EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: DEIDRE HALL ‘DAYS’ CONFESSIONS

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Beloved soap star Deidre Hall tells The National ENQUIRER that she’s amazingly similar to her TV character, Dr. Marlena Evans. 

“Marlena is every woman, including myself,” Deidre – who created the role back in 1976 – told The ENQUIRER in an exclusive interview.

“When we first met Marlena, she was establishing herself in her career. Later, we saw her focused on marriage and family. Currently, she is devoted to her work and family. Much like me!”

Viewers love Marlena’s story so much that Deidre’s real-life twin sister, Andrea Hall-Gengler, was hired to play Marlena’s evil twin, Samantha. “Andrea taught special education and had no acting experience or training,” Deidre revealed.

“When a scene required Andrea to cry, I cautioned her that it wasn’t easy, but she told me not to worry,” Deidre recalled. “(When) the moment came, she cried like a baby on camera, and walked off the set triumphantly. When I asked her how she did it, she said, ‘How hard could it be? I’ve seen you do it for years!’ Such is the nature of being a twin.”

Over the years, Deidre’s character has survived a fall from a 30-story window, acted as a surrogate for genetically engineered babies and was even possessed by the devil! “The possession story was satisfying because after so many years of being Salem’s sweetheart, I got a chance to play sheer evil, literally,” she said.

This fall, “Days” fans will see Marlena and John Black work on mending and forgiveness. “They’re about to circle back. Always good,” said Deidre, who gushed that working with actor Drake Hogestyn is “heaven.”

Off-set, the 66-year-old empty- nester keeps her brain active, even returning to college to study “everything from ballroom to American Sign Language.”

Deidre also wrote the book, “How Does She Do It?” based on her acting experience. “So much of what actresses have learned is really usable in a woman’s everyday life,” she said.

With “Days” nearing its 50th anniversary, Deidre tells The ENQUIRER: “That only happens by doing a lot of little things right and having a loyal and devoted audience. We are blessed with both.”