Julie Williams

Julie Olson was born with the proverbial silver spoon in her mouth to parents Addie Horton Olson and Ben Olson. Addie had married status-conscious Ben, whose father was the richest man in Salem and the president of the First National Bank. They lived in the toniest part of town, Wycliffe Heights.

As the first-born Horton grandchild, Julie had been the prime focus of family attention until her brother Steven arrived two years later. Being cheated of the spotlight was an affront to this spoiled, pampered princess. As Steven grew into a popular young man with an outstanding academic record, Julie found less savory ways to get attention and control. She shoplifted to impress girlfriends and flirted with many of Salem's eligible bachelors.

Grandfather Tom once noted, "Ben has been so busy making money to be a good father that he's lost the ability to communicate as a father. In order to get love, you have to have the time to give love. Ben has just never made the time. He and Addie had better wake up to Julie's needs before it's too late."

Tom Horton didn't know how right he was that day, for Julie soon became a handful. She was now living in the Horton household, in her grandparents' care after her parents moved to Europe. The rebellious and out-spoken teenager often perplexed her grandparents and tried Tom's patience as no one else could.

Tom Horton to Julie..."When you were five...we were at the park and got separated...All you did was yell, cry, and kick up dirt. You've been doing that ever since - being frightened, scared, running off in ten directions at once."

Julie carried on a torrid romance with the older David Martin, finding herself pregnant with his child. David was murdered and Julie gave birth, taking her Grandfather Tom's words of counsel into consideration. Against her instincts, she gave her child up for adoption. Later, Julie would marry her son David's adoptive father, Scott Banning, and get her child back.

Scott became the first of Julie's husbands, but certainly not the last. She enjoyed affairs with many men over the following years, and married several others. But it wasn't until she met Doug Williams that the spoiled girl who gave her grandparents so much grief would finally grow up.

Doug was a con man hired by Julie's one-time best friend turned nemesis, Susan Martin, to get Julie away from Scott. Susan wanted Scott for herself and knew Julie wouldn't be able to resist Doug's charms. Susan didn't know that she was introducing her foe to the man that would change her life forever.

Susan Seaforth Hayes reflects on Doug and Julie..."The Doug and Julie of the 1970's were the soap opera epitome of lovers who loved and lost, then loved and conquered - several times over."

And did they ever! Their romance was frought with many obstacles, including Doug's marriage to Julie's mother, Addie, who was widowed when Ben died. The lovers also dealt with Addie's cancer and late-in-life pregnancy, which resulted in the birth of Hope. Sadly, it was tragedy that would finally bring them back together. Addie, her cancer in remission, was struck and killed while saving little Hope from an on-coming car.

Susan Seaforth Hayes reflects on Doug and Julie's storyline..."The story always pulled Doug and Julie one way or the other, but rarely together for long. Doug's first wife, Kim, came back and came between them after Addie died. Then a manipulative gold-digger, Lee Dumonde, arrived."

Julie and Doug had finally wed and settled into bliss when a fire disfigured Julie's face. Feeling unattractive, Julie divorced Doug, leaving him vulnerable to Lee's advances. Doug married Lee, though he and Julie were still in love. After re-constructive surgery restored Julie's good looks, she rekindled her romance with Doug, causing Lee to plot Julie's murder. Lee had a change of mind at the last minute, saving Julie from the hit man's bullet, and relented, granting Doug a divorce. Doug and Julie re-married and moved abroad.

Susan Seaforth Hayes reflects on Doug and Julie's departure..."Doug and Julie were of another generation. The foundation of the show had always been family, its growth and its enduring love. How fitting that their daughter Hope would keep the Horton family moving forward, in step with the times."

"I think the casting of Kristian Alfonso as Hope was the beginning of the end for Doug and Julie as attractive people. The new Hope ushered in another time. There was a climate of change. Kristian as Hope has been very important to the show."

Julie returned to Salem, sans Doug, and became involved with Victor Kiriakis. She was determined to mastermind Victor's downfall and rid Salem of his influence. The two shared a business-rivalry-romance that never really got off the ground.

Susan Seaforth Hayes reflects on her solo Salem Days: "I never quite understood why Julie came back without Doug, and Julie attempted to find other partners, but my character never had neither the impact nor the importance that we as a couple had."

Julie then joined many Salemites on the voyage of the cruise ship, Loretta, which had a bomb on board. The explosion shipwrecked everyone on an island, where Ernesto Toscano held them captive. They were eventually rescued, but Hope was "killed" when she and Ernesto fell into a vat of acid. Julie helped a grieving Bo deal with Hope's death.

Susan Seaforth Hayes reflects on her island Days: "I loved the 'Cruise of Deception' with the whole adventure on the island. I loved my breakaway red evening gown that I selected myself. I loved the fact that crew members took pieces of my dress and had it hanging on their cameras. It was like being in a war movie!"

Julie left Salem again to join Doug in Switzerland and the couple reunited. They made several visits home over the next several years, before returning for good in 2003 and taking up residence with Alice. Doug re-opened Doug's Place and Julie invested in Basic Black, saving the company from Victor's hostile take-over attempt and sitting on the Board of Directors.

Susan Seaforth Hayes reflects on what's left for Julie: "Old age and decrepitude...if I get to play it. They really have never handled that. They've never treated Frances Reid (Alice) as a genuine older person, and she certainly is an older person...she is past 90! All of that, I'm not kidding, is a vast field for exploration. And not just health - attitude, change, inability to participate, longing to participate, making up for mistakes in the past, running out of time. All those things are valid stories, and would be fun. With as many older characters as exist on the show, somebody could get a storyline about falling apart. Why not me? If I had something that was dramatic to do, I might as well do that."

DID YOU KNOW...Sweethearts of the '70's Bill and Susan Seaforth Hayes graced the January 12, 1976 cover of Time magazine with a headline that read: Sex and Suffering in the Afternoon.