BELOVED

‘As the World Turns’ Legend Dies at 91

Eileen Fulton leaves behind a 50-year legacy.

Actress Eileen Fulton died July 14 in her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. She was 91 years old. Best known for her role as Lisa Grimaldi on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, Fulton passed away “after a period of declining health,” according to her obituary. Born Margaret Elizabeth McLarty, the actress landed her famous role as Grimaldi in 1960, then continued playing the character until 2010. Fulton transformed the character, who was originally written to be a “nice girl,” by playing her “as a villainess.” Her role earned her an Editor’s Award at the Soap Opera Digest Awards in 1991 and a Daytime Emmy Award in 2004. The soap opera legend also starred on Broadway, holding a role as Honey in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Fulton also wrote books, authoring six murder novels and a fictional book called Soap Opera that was loosely based on her As the World Turns experience. She retired in 2019.