What To Know
- Deidre Hall, celebrating 50 years as Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives, performed a staged slap on Today host Craig Melvin.
- Hall demonstrated her signature soap opera slap technique.
- Hall has portrayed Marlena on Days of Our Lives since 1976.
Days of Our Lives star Deidre Hall just slapped Craig Melvin live on Today.
On Friday, June 19, the 78-year-old actress — who has played Marlena Evans over a span of 50 years on the beloved soap opera — pulled off a convincing stage slap on Melvin, 47, during her interview on the NBC morning show. The thing is, he asked for it.
“What I’ve always enjoyed is your ability to slap. You are a great slapper,” Melvin said. “Have you calculated how many times you’ve slapped?”
To that, Hall admitted, “Couldn’t even begin to imagine,” before a slap montage played.
Melvin then declared, “It would be one of the greatest professional honors of my life if you would slap me.”
“I’d be privileged,” Hall replied, as they stood up for the fake strike.
As the duo got into position, Melvin requested, “Be gentle now,” before the soap opera pro walked him through the stunt.
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“I’m going to draw my hand back,” Hall explained. “And I’m going to come very close to your face. And when you feel that happening, you’re going to snap your head.”
Melvin did as instructed and then placed his hand over his cheek as if he really had been struck.
“You OK?” Hall asked, as Melvin pretended to cry. She then joked, “I’m sorry. I meant to miss,” prompting Craig to laugh and tell her, “You’re the best.”
Hall joined Days of Our Lives in 1976 as Marlena, playing the character until 1987. In 1991, she returned to the role until Marlena was written off the show in 2009. Hall once again returned to the soap opera in 2011 to reprise the character, and she continues to play Marlena today.
Today, Weekdays, 7 a.m., NBC; Days of our Lives, Weekdays, Peacock
