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 ...

s, a serialised

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

produced for radio, television and internet streaming, are specifically and uniquely known for their

ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast t ...

s and long-running characters. Many of these characters have stayed in their respective series for decades, often played by the same actor. The following is a list of the longest-serving actors from soap operas all over the world. It details those actors with ten or more years spent on one year-round or

stripped Stripped may refer to: Music * "Stripped" (song), by Depeche Mode, 1986 * ''Stripped'' (Christina Aguilera album) or the title song, 2002 * ''Stripped'' (Daniel Ash album), 2014 * ''Stripped'' (Macy Gray album), 2016 * ''Stripped'' (Pretty Ma ...

soap opera, despite itinerant breaks and in some cases with the actor portraying multiple roles. As of 2022, William Roache holds the ''

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

'' for the longest-serving actor in a television soap opera, having played Ken Barlow on ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based ...

'' since 1960.

Patricia Greene Patricia Honor Greene (born 1931) is an English radio, television and film actress, who is best known as matriarch Jill Archer in radio serial ''The Archers''. She has played the role continuously since 1957, making her the world's longest ser ...

holds a similar record as the longest-serving actor in a radio soap opera, having joined the cast of ''

The Archers ''The Archers'' is a BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural sett ...

'' as character

Jill Archer Jill Archer (nee Patterson), is a fictional character from the BBC Radio 4 soap opera ''The Archers''. Portrayed by Patricia Greene since 1957, Writers for the show paired Jill with Phil Archer (Norman Painting), with their marriage lasting until P ...

in 1957.

Longest-serving soap opera actors worldwide

Current

All-time

Longest serving soap opera actors by country

Legend

Australia

Belgium

Canada

Czech Republic

England

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Poland

Scotland

South Africa

Spain

United States

Wales

Notes

# Although ''Amar en tiempos revueltos'' and ''Amar es para siempre'' are two separate series, they are essentially the same show, with the latter continuing the series uninterrupted on another channel in 2012.

References

{{Reflist, 30em + Entertainment-related lists of superlatives British soap opera actors Australian soap opera actors German soap opera actors Soap opera actors