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Louise Sorel

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Louise Sorel
Don Rickles and Louise Sorel in 1971
Born
Louise Jacqueline Cohen

(1940-08-06) August 6, 1940 (age 86)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1957–present
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1964; div. 1970)​
​
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(m. 1973; div. 1975)​
[1][2]

Louise Jacqueline Sorel (née Cohen; born August 6, 1940) is an American actress. She played Vivian Alamain in the American soap opera Days of Our Lives from 1992–2000, 2009–2011, 2017–2018, 2020, 2023 and 2025–present. She has also played Augusta Lockridge on Santa Barbara from 1984–1991 and Emily Tanner on Beacon Hill since 2014.

Early life

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Sorel was born Louise Jacqueline Cohen in Los Angeles, California on August 6, 1940.[3][4] Her parents were Albert J. Cohen, a film producer, and Jeanne (née Sorel), a concert pianist.[5][6] Sorel is Jewish.[7][better source needed]

Sorel received theatrical training at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York. She briefly attended the Institut Français, where she studied French.[8] She began performing on stage when she was 15 years old.[5]

Career

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Sorel's early career was on the stage; she spent several years on Broadway, playing roles in Take Her, She's Mine[9] and Man and Boy.[10] She appeared in stage productions of The Lion in Winter and The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window.[11]

Sorel's first film role was a cameo appearance in the 1957 film Eighteen and Anxious.[4] She went on to appear in The Party's Over (1965),[12][13][14] Plaza Suite (1971), an episode of Night Gallery titled "Pickman's Model" (1971), B.S. I Love You (1971), Every Little Crook and Nanny (1972), The Return of Charlie Chan (1973), Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), Mazes and Monsters (1982), Where the Boys Are '84 (1984), and Crimes of Passion (1984), among others. Sorel has made guest appearances on more than 50 prime-time programs and TV movies, including Star Trek (as "Rayna", in the episode "Requiem for Methuselah", which aired in 1969).[15] She also portrayed Terry Waverly, the sister-in-law of Dr. Richard Kimble, in an episode of The Fugitive in 1965.

From left: Arthur Hill, Michael Witney, Sharon Gless, John Davidson and Sorel on ABC's Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (1972)

She made other guest appearances on such programs as Bonanza (as Marie in the episode "The Strange One", 1965), Daniel Boone, The Virginian, Night Gallery, Route 66, The Big Valley, The Fugitive, Search (as Magda Reiner, in "Live Men Tell Tales"), Vega$, Hart to Hart, Medical Center, Charlie's Angels, The Incredible Hulk, Hawaii Five-O, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, Knots Landing, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, among others. She had a principal role on The Don Rickles Show.[12]

Sorel played fan-favorite character Augusta Lockridge on the NBC daytime drama series Santa Barbara from July 1984 to August 1986, then from November 1988 to May 1989, returning the following October. She remained until October 1991.[4]

In between stints, she also spent a year appearing as a strong-willed but decent District Attorney, Judith Russell Sanders, on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, from August 1986 through November 1987. She played the villainous Vivian Alamain on the NBC daytime serial, Days of Our Lives from March 1992 until February 2000. Sorel's performance as Alamain garnered her five Soap Opera Digest Awards, including "Outstanding Villainess" in 1994 and "Outstanding Showstopper" in 1997 and 1999.[4][16]

In 2000, shortly after her dismissal from Days of Our Lives, Sorel briefly joined the cast of the Port Charles as fashion maven "Donatella Stewart" (a play on the names Donatella Versace and Martha Stewart). The role lasted for a month. In 2001, she had a brief role on another ABC soap opera, All My Children, as Judge Kay Campobello, who blackmailed Adam Chandler into sleeping with her. She made a brief appearance on Passions as cannery worker Dort in 2004. In December 2009, she was invited to reprise her villainous role on Days of Our Lives.[17]

In June 2011, Sorel was let go from Days of Our Lives along with many other actors to make room for the return of super couple John and Marlena and several other characters.[18] In 2014, Sorel played Emily Tanner in the soap opera web series Beacon Hill.[19][20]

On December 29, 2017, Sorel returned to Days of Our Lives as Vivian. However, she was briefly replaced by Robin Strasser. On December 30, 2019, it was announced that Sorel would once again return to the role in 2020.[21]

In 2023 Sorel returned to her role as Vivian Alamain in Days of Our Lives, and again in 2025.[22]

Partial filmography

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Awards

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Year Award Category Work Result
1986 3rd Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Comic Relief Role on a Daytime Serial Santa Barbara Nominated
1986 3rd Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role on a Daytime Serial Santa Barbara Nominated
1993 9th Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Villain/Villainess Days of Our Lives Nominated
1994 10th Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Villain/Villainess Days of our Lives Won
1995 11th Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Female Scene Stealer Days of our Lives Won
1996 12th Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role Days of our Lives Won
1997 13th Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Female Showstopper Days of our Lives Won
1999 15th Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Female Scene Stealer Days of our Lives Won

References

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  1. ↑ "Balloons, T-Shirts Give Class to Hollywood Party". The Buffalo News. Buffalo, N.Y. July 31, 1975. p. 23. Retrieved December 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Louise Sorel". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on May 19, 2014.
  3. ↑ Ward, Jack (1993). Television Guest Stars: An Illustrated Career Chronicle for 678 Performers of the Sixties and Seventies. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company. p. 489. ISBN 978-0-89950-807-8.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Waldo, Garren (August 6, 2019). "Days of our Lives Favorite Louise Sorel Celebrates Her Birthday". Soap Hub. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  5. 1 2 Hart, Marla (November 3, 1994). "Louise Sorel Battles To Give Her Character Character". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Jeanne Sorel Cohen". Variety. January 28, 2003. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  7. ↑ Howard, Margo (2014). Eat, Drink & Remarry: Confessions of a Serial Wife. Don Mills, Ont.: Harlequin. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-373-89304-1 – via Internet Archive.
  8. ↑ "Louise Sorel". Soap Opera Digest. n.d. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  9. ↑ Grant, Joseph M. (July 28, 1964). "Pidgeon and New Star Enliven Nyack Comedy". The Record. Hackensack, N.J. p. 41. Retrieved December 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Oppenheimer, George (November 13, 1963). "Rattigan's 'Man and Boy' Proves a Battering Bore". Newsday (Nassau Edition). Hempstead, N.Y. p. 101. Retrieved December 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Louise Sorel". IBDb.com. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  12. 1 2 Erickson, Hal (n.d.). "Louise Sorel". Movies & TV. The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 23, 2009.
  13. ↑ Cottis, Nicolas (May 8, 1965). "Romantic View of Dissipation". The Birmingham Post. Birmingham, UK. p. 12. Retrieved December 24, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Goudas, John N. (September 19, 1993). "Days of Louise Sorel's Life". Tulsa World. Tulsa, Okla. p. 145. Retrieved December 24, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Catching Up with TOS Guest Star... Louise Sorel". Startrek.com. CBS Television Distribution and CBS Interactive Inc. December 20, 2016. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  16. ↑ Papadatos, Markos (July 23, 2020). "Chatting with veteran actress Louise Sorel: 'Days of Our Lives' (Includes interview)". Digital Journal. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021.
  17. ↑ Logan, Michael (June 2, 2011). "Exclusive: Louise Sorel Exits Days of Our Lives". TV Guide. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  18. ↑ Mitovich, Matt Webb (June 3, 2011). "Days Shake-Up! John/Marlena In, Two Vets Out". TVLine. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012.
  19. ↑ "A Who's Who Guide For Beacon Hill!". ABC Soaps In Depth. February 28, 2014. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015.
  20. ↑ "The Characters". Beaconhilltheseries.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2015.
  21. ↑ Joyner, Kelly (December 30, 2019). "'Days of Our Lives' Spoilers: Vivian Back With Stefan – Louise Sorel Return Hinted?". Soap Dirt. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  22. ↑ Kroll, Dan J. (March 23, 2023). "Louise Sorel returning to Days of our Lives". Soapcentral.com. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
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