Days of Our Lives star Deidre Hall is celebrating 50 years since she first joined the beloved soap opera, and has confirmed she isn’t done yet.

The 78-year-old, who has played psychiatrist Marlena Evans for half a century, joked that she’ll continue to work on the show “as long as my key card still opens the gate.”

The Milwaukee, Wisconsin-born actor told People that when she first joined the show she was given just a 13-week contract.

“All that I thought was: ‘Okay, that’ll be fun,’” she remembered. “It was always a happy surprise to be invited back.”

Hall’s character has become one of the most well-known in soap history, with a backstory that now includes being possessed by the devil on two occasions as well as surviving a fall from a 30th floor window.

Reflecting on her five decades in the role, Hall said: “I have loved every moment. It’s the best job.”

In 2014, her character made history when she officiated the first gay male wedding on daytime television, having previously been involved in an emotional coming-out scene with her grandson.

Hall remembers: “We had tons of fan mail about that, young men writing saying: ‘I wish I had a mom like you; I wish I had a grandma like you.’ Everybody wanted Marlena to be their person, and the truth is, what you want is just somebody to care and accept you. It was so important.”

She added that she still has dreams about what she can achieve with the character, joking: “Well, an Emmy would be nice!”

Back in March, Ryan Gosling claimed that it was Hall who inspired him to act. Accepting an invitation to visit her on the Days of our Lives set, Gosling said: “I will be there to thank you in person for being my OG acting inspiration. It wasn't Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, it wasn't De Niro in Taxi Driver, it was you and I want to thank you for your offer. Anytime, anywhere. You tell me, I'll be there."

Last June, Hall was involved in the heartbreaking onscreen death of Drake Hogestyn’s character, John Black, eight months after the actor died in September 2024.

During his final moments, Hall’s character, whom he had been married to several times, tearfully told him that he’d given her and their four children “all the love we will ever, ever need.”

Hours after the episode premiered, Hall labeled it the “hardest day ever” in an social media post.