Soap icon who played Lisa Grimaldi on "As the World Turns" for nearly 50 years, dies at 91
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She was once one of the most recognizable faces on daytime TV. With a voice that captivated and a stare that said it all, she shaped one of the longest-running characters in soap opera history.
But her life off-screen was just as full of twists and turns as the ones she portrayed. Now, after a long and impactful career, she’s being remembered across generations.
Eileen Fulton, the beloved actress known for her portrayal of Lisa Grimaldi on As the World Turns, has died at the age of 91. According to Groce Funeral Home, she passed away on July 14 in her hometown after “a period of declining health.”
Born as Margaret Elizabeth McLarty in 1933, she began performing at just 2 years old.
She once said in an interview with CBS News that her first performance was in church. “They couldn’t shut me up—and they haven’t been able to shut me up since.”
Fulton studied drama and music in college and began singing with a church choir after graduating. But her sights were always set elsewhere.
“I dreamed of being the greatest actress on Broadway,” she told The Washington Post in 1990. She moved to New York City in 1956 and studied under famed acting coaches Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg.
She took on the stage name Eileen Fulton and supported herself with modeling before landing her first film role in 1960’s Girl of the Night. That same year, she joined As the World Turns, originally in a short-term role as Lisa Hughes.
But her take on the character shifted everything.
More on Obituaries: Beloved vocalist behind "Pretty Little Baby" and "Who’s Sorry Now?" dies at 87
“I had a lot of experience being conniving as a minister’s daughter,” she joked to NPR in 2010. The character was written as a simple, sweet girl—but Fulton infused her with complexity and grit.
She explained, “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.”
Her spin on Lisa transformed the role into one of daytime TV’s most compelling villains. “They hated her—and I thought it was fabulous,” Fulton told NPR.
Once, she said, a woman even hit her in public because of how much she despised Lisa. “I’ve reached them,” Fulton recalled thinking.
Over five decades, Fulton’s Lisa Grimaldi had multiple husbands, dozens of lovers, and more drama than some entire series.
"I'm the classic daytime meanie," she told PEOPLE in 1978. “I’ve had 32 lovers, four husbands, two children and one phantom fetus.”
At one point, she even had it written into her contract that her character would never become a grandmother.
“At that time, grandmothers had no romance at all—and I wasn’t about to let that happen to me,” she told the Los Angeles Times in 2000. The rule was eventually lifted.
More on Obituaries: A heartbreaking loss: "American Idol" music supervisor and her husband found dead in their home
The show, initially filmed live, often demanded high-wire performances from its cast. And Fulton didn’t hesitate to assert herself behind the scenes.
When a writer wouldn’t reveal whether her character was a murderer, she warned: “We’re live—don’t forget. And if you don’t tell me, I’ll make up your mind for you on the air.”
Her approach earned her a reputation. “I want things done right,” she said. “But I’ve learned that there’s a nice way to ask.”
Fulton earned one Emmy nomination in 1988 after putting herself in the “supporting actress” category. “I thought I was never going to win anyway,” she admitted to PEOPLE, noting she jokingly tried to enter under “aging ingenue”—a category that doesn’t exist.
She was later inducted into the Soap Opera Hall of Fame and received a Daytime Emmy lifetime achievement award in 2004. Though she was also a stage actress—appearing in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on Broadway and The Fantasticks off-Broadway—As the World Turns was always the core of her professional life.
She even led a brief spin-off series in 1965 titled Our Private World. In later years, Fulton explored writing and performance beyond television.
She published mystery novels, a romance, and a 1995 memoir, As My World Still Turns: The Uncensored Memoirs of America's Soap Opera Queen. She also toured in a cabaret show.
Personally, Fulton was married three times, but all ended in divorce. “I have gone through two lives—my own and Lisa’s,” she told The New York Times in 1995. “And not many actors get to do that.”
Fulton retired in 2019 and returned to her hometown to live a quieter life.
Her funeral will be held on Saturday, August 9, according to Groce Funeral Home.
She is survived by her brother Charles McLarty, sister-in-law Chris McLarty, and niece.
Also read: Fans mourn the loss of David Kaff, beloved Spinal Tap star, at 79
Do you remember Lisa’s unforgettable storylines? What was your favorite moment from As the World Turns? Let us know in the comments!
But her life off-screen was just as full of twists and turns as the ones she portrayed. Now, after a long and impactful career, she’s being remembered across generations.
Eileen Fulton, the beloved actress known for her portrayal of Lisa Grimaldi on As the World Turns, has died at the age of 91. According to Groce Funeral Home, she passed away on July 14 in her hometown after “a period of declining health.”
Born as Margaret Elizabeth McLarty in 1933, she began performing at just 2 years old.
She once said in an interview with CBS News that her first performance was in church. “They couldn’t shut me up—and they haven’t been able to shut me up since.”
Fulton studied drama and music in college and began singing with a church choir after graduating. But her sights were always set elsewhere.
“I dreamed of being the greatest actress on Broadway,” she told The Washington Post in 1990. She moved to New York City in 1956 and studied under famed acting coaches Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg.
She took on the stage name Eileen Fulton and supported herself with modeling before landing her first film role in 1960’s Girl of the Night. That same year, she joined As the World Turns, originally in a short-term role as Lisa Hughes.
But her take on the character shifted everything.
More on Obituaries: Beloved vocalist behind "Pretty Little Baby" and "Who’s Sorry Now?" dies at 87
“I had a lot of experience being conniving as a minister’s daughter,” she joked to NPR in 2010. The character was written as a simple, sweet girl—but Fulton infused her with complexity and grit.
She explained, “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.”
Her spin on Lisa transformed the role into one of daytime TV’s most compelling villains. “They hated her—and I thought it was fabulous,” Fulton told NPR.
Once, she said, a woman even hit her in public because of how much she despised Lisa. “I’ve reached them,” Fulton recalled thinking.
Over five decades, Fulton’s Lisa Grimaldi had multiple husbands, dozens of lovers, and more drama than some entire series.
"I'm the classic daytime meanie," she told PEOPLE in 1978. “I’ve had 32 lovers, four husbands, two children and one phantom fetus.”
At one point, she even had it written into her contract that her character would never become a grandmother.
“At that time, grandmothers had no romance at all—and I wasn’t about to let that happen to me,” she told the Los Angeles Times in 2000. The rule was eventually lifted.
More on Obituaries: A heartbreaking loss: "American Idol" music supervisor and her husband found dead in their home
The show, initially filmed live, often demanded high-wire performances from its cast. And Fulton didn’t hesitate to assert herself behind the scenes.
When a writer wouldn’t reveal whether her character was a murderer, she warned: “We’re live—don’t forget. And if you don’t tell me, I’ll make up your mind for you on the air.”
Her approach earned her a reputation. “I want things done right,” she said. “But I’ve learned that there’s a nice way to ask.”
Fulton earned one Emmy nomination in 1988 after putting herself in the “supporting actress” category. “I thought I was never going to win anyway,” she admitted to PEOPLE, noting she jokingly tried to enter under “aging ingenue”—a category that doesn’t exist.
She was later inducted into the Soap Opera Hall of Fame and received a Daytime Emmy lifetime achievement award in 2004. Though she was also a stage actress—appearing in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on Broadway and The Fantasticks off-Broadway—As the World Turns was always the core of her professional life.
She even led a brief spin-off series in 1965 titled Our Private World. In later years, Fulton explored writing and performance beyond television.
She published mystery novels, a romance, and a 1995 memoir, As My World Still Turns: The Uncensored Memoirs of America's Soap Opera Queen. She also toured in a cabaret show.
Personally, Fulton was married three times, but all ended in divorce. “I have gone through two lives—my own and Lisa’s,” she told The New York Times in 1995. “And not many actors get to do that.”
Fulton retired in 2019 and returned to her hometown to live a quieter life.
Her funeral will be held on Saturday, August 9, according to Groce Funeral Home.
She is survived by her brother Charles McLarty, sister-in-law Chris McLarty, and niece.
Also read: Fans mourn the loss of David Kaff, beloved Spinal Tap star, at 79
