Soap Opera Icon, ‘General Hospital’ and ‘Days of Our Lives’ Writer, Dies at 94

Margaret DePriest, a legendary figure in daytime television, has passed away at the age of 94. Her daughter, Sara Kimbell, told The Hollywood Reporter that DePriest died of natural causes at her home in Greenwich Village on September 29.

DePriest began her career as an actress, appearing on popular soap operas like CBS’ The Edge of Night as Abby Cameron and NBC’s The Doctors as Mrs. Berger, a social worker. In 1969, she teamed up with her mentor Lou Scofield to create the CBS soap Where the Heart Is. Kimbell recalled that at the time, network executives praised her for “writing like a man.”

She moved quickly into head writing, starting with CBS’ Love of Life in 1975, then returning to The Doctors before joining ABC’s General Hospital from 1978 to 1981. During her time there, she helped shape some of the show’s most memorable moments, including the iconic wedding of Luke and Laura.

DePriest later spent three seasons as head writer on NBC’s Days of Our Lives. Alongside Pat Falken Smith and Sheri Anderson, she redesigned the fictional town of Salem, introducing new families and locations, including the working-class Brady family. She also developed the dramatic storyline about the Salem Strangler and worked on the 1985 wedding of Bo and Hope, another celebrated soap couple.

Her career continued with stints on Another World, All My Children, One Life to Live, and Sunset Beach, where she enjoyed collaborating with producer Aaron Spelling. DePriest earned several Daytime Emmy nominations for her writing, including for General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, All My Children, and One Life to Live.

Kimbell described her mother as “exacting and unafraid to challenge executives,” adding that she “favored strong female leads and layered storylines that tackled social change, class and identity.”

Margaret DePriest’s career left a lasting mark on daytime television. She was known for bold storytelling and creating memorable characters, especially strong female leads who challenged the norms of their time.

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