Rarely-Seen Soap Opera Star, 77, Is Nearly Unrecognizable With Arm Sling originally appeared on Parade.
Soap opera legend Deidre Hall, best known for her iconic role as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives, was recently spotted during a rare public outing in Los Angeles — and the 77-year-old’s appearance sparked concern.
Photographed on Wednesday, July 30, Hall appeared as radiant and ageless as ever, but the noticeable arm sling raised questions about a possible injury.
In the photos obtained by MEGA, Hall is seen strolling through Los Angeles with friends, dressed casually in a blue button-up shirt, black pants and oversized shades. The actress appeared in good spirits despite wearing the sling, though the cause of her injury remains unclear.
This marks her first public sighting since March, when she was last seen running errands in Santa Monica — notably without an arm sling, suggesting the injury occurred more recently.
The outing took an unexpected turn when a parking enforcement officer was photographed seemingly leaving a citation on Hall’s Mercedes-Benz. The car was parked alongside several others on a busy street, though it’s unknown whether other vehicles were also ticketed.
Hall’s appearances have become increasingly rare in recent years, with her last red carpet event being the 92nd Hollywood Christmas Parade supporting Toys for Tots in December 2024. Since then, the veteran actress has maintained a low profile while continuing her work on the long-running NBC daytime drama.
Hall remains active in her iconic role and recently opened up about her early days on Days of Our Lives. While on the “Soapy” podcast, hosted by The Bold and the Beautiful‘s Rebecca Budig and Days costar Greg Rikaart, she revealed how she nearly passed on the role that would define her career.
“I was screen testing, and they usually try and have people not in the same room,” Hall recalled. “… And I happened to see a couple women and I thought, ‘My word, look who’s testing for this.’ “
Convinced she wouldn’t be chosen over those well-known actresses, she declined the role after learning she’d been cast. “There must be something wrong with this part, so I’m turning it down too. And I did.”
Three weeks later, her agent stepped in and changed her mind. “You said you wanted to do a soap,” she remembered him saying. “I said, ‘But there’s something wrong with it.’ He said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘I wasn’t their first choice.’
Her agent’s reassurance proved to be the turning point, telling her, “Yes, you were.” Hall called it a “You like me, you really like me” moment, and, with her doubts gone, she remembered “I love that part.”
That decision kicked off one of daytime TV’s most iconic partnerships, with Hall’s portrayal of Marlena becoming inseparable from Days of Our Lives itself.
The rest, as they say, is soap opera history — and Hall’s decades-long commitment to the character has made her one of the longest-tenured actors of the show.
Rarely-Seen Soap Opera Star, 77, Is Nearly Unrecognizable With Arm Sling first appeared on Parade on Aug 1, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
