Connie Passalacqua Hayman, also known to soap fans as Marlena De Lacroix, whose column appeared for many years in Soap Opera Weekly, will be joining The Locher Room on Wednesday, July 17 at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT. Passalacqua Hayman will share her deep passion for daytime television and discuss how it shaped her illustrious career as a writer, editor and professor.
Passalacqua Hayman began her journey into soap journalism in 1980 as an assistant to newspaper columnist Jon-Michael Reed, eventually serving as editor for Afternoon TV magazine and Soap Opera World. Her contributions spanned across every soap magazine ever published, including notable roles at Soap Opera People and Soap Opera Digest.
In 1989, while she was working on Episodes, ABC’s official soap magazine, Passalacqua Hayman was invited by Mimi Torchin to write the column “Critical Condition” for the newly launched Soap Opera Weekly magazine. Under the pseudonym Marlena De Lacroix, her candid, witty, and impeccably written columns quickly became a sensation in the soap industry.
Beyond her impactful columns, her writing has graced prestigious publications such as the New York Times, New York Daily News, USA Today, Variety, and TV Guide. She served as a syndicated television columnist for United Features and as the soap columnist for Newsday. In 2007, she launched her own platform, Marlena De Lacroix, Soaps for the Thinking Fan.
Passalacqua Hayman tells Digest, “I’ve been so fortunate to interview many storied personalities like actors, executive producers, head writers and network execs. Sadly, so many of them are not with us anymore. I’ve got many stories about the business which I’m sure I’ll be asked about and I’m looking forward to sharing them.”
Don’t miss this insightful conversation with Connie Passalacqua Hayman looking back at her incredible career in soap journalism, her over 50 years as a soap viewer and her time creating the popular column, Critical Condition under the pen name, Marlena De Lacroix. She also has a Facebook group called “Marlena’s Current and Classic Soaps.”
To participate in the livestream interview, click here.
