Julie Olson Williams is a fictional character and member of the Horton family on the NBC daytime drama, Days of Our Lives, a long running serial about working class life in the fictional town of Salem.
The character of Julie was introduced as a 16-year-old when the show premiered in 1965, with 19-year-old Charla Doherty being the first actress to play Julie.[2] The role was unsuccessfully recast twice with Catherine Dunn in 1967, followed by Catherine Ferrar from 1967 until 1968.[3] The role was then taken over by actress Susan Seaforth Hayes in 1968, who still portrays the character to this day.[4] Julie is the last remaining character from the pilot, and Hayes the earliest-appearing actor to appear currently on the serial. Hayes is most recognizable in the role, having portrayed the character in the show all seven decades it has been on the air.[4]
Doug Williams and Julie Olson were the first super couple in the history of the daytime industry. The January 12, 1976 cover of Time magazine featured Days of our Lives'Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes, the first and only daytime actors to ever appear on its cover.[5][6][7] The Hayeses themselves were a couple whose onscreen and real-life romance (they met on the series in 1970 and married in 1974) was widely covered by both the soap opera magazines and the mainstream press.[8]
Ted Corday and Irna Phillips created Julie in the 1960s as part of the story bible for Days of our Lives, a light-hearted soap opera focusing on the troubles of its core family, the Hortons.[10][11] The Cordays and Bell combined the "hospital soap" idea with the tradition of centering a series on a family, by making the show about a family of doctors, including one who worked in a mental hospital.[12] The Julie character officially aired on November 8, 1965, when the show premiered on NBC in color. Julie was the sole character to represent the younger side of the series' main family compared to her adult co-stars. She was the first character to ever speak on the serial when it first broadcast in 1965, and was also the star of the two main scenes in the serial.[2] Julie was also the first to mention the last name of the series when she gave a false name (Julie Horton) to a police officer when he arrested her for theft of a mink stole.[13]
Casting
Susan Seaforth as Julie Olson in 1970
At the time, soap operas featured mostly older casts. To add a contemporary feel to the show, Corday and Philips focused on younger characters, while also mixing in older ones so as not to lose traditional soap opera viewers. Charla Doherty originated the role of Julie on November 8, 1965, when the show first premiered.[2] Doherty had been in previous short roles on Wagon Train and Dr. Kildare. Charla was quite a bit younger than her co-stars when the show first aired in 1965. Frances Reid was in her fifties,[14] as was MacDonald Carey.[15]Maree Cheatham was in her early twenties, John Clarke and Patricia Huston were both in their thirties, with Doherty being in her late teens and early twenties during her first few years on the program.
In 1966, Doherty departed the serial to focus on other career options, last appearing on December 23 of that year.[2] The role went through two unsuccessful recasts. The show replaced Doherty with actress Catherine Dunn from January 24 to June 20, 1967,[3] who was in turn replaced by Catherine Ferrar that same year from July 13, 1967, until September 2, 1968.[3] Both actresses proved to be unpopular in the role and were both fired. William J. Bell - the show's main writer at the time - decided to give the character a short break from the serial.
On December 11, 1968, the character reappeared onscreen. The role was now played by newcomer actress, Susan Seaforth Hayes[4][16] (credited as "Susan Seaforth" because she had not yet met her husband Bill). Susan's previous soap roles included General Hospital and The Young Marrieds, but made a few appearances on Hallmark Hall of Fame, Bonanza, and Dragnet.[16] In portraying Julie, the actress drew on the "self-centered" and "haughty" traits she recognized in herself while in college. In 1970, Bill Hayes joined the cast as Doug Williams.[17] The Hayeses themselves were a couple whose onscreen and real-life romance (they met on the series in 1970) was widely covered by both the soap opera magazines and the mainstream press.[8] Bill and Susan eventually fell in love and married, becoming the first soap couple to be together in real life (they married in 1974).[8] With Frances Reid's passing in 2010, Susan Hayes is the only cast member to have aired on Days of our Lives in all seven decades that it has been on the air.[18] Macdonald Carey often helped her in her early years on the show.
Mac had been helpful to me. earlier. Once I had a job, I had a tendency to read a script and point out the flaws and imperfections of other people’s writing. And often it was quite a list. After a few weeks of this, he said to me, "You’ll catch more honey with flies than vinegar here."[19]
Archetypes
Over the years Julie developed into different character archetypes. Soap operas once featured only one-dimensional characters who were either good or bad.[20] By the 1970s, characters were written with more depth, fitting into archetypes consisting of the young-and-vulnerable romantic heroine, the old-fashioned villain, the rival, the suffering antagonist, Mr. Right, the former playboy, the meddlesome and villainous mother/grandmother, the benevolent mother/grandmother, and the career woman.[20] Julie was established as the rival to Susan Martin's young-and-vulnerable romantic heroine. As the rival, Julie was written as a younger leading heroine, often portraying her vulnerable sides. Julie was generally positioned as the main protagonist being part of the prestigious Horton family.[20]
By the late 1970s, a different set of character types was established, including the chic suburbanite, the subtle single, the traditional family person, the successful professional, and the elegant socialite. Julie was in the elegant socialite category which comprised "flashy", achievement-oriented characters that often loved their families and friends.[21] Like others in this category, Julie was written as "flamboyant", "frivolous and carefree".[22] Overall, Julie is the embodiment of "young hero",[23] a soap opera archetype that "transformed and defined" the soap opera genre. Irna Phillips, Nixon, and William J. Bell created the archetype in the 1960s and it became one of their defining legacies. The archetype is an assertive Cinderella who goes after material things.
Lineage and personality
Julie is a member of the high class Horton family, around which Days of our Lives was originally built.
Julie is a headstrong teenager when Days of our Lives premiered in 1965.[22] She is part of the soaps core family, the Hortons, around which the soap was originally structured. At the beginning of the serial in 1965, Julie was a 16 year old schoolgirl. The fictional history of her younger years has been told via behind-the-scenes books such as Days of our Lives: The True Story of one Family's Dream, and the second tie-in novel by Ken Corday, which explains that Julie was born and raised in Salem with the rest of her family before the show premiered.
Whereas most of the other female characters in Days of our Lives were portrayed in a somewhat more glamorous working class way, Julie Olson was the exception to the rule, being the sole character to represent the emotional side of the Horton family.[10] As the serial progresses, Julie grew and matured much like the other characters. After the death of her mother Addie Horton in 1974, Julie matured into a young heroine, often helping to raise her baby sister, Hope Williams. Julie married Doug in the seventies and the two have remained relatively intact ever since. They are known as daytime's first supercouple.[24] In more recent years, Julie has become a pillar of the community, representing the Horton family and their values. She is respected by many and is often seen giving advice or helping others. Julie also has a protective side and will do anything to protect and defend her family.
Julie was born on March 31, 1949, to Addie Horton and Ben Olson. As Days of our Lives begins in 1965, Julie is a rebellious teenager part of the series's Horton family. In the first episode, Julie steals an expensive mink from a department store and is caught by a security guard and arrested. Julie moves in with her grandparents, Tom and Alice Horton, when her parents move to Europe. She plans on eloping with David Martin, but backs out after talking to Tom about it. Later, Julie pursues David while he is married to her best friend Susan, and maintains hope that he will leave Susan one day and marry her. However, that dream is shattered in 1967 when Susan, who blames David for the death of their son, kills David. During Susan's court trial, Julie is exposed as being pregnant with David's child. Julie eventually gives birth to a son whom she names David Jr and, following Tom's advice, she gives the child up for adoption. The baby is adopted by Scott and Janet Banning. After Janet dies of a brain tumor, Julie marries Scott and they raise David together.
Doug and Julie as they appeared the cover of Time on January 12, 1976.
In 1970, Julie meets Doug Williams who, at the time, is being paid by Susan Martin to have an affair with Julie. Incidentally, Julie falls in love with Doug and vice versa. In the summer of 1972, the time came for Doug and Julie to elope. Her divorce petition was just about ready, and he had the arrangements for their Italian honeymoon all set. But at the last minute, Doug and Julie had a fight that would change their lives drastically. Julie insisted on bringing David along on the honeymoon. Doug was opposed to this idea; he also did not agree with Julie's plans to take David away from Scott, who loved the boy as his own son. During their fight, Julie walked out on Doug. Later that night, Addie stopped by and asked Doug to marry her. On the rebound, and always up for an adventure, Doug agreed. At midnight, Doug and Addie left for Portofino using the tickets that he had meant to use with Julie- a decision which crushed Julie.
In 1973, Julie's husband, Scott, is killed in a construction accident while working for Anderson Manufacturing. Phyllis and Bob Anderson feel guilty and offer Julie a house and financial support, and Bob soon divorces Phyllis and marries Julie. Julie deals with another blow when Addie is diagnosed with cancer and discovers she is pregnant with Doug's child, Julie's half-sister. Addie gives birth to daughter Hope and falls into a coma. Addie comes out of her coma and makes Julie promise to care for the baby and Doug. However Addie goes into remission only to be killed in a hit and run accident. In 1975, Julie suffers a miscarriage and divorces Bob the following year to reunite with Doug. Shortly after Doug and Julie announce their engagement, Kim Douglas shows up in Salem claiming to the legal wife of Brent Douglas, Doug's real name. After a few months, Kim eventually reveals that she and Doug had been divorced for many years, so Julie and Doug marry. In 1977, Doug falls on hard times when he loses his liquor license and, eventually, the club. Julie buys back the club and turns it into Doug's Coffee House, but Doug is forced to leave Salem for a while to take care of business elsewhere. During his absence, Julie faces problems with the club staff and Larry Atwood helps her through it. Julie is not aware that Larry has set Doug up in a dope bust to keep him out of Salem while he goes after Julie. In 1979, Julie is badly burned by Maggie Horton's oven when it blows up in her face. When Julie sees the scars from her injuries, she is sure that Doug will no longer want her as his wife. When a reconstructive operation fails, Julie flies to Mexico and gets a divorce behind Doug's back. She has a successful operation, but by this time, he has married his widowed sister-in-law, Lee Dumonde. Determined to hang onto Doug, Lee tries to have Julie killed by a hit man but fails. After divorcing Lee, Doug remarries Julie, and they settle into a happy marriage. They become involved with an investigation of Stefano DiMera's criminal activities that ends with his presumed death. Their contentment is interrupted by Doug's heart attack after finding Hope about to make love with Bo Brady. In early 1984, Doug and Julie decide to take a cruise around the world, but by 1986 have separated again. Doug comes back to town without her, indicating that Julie's opening of a dress shop in Paris became more important to her than their marriage. Later, Doug leaves for parts unknown, still not reconciled with Julie.
Julie returns to the show in 1990 when her partner Nick is murdered. She is on the cruise of deception where Hope is believed to be killed by Ernest Toscano. In 1993, Doug, pretending that he is dying, convinces her to visit him, but it is only a ploy to win her back. Still very much in love with him, Julie reconciles with Doug, and they continue their world traveling. They visit later in the year to see an ailing Tom, and come back the following year for his funeral where they are reunited with an amnesiac Hope who has returned from being believed to be dead. Over the next couple of years, Doug and Julie are seen on and off, mostly at family holidays such as the annual Horton Fourth of July picnic and the annual Christmas tree decorating. Julie and Doug come back to town for an extended visit in 2004 and are soon enmeshed in the Salem serial killer storyline. Julie is devastated when Doug is seemingly killed by the serial killer, and she begins to focus on helping Mickey get over Maggie while keeping him from the advances of his housekeeper, Bonnie. After Alice is also apparently killed, it is revealed that old family friend Marlena Evans was the culprit, and when Marlena shows up at the funeral to give her respects, Julie loses her cool and threatens to kill her. When Maggie and Doug turn up alive and well (along with Alice and the other alleged victims, including the actually innocent Marlena), Doug and Julie work to help Maggie get Mickey (who is now married to Bonnie) back. Their joint effort is ultimately successful.
In the summer of 2006, Doug and Julie come to town to discover that Lexie has been kept prisoner in the tunnels underneath the old "Doug's Place." They help rescue Lexie and nurse her back to health. Doug and Julie return the following summer in 2007 for Bo and Hope's 4 July BBQ and they advise Bo and Hope about dealing with Chelsea dating someone of whom they do not initially approve. They return a few weeks later to watch Bo and Hope renew their wedding vows. Julie and Doug later convince Maggie to get the very busy Mickey to take a cruise with her to strengthen her marriage, but are devastated when Mickey dies of a heart attack before they can leave. Several months later, Doug and Julie gather around the family with the news that Alice is nearing death. They are present to say goodbye to the Horton family matriarch with several other family members who had not been seen on screen in years. Julie (with or without Doug) has made sporadic appearances ever since (most notably when Nick Fallon was believed dead and, again, when he was actually killed). Both Doug and Julie were highly involved with the show's 50th anniversary and were around to help Hope deal with the sudden death of Bo Brady from cancer and to comfort Maggie after her son, Daniel, was killed in a car accident. Julie would find herself a major supporter of both Hope and Maggie, especially when Hope killed Stefano DiMera whom she blamed for Bo's death, and when Maggie broke her spine due to a fall down the stairs.
In 2017, Julie is devastated when she hears from Scotty, her grandson, that David was killed in a motorbike accident. However, she is delighted to find out that she has another grandson, Eli Grant, and welcomes him into the Horton family, although is angry at his mother, Valerie Grant, for not allowing Eli contact with his father.
In late 2018, when everyone thinks Abigail Deveraux's alters have returned, Julie is the only one that believes her that they have not and that Gabi Hernandez has been framing Abigail this whole time. In order to prove it, Julie goes into Gabi's room for proof. Julie finds the true results of Charlotte's paternity, Gabi later walks in and is furious. The two fight at the top of the stairs and Gabi pushes her. Julie falls into a brief coma, but wakes up just in time for Christmas. Later, Julie remembers what she read about Charlotte's paternity and that Chad DiMera, not Stefan DiMera, is the true father.
Reception
Julie has been described as one of Days of our Lives's most high-profile characters. Hayes has won several awards for her performance as Julie. In 1977, she won a Soapy award for outstanding lead actress in a daytime drama.[9] She has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy award four times; once in 1975, 1976, 1978 and another in 1979. The character has been received quite favorably. Hayes is known for "dominating the seventies" in the daytime genre.
Critics originally praised the show for its non-reliance on nostalgia (in contrast to shows such as As the World Turns) and its portrayal of "real American contemporary families."[25] By the 1970s, critics deemed Days the most daring daytime drama, as it led the way in using then-controversial themes that other shows of the period avoided, such as artificial insemination and interracial romance.[26] The January 12, 1976, cover of Time magazine featured Days of our Lives's Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes, the first and only daytime actors to ever appear on its cover.[5][6][7] The Hayeses themselves were a couple whose onscreen and real-life romance (they met on the series in 1970 and married in 1974) was widely covered by both the soap opera magazines and the mainstream press.[8]
In 2020, Charlie Mason from Soaps She Knows placed Julie #8 on their list of the 35 most memorable characters from Days of Our Lives, calling the character a "harried heroine" who was "brought to life by Susan Seaforth Hayes".[27]
Suzanne Rogers is an American actress with film and television credits. Her stage name was inspired by Ginger Rogers, whom she cites as a personal inspiration for joining the entertainment industry. Rogers got her start as a dancer/performer at New York City's Radio City Music Hall, but she is best known for playing Maggie Horton, a role she originated and has played since 1973 on the NBC/Peacock soap opera Days of Our Lives. She is currently noted as the longest serving actress still appearing actively on an American soap opera. In August 2023 Days of Our Lives aired Rogers 50th anniversary show celebrating the milestone.
Deidre Hall is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Marlena Evans on the NBC/Peacock daytime drama Days of Our Lives, who she has played for over 45 years.
Susan Seaforth Hayes is an American dramatic actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Julie Williams on the NBC drama Days of Our Lives, and her intermittent portrayal of Joanna Manning on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless. She began playing the role of Julie on Days of Our Lives in 1968, and is the only actor to appear on the show for all seven decades it has been on the air. Seaforth Hayes still regularly appears on Days as Julie.
The Cruise of Deception was a major cliffhanger and resolution storyline on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives. Billed as a "miniseries" by NBC advertisements, it aired from June 7 until July 16, 1990.
Mickey Horton is a fictional character from the soap opera Days of Our Lives, played from the show's debut episode in 1965 until January 2004 by John Clarke, spanning 3,500 episodes. The role was briefly played in 2004 by Richard Voigts, then by John Ingle from 2004 through 2006. Kevin Dobson appeared as Mickey in the character's final appearances between April and October 2008.
Alice Horton is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, portrayed by Frances Reid from the show's debut on November 8, 1965 until December 26, 2007.
Douglas Williams and Julie Olson Williams are fictional characters and a supercouple from the American daytime drama Days of Our Lives. Doug and Julie are considered to be the first supercouple in daytime television history. Doug was portrayed by Bill Hayes and Julie is portrayed by Susan Seaforth Hayes. The actors were married in real life from 1974 until Hayes’ death in 2024, and appeared together in their roles that made them famous on NBC's Days of our Lives from 1970 until 2023.
Doug Williams is a fictional character on the American soap opera Days of Our Lives. He has been portrayed by Bill Hayes since 1970. Since 1999, he continued to make recurring appearances as Doug, notably airing during the holiday seasons, with his final appearance being in July, six months after his death on January 12, 2024.
Maggie Horton Kiriakis is a fictional character from the American Peacock/NBC network soap opera Days of Our Lives played by Suzanne Rogers since 1973, the longest running role on the show, and one of the longest running in American soap operas.
Thomas Horton is a fictional character and patriarch of the Horton family on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives. He was played by Macdonald Carey from 1965 until his death in 1994.
Addie Horton is a fictional character on the television soap opera Days of Our Lives, portrayed by Patricia Huston from November 10, 1965, to March 9, 1966, and Patricia Barry from April 19, 1971, to June 28, 1974. Barry reprised her role as Addie for one episode on December 18, 1974.
Marie Horton is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera, Days of Our Lives. Created by DOOL creator Ted Corday, actress Maree Cheatham is most recognized in the role, originating it on the debut episode of the serial airing November 8, 1965, and last appearing on June 28, 2010. The youngest child of Tom and Alice Horton, she is the mother of Jessica Blake Fallon and grandmother of Nick Fallon.
Marlena Evans is a fictional character on the NBC/Peacock soap opera Days of Our Lives, a long-running serial about working life in the fictional town of Salem. She has been played by actress Deidre Hall since 1976, but the character was absent from the show from 1987 to August 1991 and again from January 2009 to September 2011. Marlena was created by scriptwriter Pat Falken Smith and executive producer Betty Corday, and has become one of Days of our Lives' most well-known characters. Hall made her debut on the soap on June 21, 1976, currently making her the second longest running actress on the serial, surpassed only by Suzanne Rogers.
Days of Our Lives is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television network NBC from 1965 to 2022, is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday since November 8, 1965. A co-production of Corday Productions and Sony Pictures Television, the series was created by husband-and-wife team Ted Corday and Betty Corday. During Days of Our Lives' early years, Irna Phillips served as a story editor for the program and many of the show's earliest storylines were written by William J. Bell, who would depart the series in 1975 to focus full-time on The Young and the Restless, which he created for CBS in 1973. Following the 2007 cancellation of Passions, Days of Our Lives remained the only soap opera airing on NBC. On August 3, 2022, NBCUniversal announced that it would relocate the series exclusively to its Peacock streaming service beginning September 12 after 57 years on the network and leaving NBC as the only Big Three network without a daytime serial.
Ciara Brady is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by Hogan Sheffer and Meg Kelly, the role is portrayed by Victoria Konefal since 2017.
Valerie Grant is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. The character was created by Pat Falken Smith and introduced as the black love interest for white character David Banning. The role was originated by Tina Andrews on October 27, 1975. Andrews was replaced by Rose Fonseca in the summer of 1977. Valerie and her family take David in when he is injured in a car accident and they soon fall in love. David and Valerie become engaged in the summer of 1976 but the romance is plagued by his infidelity, his ex-girlfriend Brooke Hamilton and her mother Helen's unwillingness to accept the relationship. When David's affair with Trish Clayton results in pregnancy, Valerie ends the relationship and takes a scholarship to medical school at Howard University in 1978. Actress Diane Sommerfield took over the role in 1981 when Valerie returns as a medical intern at the hospital. She becomes involved with Abe Carver which is plagued by Val's residual feelings for David and Abe's unwillingness to get married one day. The character is written out in 1982.
Eli Grant is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network, portrayed by Lamon Archey. The character made his first appearance on February 23, 2017, and was introduced as the son of established character, Valerie Grant and the previously unknown grandson of Julie Olson Williams. As Valerie's son with Julie's late son David Banning, Eli is the product of daytime's first interracial romance, and the first African-American member of the show's core family, the Hortons.
1 2 Cassata, Mary; Skill, Thomas (1983). Life on Daytime Television: Tuning-In American Serial Drama. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex Publishing Corporation. p.14. ISBN0-89391-138-0.
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