# Susan Seaforth Hayes
**Susan Seaforth Hayes** (born Susan Seabold, 1943) is an American actress best known for playing Julie Olson Williams on the NBC daytime drama *Days of Our Lives*, a role she took up in 1968 and has continued across more than five decades. She is also known for her marriage to her on-screen partner [Bill Hayes](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-hayes-actor), with whom she appeared as a couple well known to daytime audiences.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371238/bio/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1943, Oakland, California, as Susan Seabold[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371238/bio/) |
| Signature role | Julie Olson Williams on *Days of Our Lives*, from 1968; continuous 1968–1984 and 1990–1993, recurring in 1994 and 1996, regular since 1999[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371238/bio/) |
| Marriage | Married co-star Bill Hayes on October 12, 1974; the marriage lasted until his death in 2024 at age 98[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/hayes-susan-seaforth-1943-susan-seaforth) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/susan-seaforth-hayes/) |
| Cultural milestone | She and Bill Hayes were featured on the cover of *Time* magazine's January 12, 1976 issue, described by an oral history of the soap opera as the soaps' first supercouple[4](https://www.neatorama.com/2013/04/12/Sex-Death-in-the-Afternoon-An-Oral-History-of-the-American-Soap-Opera/) |
| Emmy recognition | Four Emmy nominations during her first *Days* run; she and Bill Hayes later received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award[5](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-susan-seaforth-hayes/) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/susan-seaforth-hayes/) |
| Autobiography | *Like Sands through the Hour Glass*, a joint autobiography with Bill Hayes, published in 2005 and titled from the show's catchphrase[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371238/bio/) |
## Early life and child acting
Hayes was born Susan Seabold in [Oakland, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/oakland-california), the daughter of Elizabeth Harrower, an actress who later became a soap opera writer.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371238/bio/) • [5](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-susan-seaforth-hayes/) She was raised in Hollywood, where her mother worked as an actor and screenwriter for *Days of Our Lives*.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/susan-seaforth-hayes/)
Her acting career began in childhood. She appeared on the anthology series *Cavalcade of America* in 1954 and, from 1956, worked steadily in series television without holding a regular role in any one series.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371238/bio/) Her early screen credits include guest roles on *Lassie* and *The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp*, and film appearances including *The Tijuana Story* (1957) and *Billie* (1965).[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/susan-seaforth-hayes/) • [2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/hayes-susan-seaforth-1943-susan-seaforth) She has also traced her stage roots to early childhood: at age four she played the child Trouble in *Madama Butterfly* in Los Angeles, and she later appeared with the Metropolitan Opera Company in the same role.[6](https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0%2C33009%2C913851%2C00.html) • [7](https://ringsidereport.com/?p=114388)
## Days of Our Lives and Julie Williams
In 1968 Hayes was cast as Julie Olson Williams on *Days of Our Lives*, the role that defined her career. She has said she was initially passed over because her eyelashes were too long.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371238/bio/) • [5](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-susan-seaforth-hayes/) She played the role continuously from 1968 to 1984 and again from 1990 to 1993, made recurring appearances in 1994 and 1996, and has appeared regularly since 1999.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371238/bio/)
**Doug and Julie.** The character's romance with Doug Williams, played by Bill Hayes, became a centerpiece of the show after Bill Hayes joined the cast in 1970. The on-screen romance turned into a real one: the two announced their 1974 marriage, and the pairing became a media favorite.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/susan-seaforth-hayes/) A 1976 *Time* cover story featured the pair as the soaps' first supercouple, whose on-screen romance mirrored a widely publicized off-screen one; at the time, daytime dramas drew some 20 million viewers.[4](https://www.neatorama.com/2013/04/12/Sex-Death-in-the-Afternoon-An-Oral-History-of-the-American-Soap-Opera/) Hayes recalled in a 2021 interview that she and Bill learned of the *Time* cover when they walked into the show's commissary and saw it, and that the same year she was nominated for Best Actress at the Daytime Emmys.[8](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/susan-seaforth-hayes-looks-back-on-the-glory-days-of-soaps/)
She has described the production culture of her early years on the show as demanding and ensemble-based: read-throughs and blocking the day before, a 6 a.m. call for further rehearsal, and shooting in the middle of the afternoon, under head writer Bill Bell.[8](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/susan-seaforth-hayes-looks-back-on-the-glory-days-of-soaps/) When she and Bill Hayes left the show in 1984 after their characters were, in the trade press's words, relegated to the back burner, the departure was treated as a momentous goodbye for the couple and their characters.[5](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-susan-seaforth-hayes/)
## Other work
Between her *Days* runs, Hayes spent five years as JoAnna Manning on *The Young and the Restless*, where her mother was also writing at the time.[5](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-susan-seaforth-hayes/) Encyclopedia.com's filmography also credits her as Patricia Steele on *Sunset Beach* in 1999, and lists earlier soap roles as Dorothy Bradley on *General Hospital* (1963) and Carol West on *The Young Marrieds* (1965–66).[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/hayes-susan-seaforth-1943-susan-seaforth) Her film work includes *Wrestling with God* (1990) and *The Dream Machine* (1990).[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/hayes-susan-seaforth-1943-susan-seaforth)
With Bill Hayes she toured the country with a variety act, performed in telethons, plays, and musicals, and wrote a column for *Soap Opera Digest*.[5](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-susan-seaforth-hayes/) In 2005 the couple published a joint autobiography, *Like Sands through the Hour Glass*, taking its title from the show's catchphrase.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371238/bio/)
## Recognition
Hayes collected four Emmy nominations during her first run on *Days of Our Lives*.[5](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-susan-seaforth-hayes/) She and Bill Hayes received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award, marked in a 2017 *TV Insider* interview.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/susan-seaforth-hayes/) In 2015, as *Days of Our Lives* marked 50 years on the air, she joined [Deidre Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/deidre-hall) and executive producer Greg Meng in presenting show scripts, original art, Horton family Christmas ornaments, and a pledge of the iconic hourglass to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History for its daytime television collection.[9](https://americanhistory.si.edu/press/releases/smithsonian-spotlights-daytime-television)
Bill Hayes died in January 2024 at his home in Studio City, California, at age 98, after 50 years of marriage; his wife confirmed his death, and she subsequently played Julie's grief on screen in storylines that drew wide attention from the show's audience.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/susan-seaforth-hayes/) She remains with the show, and in 2025 trade coverage marked her place in its 60th-anniversary celebrations.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/susan-seaforth-hayes/)
## References
1. [Susan Seaforth Hayes – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371238/bio/)
2. [Hayes, Susan Seaforth 1943– (Susan Seaforth), Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/hayes-susan-seaforth-1943-susan-seaforth)
3. [Susan Seaforth Hayes – Actress, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/susan-seaforth-hayes/)
4. [Sex & Death in the Afternoon: An Oral History of the American Soap Opera, Neatorama](https://www.neatorama.com/2013/04/12/Sex-Death-in-the-Afternoon-An-Oral-History-of-the-American-Soap-Opera/)
5. [#TBT – Susan Seaforth Hayes, Soap Opera Digest](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tbt-susan-seaforth-hayes/)
6. [Television: The Soaps' Hottest Lovers, TIME](https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0%2C33009%2C913851%2C00.html)
7. [60 Seconds with Actress Susan Seaforth Hayes, Ringside Report](https://ringsidereport.com/?p=114388)
8. [Susan Seaforth Hayes Looks Back On The Glory Days of Soaps, Soap Opera Digest](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/susan-seaforth-hayes-looks-back-on-the-glory-days-of-soaps/)
9. [Smithsonian Spotlights Daytime Television, National Museum of American History](https://americanhistory.si.edu/press/releases/smithsonian-spotlights-daytime-television)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames H to Ha*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license