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For the first time online, here is complete information, alphabetically, on the 32 head writers (plus the original unaired pilot writer) in "Days of Our Lives" history. For more information, please visit the Head Writer Archive. Richard
Jeffrey Allen
Tenure:
1990-1991, 1992
Born November 13, 1959
in New York City...married Sheri Berkson...Emmy nominated as a staff
writer for "Days" in 1987...has also written for "General
Hospital", "One Life to Live", "Another World" and "As the World Turns"
(where he won two Emmys in 2001 and 2002)...currently
lives in Texas where he is the chairman and professor of the film
department at Texas Christian Univeristy in Fort Worth.
Sheryl Jeanne
Anderson Thomas
Tenure:
1982-1986, 1992-1993
Born June 27, 1948 in
Los Angeles, California...married Paca Thomas...during her first tenure as
co-head writer at "Days", helped create many
long-running characters including Bo Brady, Victor Kiriakis, John Black,
Kimberly Brady, Shane Donovan and Steve "Patch" Johnson...Emmy
nominated four times at "Days" (won once as a staff writer in 1976)...also
has written for "General Hospital", "Falcon Crest",
"Guiding Light", "Another World" and "Santa Barbara" (where she won an
Emmy in 1991)...returned to "Days" as a story consultant in 2017...lives
in Los Angeles, California.
Anne Howard
Bailey
Tenure:
1989-1990
Born July 26, 1924 in
Memphis, Tennessee...started writing for television in 1950 on "Armstrong
Circle Theatre"...also wrote for "Bonanza", "National
Velvet", "87th Precinct", "Family", "General Hospital", "Santa Barbara"
(where she won an Emmy in 1989)...also won a primetime
Emmy for "The Trial of Mary Lincoln"...created the short-lived soap "How
to Survive a Marriage" in 1974...died in Rancho Mirage,
California of congestive heart failure on November 23, 2006.
William Joseph
Bell
Tenure:
1966-1975
Born March 6, 1927 in
Chicago, Illinois...to earn money during college, he wrote scripts for a
Chicago radio station...married Lee Phillip in
1954...wrote for "The Guiding Light" and "As the World Turns"...co-created
"Another World" in 1964 and "Our Private World" in 1965...joined
"Days" as head writer in 1966, saving the show from cancellation, and
stayed as a story consultant until 1978...created both
"The Young and the Restless" (where he won five producing Emmys in 1983,
1985, 1986, 1993, and 2004 as well as three writing Emmys
in 1992, 1997 and 2000) and "The Bold and the Beautiful"...four-time Emmy
nominee for "Days", winning in 1976...died in Los
Angeles, California from complications of Alzheimer's on April 29, 2005 at
the age of 78.
Peter J.
Brash
Tenure:
2002-2003
Born July 16,
1954...has written for "Ryan's Hope", "Another World" and "Guiding Light"
(where he won an Emmy in 1990)...Emmy nominated for "Days"
in 1999...stayed with "Days" as a staff writer through March 1,
2007...lives in New York.
Lorraine Broderick
Delehanty
Tenure:
1999
Born
January 17, 1949 in Andover, Massachusetts...married Ronald
Delehanty...once taught English as a Second Language...was an associate dean and professor at Wesleyan
University...began her daytime career as a
writer for "All My Children" from 1979-1991. She has also written for
"Guiding Light" (1992-1993), "Another World" (1994-1995), "All My
Children" (1995-1997), "As the World Turns" (1998-1999), "Port Charles"
(2000-2001), "One Life to Live" (2001-2004), "Guiding Light" (2004-2005),
"All My Children" (2010-2012). Broderick has been nominated for 15 Daytime
Emmy Awards, winning six times (1985, 1988, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998).
She returned to "Days" as a breakdown writer in August
2012.
Ronald David Carlivati
Tenure: 2017-Present
Born November 25, 1968 in Rochester, New York...began his
daytime career with "One Life to Live" as a writers' assistant in 1996. He
worked his way up to head writer in 2007, a position he held until the
show ended its ABC run in 2012. From 2012-2015, he was the head writer of
"General Hospital." Carlivati has been nominated for 5 Daytime Emmy
awards, winning once in 2008 for his work on "One Life to Live."
Paula Frances
Cwikly
Tenure:
2002-2003
Born April 29, 1961 in
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania...was NBC's director of daytime programming...has
written for "Sunset Beach" and most recently for "As
the World Turns" (where she won an Emmy in 2005)...lives in Toluca Lake,
California.
Margaret Frances De
Priest
Tenure:
1982-1984
Born January 25,
1932...began career as an actress on "The Edge of Night"...co-created the
short-lived "Where the Heart Is" in 1969...head writer for
"Days" (Emmy nominated in 1984 and 1985), "General Hospital", "Another
World", "One Life to Live", "All My Children" and most
recently "Sunset Beach"...lives in California.
Ruth Albertina
Brooks Flippen
Tenure:
1980
Born September 14,
1921 in Brooklyn, New York...married actor/comedian Jay C. Flippen...won
an Emmy for "Oh Baby, Baby, Baby."...wrote scripts
for "Bewitched", "My World and Welcome To It", "The Odd Couple" and
"Gidget" as well as several "Gidget" movies...her final
stint was at "Days" for a month in 1980...died in Marina del Rey,
California of heart illness on July 9, 1981 at the age of
59.
Joe Shelby "Josh"
Griffith
Tenure: 2015-2016
Born August 15, 1959 in New York...began his
writing career with "Santa Barbara" from 1988-1991...co-created "Sunset
Beach" in 1997...has also written for "One Life to Live" (1991-1995,
2003-2004), "As the World Turns" (2005-2006, 2009-2010), "General
Hospital" (2009, 2011), and "The Young and the Restless" (2006-2008,
2012-2013)...served as a Co-Executive Producer on "The Young and the
Restless" and was a Co-Executive Producer/Head Writer of "Hollywood
Heights" in 2012...has won 5 Daytime Emmys (in 1989 and 1991 for "Santa
Barbara", in 1994 for "One Life to Live" and in 2007 and 2014 for "The
Young and the Restless"), and received a total of 13 Daytime Emmy
nominations.
Charles J.
Gussman
Wrote Original
Unaired Pilot in 1965
Born June 29, 1913 in
Kansas City, Missouri...started out writing for radio...also wrote for
"Search for Tomorrow" and "Young Doctor Malone"...he wrote the
unaired pilot episode script of "Days of Our Lives", which was shot in
July, 1965...in his obituary, an old quote of his says "I gave
the series its name...The big guys loved it because it didn't mean a
thing"...as his obituary states, he fulfilled his dying
wish of having his final words be memorable...just before dying he
whispered "And now for a word from our sponsor"...he died in Holland,
Pennsylvania on October 1, 2000 at the age of 87.
Elizabeth Louise
Foss Harrower Seabold
Tenure:
1979-1980
Born May 28, 1918 in
Alameda, California...during World War I, placed in an orphanage during
the great flu epidemic...adopted by the Harrowers...married
Harry Seabold...daughter Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams on
"Days")...wrote for "The Young and the Restless", "Ryan's
Hope" and "Days" (nominated for Emmys in 1978 and 1979)...also acted in
many movies and TV series such as "Days of Our Lives"
(as Mrs. Calder in 1966), "The Gene Autry Show", "Dennis the Menace", "The
Twilight Zone", "Perry Mason", "Batman", "Gunsmoke"
and, in her final role, as Charlotte Ramsey on "The Young and the
Restless" in 2003...died in Valley Village, California of cancer
on December 10, 2003 at the age of 85.
Dena Anne Breshears
Higley
Tenure: 2003,
2008-2011, 2015-2017
Born September 26,
1958 in Tulare, California...married Mark Higley (who also wrote for
"Days" in 2004)...Emmy nominated 8 times, winning twice (2008,
2012)...head writer for
"One Life to Live" from 2004-2007...returned to "Days" as head
writer in August, 2015...lives in La Canada, California.
Nina Jeanne Dainty
Laemmle
Tenure:
1980
Born November 20, 1910
in London, England...moved to America with her mother in April,
1935...married writer Ernest Laemmle in 1940...wrote for "Zane
Grey Theater", "Marcus Welby, MD" and "Peyton Place" as well as "Days" in
1980 where she was famous for what has come to be
called the "Valentine's Day Massacre", killing off many Salem characters
during her brief run with the show...born in 1910
(earlier than any other "Days" writer in history), she lived to be
97...she died in California on August 12, 2008.
Leah Laiman
Toporoff
Tenure:
1984-1989
Born August 29, 1946
in Tel Aviv, Israel...raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada...married Ralph
Toporoff...Emmy nominated twice for her work on "Days"
in 1985 and 1987...began her writing career with "General Hospital"...has
also written for "Guiding Light", "One Life to Live" and was the
final head writer for "Another World" in 1999...created the short-lived
series "Tribes" in 1992...currently writes for "As the World Turns"
(where she won an Emmy in 2001)...lives in New York City.
Thomas C.
Langan
Tenure:
1999-2002
Born October 19,
1947...began career as producer at "The Young and the Restless" (won an
Emmy as producer in 1986)...along with writing for "Days", he
was also the co-executive producer...Emmy nominated six times (once as a
lyricist in 1994; five times in a row as a producer from
1995-1999)...now retired, he lives in Englewood, Florida.
Michelle Poteet
Lisanti
Tenure:
1980-1981
Born January 25, 1954
in Elmhurst, Illinois...began her writing career in 1979 and has
previously written for "Texas", "Search for Tomorrow", "Guiding Light",
"As the World Turns", "The Young and the Restless", "Port Charles" and,
most recently, "One Life to Live." She was also the co-head writer of
"Sunset Beach" for its entire run from 1997-1999. Was later a staff writer
at "Days" from 1987-1994 and again from 2009-2011...lives in
California with her husband, Richard Lisanti, and two kids.
Dorothy Ann
Goldstone Marcus
Tenure:
1977-1979
Born August 22, 1921
in Little Falls, New York...married Ellis Marcus...reporter for New York
Daily News and Life Magazine...wrote for many TV series
such as "Lassie", "Peyton Place", "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman", "Valerie"
and "Falcon Crest"...head writer for "Love Is a Many
Splendored Thing", "General Hospital", "Search for Tomorrow" and "Days"
(Emmy nominee in 1978 and 1979)...released her
memoir "Whistling Girl" in 1999...wrote the feature film "For Heaven's
Sake" in 2006...died in Sherman Oaks, California on December
3, 2014 at the age of 93.
Marlene L. Clark
McPherson
Tenure: 2011-2012
Born August 20, 1962 in Napa County, California...Marlene
McPherson (formerly known as Marlene Clark Poulter) began her career at
"General Hospital" from 1987-1991, where she worked her way up from an
assistant to the producers, then to script continuity coordinator, and
finally as a script writer. From 1991-1993, she was a dialogue writer for
"Days", and later worked as a breakdown writer from 1993-1999. From
1999-2008, McPherson was a breakdown writer for the entire run of
"Passions." In 2009, she co-created the "Swiss Family Robinson" pilot for
ABC Family. She has been nominated for 7 Daytime Emmy Awards.
Beth Ellen
Milstein
Tenure: 1992,
2016
Born February 27,
1957...began her "Days" career as an associate producer in the
1980's...has also written for "The Bold and the Beautiful", "Port
Charles" and "Sunset Beach"...returned to the "Days" writing
staff from 2006-2007 and again in 2016 as interim head writer...lives
in Sherman Oaks, California.
Sally Louise
Sussman Morina
Tenure:
1997-1999
Born September 2,
1956...married director Anthony Morina...created NBC's "Generations" in
1989...also has written for "Another World", "Freshman
Dorm" and "Spyder Games"...Emmy nominated three times while at "Days" in
1997, 1998 and 1999...currently writes for "The Young
and the Restless" (where she won an Emmy in 2006)...lives in Santa Monica,
California.
Eugene Robert
Palumbo
Tenure: 1991-1992,
1992
Born November 10,
1945...also wrote for "General Hospital" and "Guiding Light" (where he won
an Emmy in 1982)...in his later years he went back to his
first love of playing piano and conducting music...died in Florida of a
head injury caused after he fell unconscious from a blood disease
on October 10, 2000 at the age of 54.
Peggy Phillips
Bucci
Tenure:
1965-1966
Born June 25, 1916 in
New York City...professional writer and public relations specialist for
Broadway for more than forty years...wrote the film "The
Crimson Canary" as well as TV series such as "Lassie", "My Three Sons",
"The Donna Reed Show", and was the first co-head writer of
"Days" in 1965...authored four books, including her final work "My
Brother's Keeper"...died in Dana Point, California of a
stroke on December 27, 2004 at the age of 88.
Ryan Shigeru Quan
Tenure: 2016-2017
Born September 9, 1977 in Los Angeles,
California...graduated from UCLA in 1999 and started off his soap career
by winning Procter & Gamble's writing contest for college students.
Quan was the writers' assistant for "Passions" from 1999-2005 and served
as the show's website coordinator from 2005-2007. He joined "Days of Our
Lives" on April 3, 2007 as the show's writers' assistant. He started doing
double duty as a dialogue writer from September 2008-November 2008 and
September 2009-March 2011. Quan did double duty as both a
breakdown writer and writers' assistant from September 2011-September
2016, when he was promoted to head writer. He became a story consultant in
2017...He won his first Daytime Emmy Award in 2012 and has been nominated
a total of four times (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015).
Thomas Frank
Raucina
Tenure:
1984-1986
Born June 4, 1946 in
Kenosha, Wisconsin...uses Racina as last name...Emmy nominated twice for
"Days" in 1985 and 1987...has also written for
"Search for Tomorrow", "General Hospital" (where he wrote Luke and Laura's
wedding), "Another World", "Generations" and "Santa
Barbara"...author of several mystery books, most recently "Deep
Freeze"...lives in Palm Springs, California.
James E.
Reilly
Tenure: 1992-1997,
2003-2006
Born July 29, 1948 in
Bronx, New York...has written for many soaps, such as "Ryan's Hope",
"Capitol", "General Hospital", "The Young and the
Restless", "Guiding Light" (where he won an Emmy in 1993) and "Sunset
Beach"...in July 1999, he created "Passions"...has the
second-longest tenure (8 years, 1 month) as the head writer for
"Days"...Emmy nominated three times for "Days" (1994, 1997 and
1998)...appeared as himself in a "Days" spoof on "Friends"...was the
creator and head writer of "Passions" for its entire run
(1999-2008)...died after recovering from cardiac surgery on October 12,
2008 at the age of 60.
Kenneth Mayer
Rosen
Tenure:
1965
Born January 13, 1929
in New York...wrote for "Perry Mason", "Arrest and Trial" and "Day in
Court", as well as being the first co-head writer of "Days" in
1965...later in his career wrote and produced documentaries and news
specials...last worked on Jacques Cousteau and Jane Goodall
documentary specials...died in Los Angeles, California of a heart attack
on July 2, 1976 at the age of 47.
Anne Marie
Schoettle Shaughnessy
Tenure:
1990-1991
Born October 5,
1959...married producer David Shaughnessy (brother of Charles "ex-Shane
Donovan" Shaughnessy)...Emmy nominated twice as a
staff writer for "Days" in 1985 and 1987...has also written for "The Bold
and the Beautiful"...returned briefly to the "Days" writing
staff in 2006...lives in California.
Mark Wayne "Hogan"
Sheffer
Tenure:
2006-2008
Born June 12, 1958 in
York, Pennsylvania...director of screenplay development at
Dreamworks...head writer for "As the World Turns" (winning
four Daytime Emmys)...received nickname of "Hogan" from his younger
brother who, as kids, thought he looked like pianist/composer Hoagy
Carmichael...he recently moved from New York to California to be closer to
the "Days" studios in Burbank.
Patricia Anne
Falkenhagen "Falken Smith" Fleischmann
Tenure: 1975-1977,
1981-1982
Born January 21, 1926
in Chippewa County, Minnesota...married Jack Fleischmann in 1968...worked
as a junior screenwriter at Warner Bros., making rewrites
and dialogue changes on the film classics "Rebel Without a Cause" and
"Giant"...helped with writing the early episodes of "Bonanza", as well as
writing for "Father of the Bride", "National Velvet", "Rawhide", "Perry
Mason"...joined "Days" in 1966 and stayed with the show
through 1977, returning briefly from 1981-1982 (Emmy nominated four times,
winning in 1976)..created characters such as Marlena
Evans, Roman Brady, Abe Carver, Stefano DiMera and Tony DiMera...later she
was the head writer for "General Hospital", "Guiding Light"
and "Ryan's Hope"...died in Los Angeles, California on May 19, 2001 at the
age of 75.
Darrell Ray Thomas,
Jr.
Tenure: 2011-2012
Born September 26,
1964...began his career as a breakdown writer for "Days of Our Lives" from
1998-1999...was one of "Passions" breakdown writers for the series' entire
run from 1999-2008...he has been nominated for 3 Daytime Emmy
Awards.
Gary D.
Tomlin
Tenure: 1980-1981;
2012-2015
Born March 6, 1950 in
Indianapolis, Indiana...began his career as an actor on such shows as
"Search For Tomorrow", "The Waltons" and "Another World". He switched to
writing and was a dialogue writer at "Days" from February-October 1980. He
was then the head writer (along with Michelle Poteet Lisanti) at "Days"
from October 20, 1980-October 20, 1981. He later wrote for "Texas",
"Search For Tomorrow", "Another World" and "Santa Barbara." Tomlin
switched to producing in 1995 and had stints at "All My Children", "Sunset
Beach" and "One Life to Live." From 2003-2008, Tomlin began the next phase
of his career, as a director on "Passions." From September 2008-September
2011, Tomlin was the Co-Executive Producer of "Days." He has been
nominated for 12 Daytime Emmy Awards, winning twice (in 1989 and
2002).
Christopher Joseph
Whitesell
Tenure: 2012-2015
Born January 17, 1957 in Iowa Falls, Iowa...Christopher
Whitesell has a long history in daytime, beginning in 1984 with "Guiding
Light." He was on the writing staffs of "Guiding Light", "As the World
Turns", "Another World" and "One Life to Live" before being named to his
first co-head writing position, on "General Hospital", in 1997. From
1998-1999, he was the co-head writer on "Sunset Beach." Whitesell then was
a breakdown and dialogue writer at "Days" from March 2000-March 2001. He
later was co-head writer on "One Life to Live" from 2001-2003 and "As the
World Turns" from 2003-2008. From October 2008-June 2011, Whitesell was
the co-head writer at "Days." He wrote for "The Young and the Restless"
from 2011-2012. Whitesell has been nominated for 14 Daytime Emmy
Awards, winning five times (in 1986 for "Guiding Light"; 1994 for "One
Life to Live"; 2004 and 2005 for "As the World Turns"; and 2012 for
"Days"). |