with Marlena's name on it. Subsequently, the evil Marlena murders Alice by choking her with her world-renowned donuts. Marlena confesses, and is arrested by her husband, John Black. She is shot and killed on the prison rooftop. The storyline allowed ''Days of our Lives'' to reach #2 in the Nielsen chart for soaps. After dwindling ratings again, the show made its craziest decision. All the victims are brought back alive on the tropical island of Melaswen (New Salem spelled backwards). The fired actors (James Reynolds, Suzanne Rogers, Matthew Ashford, Alexis Thorpe, Josh Taylor, Peggy McCay, Frances Reid, Thaao Penghlis and Deidre Hall) all returned to their original roles. There was also another twist, the killer wasn't Marlena. Stefano DiMera's nephew, Andre (posing as Tony DiMera) had kidnapped them and made Marlena think she was killing off her friends and family. The storyline was incredibly controversial, and garnered the soap a lot of press.


Exit (2009)

Drake Hogestyn Donald Drake Hogestyn () (born September 29, 1953) is an American actor best known for his long running role as John Black on the American soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. Early life Hogestyn was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he gradua ...
was fired in 2007 as a way to shrink down the budget. Later, in an attempt to stabilize ratings, he was brought back in 2008. As a result, it provided many storyline opportunities for the couple. However, with a vastly shrinking budget things didn't pan out as planned. ''
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 ...
'' was renewed in 2008, but the budget was slashed severely by 40%. To make do with the new restrictions, executive producer
Ken Corday Kenneth Robert Corday (born June 16, 1950) is an American television soap opera producer and music composer. He is the son of Ted Corday and Betty Corday, the co-creators of ''Days of Our Lives''. His production company Corday Productions owns 1 ...
was forced to fire his two highest paid actors, Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn. Critics slammed the show for their firings, with TV Guide's Nelson Branco saying in an interview, "The show became uglier after Hall and Hogestyn left the airwaves. Many claim it was the beginning of the end for our industry. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would disagree with that statement." Matt Mitovich said their exit was, "Truly the end of an era, as daytime television says goodbye to 'Days of Our Lives' John Black and Dr. Marlena Evans on Friday, Jan. 23. Drake Hogestyn and Deidre Hall, aka John and "Doc," have nearly 12,000 Days appearances between them over the past 32 years. As such, they will leave behind many memories for fans of NBC's long-running (and now only) sudser. The iconic couple will create another magical moment when they say goodbye to Salem and loved ones following this week's hospital bedside wedding ceremony." They made their final appearance on January 23, 2009. However, they both returned to the show on September 26, 2011, and have remained since.


Storylines


1976–1987

Marlena Evans makes her debut in 1976 as one of
Mickey Horton Mickey Horton is a fictional character from the soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', played from the show's debut episode in 1965 until January 2004 by John Clarke, spanning 3,500 episodes. The role was briefly played in 2004 by Richard Voigts, the ...
's psychiatrists at the University Hospital in Salem. This puts her in close contact with the soap's core family, the Hortons. This also allows her to meet her first new lover in Salem,
Don Craig A list of notable characters from the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' that significantly impacted storylines and debuted between January 1, 1970, and the end of 1979. Linda Patterson Linda Patterson was a character portrayed by Nadyne Tur ...
(Mickey's assistant). In 1977, a prominent storyline quickly started involving Marlena's jealous twin sister,
Samantha Samantha (or the alternatively Samanta) is primarily used as a feminine given name. It was recorded in England in 1633 in Newton Regis, Warwickshire. It was also recorded in the 18th century in New England, but its etymology is uncertain. Specu ...
(played by Hall's real life twin,
Andrea Hall Andrea Jean Hall (born October 31, 1947) is a retired American soap opera actress. Personal life Hall is the identical twin sister of soap actress Deidre Hall. Career From 1977 to 1982, Hall played Samantha Evans, the twin of her sister Deidre ...
). Samantha impersonates Marlena, and has her institutionalized. Marlena makes a quick attempt to escape and contact Don, but Samantha catches on. Don, noticing an extreme personality difference in Marlena, starts suspecting that something is up. With the help of
Laura Horton Laura Horton is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera, ''Days of Our Lives'', a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional, United States town of Salem. Created by writer Peggy Phillips, the role was originated by a ...
, he releases Marlena, and has Samantha arrested. He proposes to Marlena, and the two are married later that year. During this time, Marlena and Samantha make peace, and share a heartfelt reconciliation. She gives birth to a premature son, and she and Don name the child DJ. The baby dies of
SIDS Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden unexplained death of a child of less than one year of age. Diagnosis requires that the death remain unexplained even after a thorough autopsy and detailed death scene investigation. SIDS usual ...
, which causes a rift between the couple. Don has an affair and the couple divorce soon after. In 1981, Marlena begins spending a lot of time with Kellam Chandler. After Marlena refuses Kellam's advances toward her, he rapes her. Kellam is killed by his son Todd hours later and at the trial that followed, Marlena testifies that Kellam had raped her that night, helping Todd's case. Later that year, Marlena is given her own radio show. Marlena begins to receive threatening phone calls and letters to her and her radio show. While being stalked by the Salem Strangler, Marlena meets Detective
Roman Brady Roman Brady is a fictional character from the long-running NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. The role was originated in 1981 by Wayne Northrop, who played the role until 1984 and from 1991 to 1994, and is currently being portrayed by series ve ...
, who becomes her bodyguard and then her beau. The Salem Strangler kills Samantha when he mistakes her for Marlena. Soon afterward, the Salem Strangler attacks Marlena, but is killed by Roman. Marlena and Roman eventually become engaged, but Roman's estranged wife
Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...
soon arrives in Salem with their young daughter,
Carrie Carrie may refer to: People * Carrie (name), a female given name and occasionally a surname Places in the United States * Carrie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Carrie, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carrie Glacier, Olympic Nati ...
. Anna causes trouble for Roman, but eventually grants him a divorce. Roman receives custody of Carrie, and he and Marlena are married in February 1983. The following year, shortly after she gave birth to twins
Sami Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise net ...
and
Eric Brady Eric Brady is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Eric was introduced in the episode of October 16, 1984, together with his twin sister, Sami Brady. Initially played by a series of child acto ...
, Roman is shot by Stefano DiMera, and is presumed dead by everyone. Marlena, who once thought that she had fatally shot Stefano, is kidnapped several times over the years. In 1986, Marlena takes in John Black as her patient; he has amnesia and she is determined to help him recover his past. John and Marlena spend a lot of time together, and the pair fall in love. However, John seems to know a lot about Stefano, leading Marlena to suspect he is Stefano. Later, Marlena finds a plastic surgeon's file containing before and after shots of both Roman and John. Marlena becomes convinced that John ''is'' Roman, and, over time, John took on the role of Roman. Marlena is later trying to talk down a suicidal jumper when she falls from a window ledge. Marlena lays in a coma, near death for a month. When she finally recovers, she and Roman renewed their vows on August 22, 1986. In his years with the ISA, Roman worked with a man named Orpheus. Roman accidentally killed Orpheus' wife while on assignment. To get back at Roman, Orpheus kidnaps Marlena and fakes her death. Roman shoots and kills Orpheus, but before he could rescue Marlena, she is presumed to have been killed in a plane crash.


1991–2009

In reality, Marlena had survived the plane crash, and is in a coma. Sometime during this period, Stefano gets possession of Marlena, and hides her on an island. In the summer of 1991, she finally awakes from the coma, and makes her way back to Salem. She and Roman are reunited until another man with Roman's original face returns to Salem. The man everyone believed was Roman, from 1986 to 1991, is in fact a brainwashed victim of Stefano. The real Roman has been held captive, but he makes his way back to Salem and Marlena. She is conflicted about her feelings for Roman and his substitute, who goes back to using his self-given name, John Black. Marlena and Roman reunited. In 1992, a jealous, crazed Stella Lombard is convinced that Marlena wants to steal her husband, Roger, and holds Marlena captive in an abandoned warehouse. John saves Marlena before the warehouse is demolished, bringing the two closer and finding it hard to deny their attraction. They eventually start having an affair, which leads to the birth of their daughter, Belle. When Belle's paternity becomes known, Roman divorces Marlena and leaves town. In 1994 as Stefano tries to make Marlena his queen of the night she becomes possessed by a demon and John being a priest at the time calls on God and Marlena is freed. By then, however, John is involved with
Kristen DiMera Kristen DiMera is a fictional character and currently the main antagonist from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. The role was originally portrayed by Eileen Davidson. Davidson joined the cast of ''Days of Our Live ...
. Kristen resorts to desperate measures to keep John and Marlena apart, but her schemes are eventually exposed. John and Marlena reunite, and get engaged. They are set to marry in the summer of 1997, but before they are married, Kristen returns to Salem with Roman, who is dying from an illness. Marlena tends to him when she learns he believes she and John are not together. Once he's cured, Roman discovers the truth, and despite his efforts, Marlena and John reunite. Marlena finally marries John on July 5, 1999. When John's teenage son
Brady Brady may refer to: People * Brady (surname) * Brady (given name) * Brady (nickname) * Brady Boone, a ring name of American professional wrestler Dean Peters (1958–1998) Places in the United States * Brady, Montana, a census-designated plac ...
returns home from college, he immediately clashed with Marlena. Marlena believed that Brady was endangering Belle's life, causing a rift between her and John. Eventually, she and Brady made amends, and she and John reconciled. When the Gemini Twins, Rex and
Cassie Cassie is a feminine given name and a short form of various other given names mostly used in English-speaking countries. It is more rarely a surname. People and fictional characters named Cassie include: People with the name Given name or nickna ...
, seemingly fall from the sky, Marlena finds out she had given birth to the twins during the time she was in a coma years before. She comes to believe that she and
Tony DiMera Tony DiMera is a fictional character from the American soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', played by actor Thaao Penghlis on and off from November 6, 1981, until October 24, 1985, and from July 19, 2007, until April 1, 2009. One of the character's ...
are their parents. However, it's revealed that Marlena was only their surrogate mother, and Roman and Kate Roberts are their biological parents. When a serial killer dubbed The Salem Stalker starts wreaking havoc around town, killing many friends, including Roman, John and Marlena are worried about what could happen to them. The killer, though, is later revealed to be Marlena, though John believes she was forced to by someone else. Marlena is arrested, and sent to prison, while John tries to clear her name. Marlena tries to escape, and is killed by police fire. However, she's later found alive with all of her victims on Melaswen Island, and it's revealed she was brainwashed by Andre DiMera into committing the murders. She reunites with John, but soon after, Marlena finds out she's pregnant with Roman's child, conceived when they were stranded on the island. During an argument between John and Roman, Marlena falls down the stairs and miscarries. She wakes up with amnesia, as a result of the miscarriage. Amnesiac specialist Alex North is brought in to care for Marlena, and she appears to fall in love with him. Alex later reveals that he is Marlena's first husband, and was presumed dead in
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. Since Alex and Marlena's marriage has never been dissolved, Marlena's subsequent marriages are all invalid. Suspicious, John investigates, and finds out that Alex is an abusive husband. John uncovers that Alex is planning to kill Marlena. By the time that Alex is proven to be a fraud, he and Marlena have renewed their vows, and left on a honeymoon. Alex takes Marlena to Morgan Island, but John soon finds them and, after a shootout and scuffle, Alex falls over a cliff and is presumed dead. When Steve and
Kayla Johnson Kayla Brady Johnson is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', a soap opera on the NBC network. She made her first appearance in 1982. Kayla was created by Pat Falken Smith as one of the original members of the Brady family. She is know ...
are poisoned, Marlena and John fly to Canada to get a drug that might help them. When their plane began to lose altitude, Marlena agrees to jump from the plane, and is rescued by
Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...
, who helps her reconnect with John. The couple go to Italy to investigate the DiMera family after hearing that Stefano might be alive. After renewing their wedding vows, they find Stefano, who appears to be dying. When he gives John the Death
tarot The tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play card games such as Tarocchini. From their Italian roots, ...
card, Marlena makes him promise not to get involved with the DiMera troubles again. John, however, decides to help Roman stake-out
EJ DiMera EJ DiMera is a fictional character from '' Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by head writer James E. Reilly and introduced under executive producers, Ken Corday and Tom Langan, EJ is the son of crime boss ...
, who puts John in a coma after shooting him. Marlena joins the hunt for the reasons behind the Brady/DiMera feud, while keeping John on life support. John then comes out of his coma, and helps Marlena and the others on their quest. John is hit by a car, and seemingly dies on October 17, 2007.Stephanie Sloane, "Back In Black," ''Soap Opera Digest,'' January 8, 2008. As is often the case in Salem, characters rarely die. On January 8, 2008, EJ discovers John in the basement of the DiMera mansion, being programmed by Stefano to become a super soldier. After he is discovered by the police, John wakes up with amnesia, and Marlena struggles to help John remember. It is discovered that John is the child of
Shawn Brady Shawn Brady is a fictional character from the American soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' and the patriarch of the Brady family. He has been portrayed by Lew Brown (1984 to 1985), Peter MacLean (1989 to 1990), and most notably by Frank Parker (198 ...
's sister Colleen, and Stefano's father,
Santo DiMera Santo DiMera is a fictional character on the soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. He was portrayed by James Scott from July 9, 2007 to September 28, 2007. Scott reprised the role on August 20, 2008 as a figment of John's imagination. He is the fa ...
. Their affair and its disastrous ending was the beginning of the feud. John's obesession with his DiMera heritage and his changed personality both start to take a toll on Marlena, and she finds it hard to stay with John. Stefano wakes up from a coma (after Marlena purposely sends him into a comatose state in January 2008), and intends on getting revenge on Marlena and taking the DiMera empire back from John. He causes Marlena to fall into a coma the exact way she did to him. However, Marlena wakes up after receiving a ghostly visit from her late sister, Samantha. John relinquishes his control of the empire to Stefano, but Marlena, by then, decides to move on with her life and files for divorce. John begins seeing Dr. Charlotte Taylor to regain his memories. Charlotte is the daughter of Marlena's mentor, but it doesn't take long for Marlena to see that something was off about Charlotte. When Brady returns to town, he helps Marlena discover that John is remembering, but Charlotte is actually keeping him in the dark. Charlotte comes to Marlena's apartment and tries to kill her, and explains that she is jealous of her because of how her father seemed to favor Marlena over Charlotte. However, John bursts in at the last minute, and ends up getting attacked by Charlotte. Charlotte is arrested while John is rushed to the hospital. He wakes up with his memory restored. Marlena finds out that John is paralyzed, but he can be treated at a clinic in Switzerland. John and Marlena reunite, get remarried, and head off to Switzerland to treat John's paralysis on January 23, 2009.


2011–present

In September 2011, John and Marlena return to Salem as special guests for the opening of the Horton Town Square. John surprised his friends and family by revealing that he is able to walk again. Moments later, John is arrested for embezzling millions of dollars in retirement money and pensions from his company Basic Black. John and Marlena hire Carrie to be John's defense lawyer, and she and
Rafe Hernandez Rafe Hernandez is a fictional character on ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Portrayed by Galen Gering and created by Dena Higley, Rafe is introduced in 2008 as the FBI agent assigned to protect the troublesome Sam ...
work together to prove John's innocence. They succeed in finding the evidence that proves John was framed, and get him released. However, soon after, Marlena and John discover their marriage is invalid, because John is married to Hope, as a result of Stefano's brainwashing. They plan to travel abroad to divorce, but Marlena is forced to stay back. John is able to get the divorce, and return home to Marlena. They soon have a new problem to deal with when Kristen returns to town, claiming she is now reformed after therapy. Marlena is suspicious, especially after she starts dating Brady. John and Marlena's marriage becomes strained, as a result, as John tries to protect his son. Marlena succeeds in breaking up Kristen and Brady's engagement, enraging Kristen. However, she finds out that John intentionally tried to seduce Kristen in an attempt to get Brady to break up with her, and the two file for divorce. Brady gives Kristen a second chance when he finds out she stopped John's attempt to seduce her, but when Marlena overhears Kristen say she slept with another man while separated from Brady, she aims to find out what Kristen is up to. With the help of
Nicole Walker Nicole Walker is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera '' Days of Our Lives'', a long-running series about working-class life in the fictional town of Salem. She was introduced in 1998 by head writer Sally Sussman Morina, and executive ...
, Marlena is able to find a flash drive in Kristen's possession that could reveal her crimes. Kristen finds out, though, and has thugs beat Marlena up to get the drive back. She's unsuccessful, and Marlena is later able to recover it. The drive is encrypted, though, and she asks for the help of
Victor Kiriakis Victor Kiriakis is a fictional character on NBC's ''Days of Our Lives''. The role was portrayed by John Aniston from 1985 until his death in 2022, with a storyline driven absence in 2004 when his character was "killed off" but found alive on the ...
to decode it. He's able to open the drive, and tells her that it's proof Kristen slept with another man. He convinces Marlena to play it at Brady and Kristen's wedding ceremony. Marlena discovers, though, along with the rest of the congregation, that the man in the video is her son Eric, who was drugged and raped by Kristen as revenge against Marlena. Marlena had to try and repair her relationship with both Brady and Eric. Marlena got caught up in the drama surrounding her children's lives, as Eric decided to leave his priesthood and pursue a relationship with Nicole, and Sami was accused of murder. Marlena reconciled with John after he was hit over the head and left in a coma. At the same time, Kristen was arrested for what she did to Eric. She told Marlena that she could give John a cure if the charges against her were dropped. Making a deal with the devil, Marlena convinced Eric to drop his testimony against Kristen, and get her released. John received the cure, and woke up from his coma. Marlena soon started counseling baseball player
Paul Narita Paul Narita is a fictional character from the NBC Daytime soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. Paul was created under head writers Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell and portrayed by actor Christopher Sean. Paul was introduced in November 2014 ...
, who was struggling with being gay. She later was caught in the middle when Paul admitted to sleeping with Marlena's grandson
Will Horton Will Horton is a fictional character from the American daytime TV soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', known for a highly praised coming out story, award-winning performances by actor Chandler Massey, and as one half of US daytime drama's first male ...
, even though he was married to
Sonny Kiriakis } Sonny Kiriakis is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. The role was originally portrayed by Freddie Smith. Sonny is the only biological child of Justin Kiriakis ( Wally Kurth) and Adrienne ...
. To make matters worse, John found out that Paul was his son. Marlena was at odds with John, in an attempt to protect her grandson. Will enlisted Marlena's help, wanting Paul to leave him and Sonny alone. In an attempt to help Will, Marlena ended up heading to Italy by accident, and found Kristen. The two ended up in a struggle, and Kristen fell out of a window; she was presumed dead. Marlena returned home, but was soon captured by Stefano, who wanted revenge for Kristen's death. He planned to kill Marlena in Italy, but she was saved at the last second by Stefano's son,
Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
. Marlena returned home to John and her family. In 2021, Marlena is repossessed by Satan, intent on getting deadly revenge on Salem.


Reception

At the time of Deidre Hall's 2009 departure from the serial, Marlena was the fourth longest running ''
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 ...
'' character. Her outrageous storylines and long suffering nature have led her to be labeled a soap legend and television icon. She is widely known even outside of the ''
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 ...
'' viewer base. The character is a legend, and is known for reinventing the genre by adding a supernatural mix.
Deidre Hall Deidre Ann Hall is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama ''Days of Our Lives'', whom she has played for over 45 years. Hall has won many awards for her portrayal of Marlena, including ...
has won many awards for her portrayal of Marlena. These include two Best Actress Soapy Awards in 1982 and 1983. She has also won three
Soap Opera Digest Awards ''The Soap Opera Digest Awards'', originally known as ''The Soapy Awards'' when introduced in 1977, is an awards show held by the daytime television magazine ''Soap Opera Digest''. History 1977 until 1983 The Soapy Awards were an award presen ...
for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1984, 1985 and 1995. Deidre was the first recipient of the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Contribution Award by a Lead Actress/Actor in 1986. Hall also received an award with
Drake Hogestyn Donald Drake Hogestyn () (born September 29, 1953) is an American actor best known for his long running role as John Black on the American soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. Early life Hogestyn was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he gradua ...
in 2005 for "Favorite Couple: John and Marlena". Deidre was twice voted Best Actress by the Soap Opera Update Awards in 1994 and 1995. She has been nominated for a
Daytime Emmy The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (N ...
in 1980, 1984, and 1985. She has, however, never won an Emmy. As a special treat in 2007, SoapNet rebroadcast Marlena's possession for Halloween.


See also

* John Black and Marlena Evans *
Supercouple A supercouple or super couple (also known as a power couple) is a popular and/or wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or obsessive fashion. The term originated in the United States, and it was coined in the earl ...


References


Notes


External links


Character biography: Marlena Evans at soapcentral.comDr. Marlena Evans at Soaps.com''Days of our Lives'' character biography: Dr. Marlena Evans Profile at NBC.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Marlena Days of Our Lives characters Fictional female doctors Fictional twins Fictional psychiatrists Television characters introduced in 1976 Female characters in television Fictional victims of sexual assault Fictional identical twins fi:Marlena Evans