Television has lost one of its enduring greats.
Eileen Fulton, the trailblazing actress who brought elegance, edge, and enduring presence to the small screen for over five decades, passed away on July 14 at the age of 91. Best known for her iconic portrayal of Lisa Grimaldi on CBS’s As the World Turns, Fulton wasn’t just a soap star—she was a cornerstone of American daytime drama and a symbol of an era when storytelling was both smart and sincere.
A Southern Soul with a Voice That Carried
Born Margaret Elizabeth McLarty in Asheville, North Carolina, on September 13, 1933, Fulton was destined for the stage from the very beginning. Her father, a Methodist minister, and her mother, a public school teacher, nurtured a home grounded in discipline, faith, and education.
At just two years old, Fulton sang her first song at the altar of her father’s church—an early debut that she would later joke about: “They haven’t been able to silence me since.” That spirit, equal parts reverent and rebellious, would follow her into every role she played.
After graduating from Greensboro College with studies in drama and music, Fulton moved to New York in 1956—not to chase stardom, but to earn it. She studied under acting legends Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg, honing her craft during a time when talent was the only currency that mattered.
Lisa Grimaldi: A Villain, A Vixen, A Voice
In 1960, Fulton landed a film role in Girl of the Night, but it was later that year that her true breakthrough came. Cast in a short-term role as Lisa Grimaldi on As the World Turns, Fulton’s performance was so compelling, so richly layered, that the writers reimagined the character entirely.
What was supposed to be a temporary storyline became a defining role that lasted 50 years.
Lisa Grimaldi was smart, complex, and unapologetically human. Over the course of the series, she married eight times, stirred controversy, inspired devotion, and became one of daytime television’s most dynamic figures. Audiences loved to hate her—and they loved her for it.
Fulton once remarked on Lisa’s longevity: “I never thought she’d last a month. But people saw something in her. Maybe it was her flaws. Maybe it was her fight. Either way, they kept watching.”
A Theatre Heart and Television Legend
Beyond As the World Turns, Fulton’s talent graced other stages and screens. She appeared in the Broadway production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and starred in the short-lived spin-off Our Private World, one of the first primetime soaps centered on a female lead.
Throughout her career, she garnered numerous accolades, including a Soap Opera Digest Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmys in 2004.
Yet perhaps her greatest achievement was her consistency. In an industry increasingly defined by fleeting fame, Eileen Fulton showed up—day after day, decade after decade—delivering emotionally resonant performances with honesty, precision, and heart.
The End of a World That Once Turned
In 2010, CBS canceled As the World Turns after an astonishing 54 seasons. For Fulton, it was more than the end of a job—it was the end of a family.
“It’s like mother and daddy got divorced or died or something,” she said at the time. Her heartbreak was visible, but so too was her pride. She had helped shape something rare: a story that millions had grown up with, grown old with, and grieved when it was gone.
Fulton’s passing marks the close of a television chapter that once told stories with patience and heart. A time when characters were developed over years—not in minutes. When morality didn’t come with hashtags, and when audiences tuned in daily to see reflections of their own lives played out with grace and grit.
A Life of Meaning, A Legacy of Art
Eileen Fulton wasn’t a celebrity chasing trends—she was an artist who built a career on discipline, resilience, and staying power. Her story reminds us that true greatness often arrives quietly, in daily dedication, in long arcs, in characters who live not just in scripts, but in the hearts of viewers.
She leaves behind a legacy that will be studied, honored, and missed—for decades to come.
Rest peacefully, Eileen. You weren’t just part of the world that turned. You were the reason many of us kept watching.
