Emily McLaughlin(1928-1991)
- Actress
Known to her generation as the "Queen of Daytime Soaps", Ms.
McLaughlin's place in the history of the network soap opera cannot be
overestimated. She was not only one of the founding cast members of
Hôpital central (1963) in
1963 (speaking the series' first line), but it was her negotiation with
ABC-TV in the 1960s which won billing for actors on daytime serials for
the first time. She was immensely popular with fans, and enjoyed
telling the story of being with her movie actor husband,
Jeffrey Hunter, only to have fans
call her by her character's name ("Jessie Brewer") and not speak to him
at all. Hunter's death in 1969 after just four months of marriage left
her with a sense of loneliness, which was to follow her for the rest of
her life. Still, she was for many years one of the biggest stars on
daytime television. Though her role with the show diminished in the
late 1980s, she stayed with the series until February 13, 1991, when
she appeared for the last time. She died in April of that year.
