How actress Ellen Dolan landed her dream job as the world spins

Susan Dansby: Hi, I’m Susan Dansby and I’m here with Ellen Dolan from while the world spins.

Ellen Dolan was born and raised in Iowa, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in drama from the University of Iowa. While working toward her bachelor’s degree, she spent a summer studying dramatic arts at the Webber Douglas Academy in London.

Her theater career began in the repertory theater with roles such as Katrin in mother courage.Other regional productions such as Maggie in Cat on a hot tin roofmay in how the other half lovesand Cleya in the nerd. She was a founding member of the Studio 3 Group, and is currently a member of the Workshop Theater Group.

Off-Broadway starred in sophistry and I forgive you, Ronald Reganand has worked on television episodes on shows like SVU law and order.

Elena joined while the world spins as a policewoman, Margo Hughes, in November 1989, after the late Doug Marland, who was the head writer of the CBS daytime drama, asked her to consider the role.

Marland had created Maureen Bauer’s former role of Dolan in guide light. Dolan debuted in guide light in 1982, playing the character of Maureen Bauer for the next four years.

His additional television credits include the made-for-television movies, Mother’s Day, Mothers, daughters and lovers with Helen Shaver, and dancing with danger with Cheryl Ladd.

So hello Ellen Dolan! How are you?

Ellen Dolan: Good, now I can talk.

Susan Dansby: If you can speak.

Ellen Dolan: Thank you! Enough about me. Let’s get to me.

Susan Dansby: Well, the big question for this interview is: How did you get that job? Doug Marland approached you to play Margo. How did the idea come about? He called you one day?

Ellen Dolan: Yes. My mother had just passed away. And I moved to Los Angeles for the first time. And you should never leave town after your mother dies. You’re not in a very good mood.

But here I was in Los Angeles, and I was doing what I could and getting along. And my car had been stolen, so I moved more to the Hollywood area. And I was going to hold on.

And all of a sudden, I got a call from Doug Marland saying, “Would you consider doing this part of Margo because Hillary Bailey Smith [original Margo] she’s really going to leave this time.” Because she had been planning to leave, I guess, on several different occasions, and she just never did. Because who would want to leave that role?

But he asked me if I would. And I said, “Yeah, I’d love to.” I was in Los Angeles for three months and I thought it really was time to go home, because I’m not ready yet.

Then I found out, “Well, okay, we’ll schedule a test for you.”

It was like, “A test? A test?!” I felt like Joey in Friends. “What do you mean you want to test me? I AM Dr. So-and-so.”

So I said, ‘Oh, okay, testing.’ So, I went in; and it was the first time I saw Scott Holmes [played Tom Hughes on ATWT]. And he was just cheerful and funny and charming. And I was the first person to be recorded with him. And badda-bing, badda-boom. I have it.

Susan Dansby: What was that scene about?

Ellen Dolan: I think it was the scene where he had to tell her that Adam wasn’t his son.

Susan Dansby: Wow.

Ellen Dolan: Because later, when he was doing it, we’d have scenes where we had to tell Hal that Adam was his son.