Maggie Horton
Encyclopedia
Margaret "Maggie" Horton (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...

Simmons) is a fictional character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

 from the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

 soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...

 Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...

, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Salem. She has been portrayed by actress Suzanne Rogers
Suzanne Rogers
Suzanne Rogers is an Emmy Award winning longtime American actress with credits in both Television and Film. Miss Rogers's stage name was inspired by Ginger Rogers, who she cites as a personal inspiration for joining the entertainment industry...

 continuously since 1973, though she left the show briefly in 1984 and 2003. One of the show's earliest characters, she was created by scriptwriter William J. Bell
William J. Bell
William J. Bell was the creator and executive producer of the soap operas The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.-Personal life:...

 and producer Betty Corday
Betty Corday
Betty Corday was a broadway dramatic actress and long-time American television producer. She co-created and executive produced the long running NBC drama "Days of our Lives from 1966 until her death in 1987.Becoming executive producer after the death of her husband, Ted Corday Betty Corday (née...

 as a romantic interest for original character Mickey Horton
Mickey Horton
Michael "Mickey" Horton I was a fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives. Mickey was played from November 1965 to January 2004 by actor John Clarke, briefly in 2004 by Richard Voigts, and was played by actor John Ingle from 2004 to 2006...

. Maggie, however, would become a much bigger part of the show in later years.

Maggie's storylines often focus on romance and family troubles. She is portrayed as a stoic, opinionated and family-oriented woman who is generally loving and supportive, but occasionally interferes in her friends' and relatives' lives. A prominent storyline in 1984 included Maggie discovering that she had Myasthenia Gravis
Myasthenia gravis
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune neuromuscular disease leading to fluctuating muscle weakness and fatiguability...

, which mirrored Rogers' real-life struggles with the disease. In 2003, Maggie was "killed off" in a "whodunnit?" murder storyline involving a serial killer. Rogers returned to the show in 2004 after producer James E. Reilly
James E. Reilly
James E. Reilly was an American soap opera writer. Known for his work as the head writer of NBC's Days of our Lives and creator/head writer of Passions, Reilly won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Writing as co-head writer for Guiding Light in 1993.Reilly died suddenly in October...

 decided to have all the murder victims, including Maggie, turn up alive on the island of Melaswen, or "New Salem" spelled backwards.

Maggie's most well-known relationship was her longtime marriage to Mickey Horton
Mickey Horton
Michael "Mickey" Horton I was a fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives. Mickey was played from November 1965 to January 2004 by actor John Clarke, briefly in 2004 by Richard Voigts, and was played by actor John Ingle from 2004 to 2006...

. The characters met during Rogers' first episode in 1973, when Maggie cared for him while living on a farm. Following a series of experiences together, the pair grew extremely close, and their bond became central to both characters until Mickey's onscreen death in 2010. For her work as Maggie, Rogers won a Daytime Emmy Award
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...

 in 1979. The character has been described as a "legend" and a television icon
Cultural icon
A cultural icon can be a symbol, logo, picture, name, face, person, building or other image that is readily recognized and generally represents an object or concept with great cultural significance to a wide cultural group...

. In 2011, Rogers celebrated 38 years on Days, with only two minor interruptions.

Background

Maggie Horton is one of the earliest characters invented by scriptwriter William J. Bell
William J. Bell
William J. Bell was the creator and executive producer of the soap operas The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.-Personal life:...

, and executive producer Betty Corday
Betty Corday
Betty Corday was a broadway dramatic actress and long-time American television producer. She co-created and executive produced the long running NBC drama "Days of our Lives from 1966 until her death in 1987.Becoming executive producer after the death of her husband, Ted Corday Betty Corday (née...

. The character was brought on as a potential love interest for already established character – Mickey Horton
Mickey Horton
Michael "Mickey" Horton I was a fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives. Mickey was played from November 1965 to January 2004 by actor John Clarke, briefly in 2004 by Richard Voigts, and was played by actor John Ingle from 2004 to 2006...

. This was originally intended to put the character in close contact with the soap's core family, the Hortons. Shortly after her arrival on the serial in 1973, Maggie married Mickey, thus establishing her to the soap's core family. Maggie is the mother of Melissa Horton (whom she adopted), and Sarah Horton
Sarah Horton
Sarah Horton is a fictional character on the show Days of our Lives.She was born in 1981 to Neil Curtis and Maggie Horton. She was conceived through artificial insemination and was believed to be the daughter of Evan Whyland. It was not until she was a teen that they found out her father was Neil...

 (who's biological father is Neil Curtis, not Mickey). She is the grandmother of Nathan Horton (Melissa's son).

Casting

Maggie was introduced as a guest character in August 1973, by scriptwriter William J. Bell and executive producer Betty Corday
Betty Corday
Betty Corday was a broadway dramatic actress and long-time American television producer. She co-created and executive produced the long running NBC drama "Days of our Lives from 1966 until her death in 1987.Becoming executive producer after the death of her husband, Ted Corday Betty Corday (née...

. From the beginning, Bell considered the role ideal for Suzanne Rogers
Suzanne Rogers
Suzanne Rogers is an Emmy Award winning longtime American actress with credits in both Television and Film. Miss Rogers's stage name was inspired by Ginger Rogers, who she cites as a personal inspiration for joining the entertainment industry...

, a former Rockette from the Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...

. Bell approached Rogers about taking the role of Maggie, and she agreed. She was immediately described by critics who gave reviews of the show as being one of the most energetic girls on daytime television. The news of Suzanne Rogers
Suzanne Rogers
Suzanne Rogers is an Emmy Award winning longtime American actress with credits in both Television and Film. Miss Rogers's stage name was inspired by Ginger Rogers, who she cites as a personal inspiration for joining the entertainment industry...

 being cast as Maggie was a different move, taking an actress who loves to dance, to a character of a crippled farm girl. This was her first television assignment, after being the youngest girl to take the stage at Radio City Music Hall.

In 1984, Suzanne Rogers (Maggie's portrayer) was diagnosed with a rare muscle disorder called Myasthenia Gravis. This disease affected her facial muscles, and the medicine
Prednisone
Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid drug that is particularly effective as an immunosuppressant drug. It is used to treat certain inflammatory diseases and some types of cancer, but has significant adverse effects...

 the doctors put her on made her feel ill, and her face appeared swollen while also suffering hair loss. Rogers was forced to quit the show after 11 years when the effects of the disease became increasingly worse. Her entire appearance changed, and she did not return to the show for a year. Rogers returned to the serial when her health became better. Rogers wanting to educate viewers about the disease, confronted executive producer Betty Corday
Betty Corday
Betty Corday was a broadway dramatic actress and long-time American television producer. She co-created and executive produced the long running NBC drama "Days of our Lives from 1966 until her death in 1987.Becoming executive producer after the death of her husband, Ted Corday Betty Corday (née...

 about her character being diagnosed with the disease. Corday agreed, and a storyline played out with Maggie learning she has myasthenia gravis. The actress went into remission in 1995, and has remained in remission since. In 2010, after her character's partner is killed off Maggie began to notice some effects she experienced when diagnosed with the disease in 1984.

In 2003, a major series of serial killings occurred on the show. Maggie was "killed off" in a "whodunnit?" murder storyline involving a serial killer. Maggie's murder forced Rogers to depart from the series. To help with falling ratings at the time current head writer James E. Reilly
James E. Reilly
James E. Reilly was an American soap opera writer. Known for his work as the head writer of NBC's Days of our Lives and creator/head writer of Passions, Reilly won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Writing as co-head writer for Guiding Light in 1993.Reilly died suddenly in October...

 decided to bring all the characters back from the dead. They all turned up in the fictional town of Melaswen, or New Salem spelt backwards. This storyline sparked major controversy, and proved to be a daring move.

Awards

Rogers won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1979 for her portrayal of Maggie as an alcoholic. With Leann Hunley
Leann Hunley
Leann Hunley is an American Emmy Award–winning actress. She is perhaps best known for her recurring role as Anna DiMera on NBC's long-running Days of our Lives.-Personal life:...

 (Anna DiMera) leaving the show in 2010, she is the only current Days of our Lives actress to have received an Emmy for her work.

Early storylines

Maggie Simmons lives on a farm out in the country where she hires hands to take care of her farm. Maggie is crippled as the result of a childhood auto-accident which killed her parents. One day Mickey Horton
Mickey Horton
Michael "Mickey" Horton I was a fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives. Mickey was played from November 1965 to January 2004 by actor John Clarke, briefly in 2004 by Richard Voigts, and was played by actor John Ingle from 2004 to 2006...

, suffering from memory problems believing he is a man named "Marty Hanson", stumbles into her farmhouse desperate for food and water, and soon collapses. Maggie, who is lonesome for company, takes Mickey in and cares for him in his weak condition.
Maggie and "Marty" continue to live on the farm, and in 1974 they marry. "Marty" begins reading about a treatment for injuries such as Maggie's being done at Salem University Hospital, and sets up an appointment for Maggie to be checked out. However, when Maggie goes to the hospital she sees on one of the desks a picture of Mickey without a beard, and she hears stories about a patient named Mickey Horton
Mickey Horton
Michael "Mickey" Horton I was a fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives. Mickey was played from November 1965 to January 2004 by actor John Clarke, briefly in 2004 by Richard Voigts, and was played by actor John Ingle from 2004 to 2006...

 who disappeared around the same time that "Marty" appeared at her farm. Maggie leaves the hospital and does not return or tell "Marty" what she learned. Later the Hortons eventually are led to the farm after seeing Mickey's picture in a newspaper. Determined to stay married to Mickey, Maggie undergoes the operation to regain the use of her legs in hopes it will help her hold onto Mickey.

In 1975 Maggie is operated on by Bill Horton
Bill Horton
Dr. William "Bill" Horton, II is a fictional character on the daytime drama Days of our Lives.Named after his grandfather, Bill Horton was the youngest son of the Horton children; his siblings include Tom Horton Jr., Mickey Horton, Addie Horton, and Marie Horton...

 (Mickey's brother), but she still cannot walk. Laura Horton (Bill's wife and Mikey's ex-wife) explains to her that her paralysis is no longer physical, but mental. Maggie is so afraid of losing Mickey that she is causing the paralysis in her mind. After Mickey officially divorces Laura, Mickey and Maggie are married on Jan 25, 1975.

Marriage to Mickey

Maggie's marriage to Mickey Horton
Mickey Horton
Michael "Mickey" Horton I was a fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives. Mickey was played from November 1965 to January 2004 by actor John Clarke, briefly in 2004 by Richard Voigts, and was played by actor John Ingle from 2004 to 2006...

 is central to the character, with their relationship being among the most prominent and long-running relationships on the show. Mickey is depicted as a smart, tough lawyer, with Maggie being portrayed as a weak farm girl. Maggie and Mickey were generally depicted as the most stable couple on the show, even after all the torment the two had gone through. When Maggie is apparently murdered by a serial killer in 2003, it comes as a shock when Mickey starts a relationship with Bonnie Lockhart. Bonnie was Maggie's nemesis, and former housekeeper. This relationship lasts for the better part of 2003, and into much of 2004. Maggie is found on the island of Melaswen, New Salem spelt backwards. Maggie returns to Salem to learn her husband Mickey is in a relationship with Bonnie. A furious, and embarrassed Maggie tries everything to win back her love. This is about the time that longtime veteran John Clarke
John Clarke
-Canada:* John Clarke , Canadian political activist and founder of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty* John Clarke C.M., Canadian mountaineer, explorer and wilderness educator* John Clarke -Canada:* John Clarke (activist), Canadian political activist and founder of the Ontario Coalition...

 retired as Mickey Horton
Mickey Horton
Michael "Mickey" Horton I was a fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives. Mickey was played from November 1965 to January 2004 by actor John Clarke, briefly in 2004 by Richard Voigts, and was played by actor John Ingle from 2004 to 2006...

, and is recast by actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

 John Ingle
John Ingle
John Ingle is an American actor known for his role as scheming patriarch Edward Quartermaine on the ABC daytime drama, General Hospital.-Career:...

.

In 1978, Janice (Mickey and Maggie's adoptive daughter) is taken away from Mickey and Maggie by her natural mother Joanna Barnes. Janice is eventually found and returned to Mickey and Maggie, but Joanna takes a job in Salem and stays close to her daughter. This relationship takes its toll on Maggie, and begins to drowned out her sorrows with alcohol. Later that year Maggie's drinking increases and is arrested when she has an accident with Janice in her car, both are knocked unconscious and taken to the hospital.

Maggie joins Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...

 but falls off the wagon when Janice's custody hearing becomes near. When the possibility that Maggie may lose Janice to her natural mother Joanne, Maggie kidnaps Janice and flees town with her. She eventually returns to Salem after Tom Horton
Tom Horton
Dr. Thomas "Tom" Horton, Sr. is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives. He was played by Macdonald Carey from 1965 until his death in 1994.-Storylines:...

 (her father-in-law) finds her in a nearby town. Later Janice has an accident on the pier while playing with little Melissa. Janice falls into the water, and as a result slipped into a coma. Joanna Barnes and Maggie fought over her at the hospital, but in the end Joanna is given custody of her daughter. In 1979 Maggie unknowingly sells some cane
Cane
Cane are either of two genera of tall, perennial grasses with flexible, woody stalks from the family Poaceae that grow throughout the world in wet soils. They are related to and may include species of bamboo. The genus Arundo is native from the Mediterranean region to the Far East. Arundinaria...

s containing cocaine to customers of Julie's (Mickey's niece) shop. Later when a drug dealer comes looking for them the two struggled and Maggie eventually shoots him with his own gun.

In 1981 Maggie agrees to be a surrogate mother for an anonymous donor. Maggie goes to Neil (the donor) and agrees to be inseminated. Neil performs the procedure, and Maggie soon becomes pregnant. Later that year Dr. Evan Whyland comes to Salem, and Neil knows he is the anonymous donor of Maggie's. When Evan learns about this he begins to call on Maggie often.

Mickey learns that the baby she is carrying is Evan Whyland's, and even when he tells Maggie she wants to keep the baby, so Mickey agrees to love the baby as his daughter. In late 1981 Sarah Horton is born, and after a custody battle with Evan Whyland, Mickey and Maggie win custody of Sarah. Later Mickey and Maggie also get custody of Melissa Anderson (Linda Patterson's daughter). In 1982 Evan often pays visits to Maggie and little Sarah, and powerful crime lord Stefano DiMera
Stefano DiMera
Stefano DiMera is a fictional character, a villain on the American soap opera Days of our Lives. Created by head writer Pat Falken Smith, he is portrayed by Joseph Mascolo...

 suspects Maggie knows of Evan's evidence against him and tries to have Maggie killed by tampering with the brakes in her car. Mickey and Don (Mickey's partner) begin to investigate Stefano after Evan Whyland dies, and when Mickey gets too close to Stefano, Stefano kidnaps Mickey while making it appear that he had died in a car crash. Don begins to spend time with Maggie, and eventually falls in love with her. When Don finally tells Maggie she is speechless.

In 1983, Maggie and Don eventually professes their love to one another. Unfortunately, Mickey escapes from Stefano and returns to Salem. When he sees his wife and Don declare their love to each other, Mickey has a heart attack.

Maggie and Mickey divorce in 1983, and soon after Maggie stops seeing Don, realizing her divorce from Mickey was a mistake. Mickey is accidentally shot during a gang rumble. He recuperates at Maggie's house, and the two rekindle their love. On February 14, Mickey and Maggie remarry in a double wedding with Melissa Anderson and Pete Jannings (Melissa's fiance).

Maggie and Mickey's marriage is in trouble by 1990. Mickey is always at work and constantly lets down Maggie and misses dinner dates and other important functions. Maggie ends up seeking solace in the arms of doctor Neil Curtis. Maggie's daughter, Sarah, caught Maggie and Neil and takes pictures of them together in bed. Sarah is ready to expose them when Maggie and Neil reveal a shocking secret to her: Neil is Sarah's true father. Sarah still exposes them and the news devastates her adopted father, Mickey. Though Mickey is hurt, he feels he is partly to blame for Maggie's infidelity. Mickey and Maggie patch up their marriage, and Neil leaves Salem.

When Julie Williams
Julie Olson Williams
Julie Williams is a fictional character on the NBC daytime drama, Days of our Lives, a long running serial about working class life in the ficitonal town of Salem. The character of Julie was introduced as a 16-year-old when the show premiered in 1965, with 22-year-old Charla Doherty being the...

 leave Salem in 1993, Alice and Maggie Horton turned Wings (a popular restaurant) into Alice's Restaurant. In 1993, Alice and Maggie Horton invest in Billie Reed
Billie Reed
Billie Reed is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives. The character is no longer used in the current storylines. Created by writer Sheri Anderson, the role was originated by actress Lisa Rinna on September 21, 1992. Krista Allen stepped into the role from 1996-1999. Lisa...

's up and coming cosmetics company "Countess Wilhelmina". Maggie has very little story after that until she purchases Tuscany (a local restaurant) and makes herself into the town busybody.

Salem Stalker

In 2003, Mickey and Maggie are attacked in their home by close friend Marlena Evans
Marlena Evans
Dr. Marlena Evans Black is a long-running fictional character on the NBC daytime drama, Days of our Lives, a long running serial about working life in the fictional town of Salem. She was played by actress Deidre Hall since 1976, with a few minor breaks in between from 1987 to March 1991 and...

. Mickey survives, but unfortunately, the hit from the alcohol bottle and a deep stab wound ends Maggie's life. She is the third victim of the Salem Serial killer, who is murdering the citizens of Salem, including Maggie's mother in law, Alice Horton
Alice Horton
Alice Horton is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives, portrayed by Frances Reid from the show's debut on November 8, 1965 until December 26, 2007...

. Maggie returns to Salem when she and the rest of the serial killer "victims" are rescued from the island where crime lord Stefano DiMera
Stefano DiMera
Stefano DiMera is a fictional character, a villain on the American soap opera Days of our Lives. Created by head writer Pat Falken Smith, he is portrayed by Joseph Mascolo...

's nephew Andre DiMera had kept them. Andre framed and drugged Marlena Evans
Marlena Evans
Dr. Marlena Evans Black is a long-running fictional character on the NBC daytime drama, Days of our Lives, a long running serial about working life in the fictional town of Salem. She was played by actress Deidre Hall since 1976, with a few minor breaks in between from 1987 to March 1991 and...

 to believe that she is the serial killer. Maggie's return is bitter sweet as she learns that Mickey has moved on with his life and married Bonnie Lockhart. Desperate to win her husband back, Maggie, Doug (Julie's husband), and Julie work hard to show that Bonnie is just trying to extort money from Mickey and that she will never really love him. They are successful and Mickey and Maggie settle back into their life together. Maggie begins running the upscale restaurant Chez Rouge and Mickey continues to practice law. Maggie continues to be the primary confidant and supporter of her nephew-in-law Lucas.

Mickey and Alice's deaths

In 2010, after Julie convinces Maggie that she and Mickey need to spend some alone time together, Maggie books a cruise. Mickey is upstairs packing, and when Maggie goes to check on him, she discovers that he had died of a heart attack, leaving her a widow. Maggie has had a difficult time dealing with the fact that her husband is gone, and fears facing life without Mickey. On January 14, 2010, Mickey's memorial service takes place which includes Hortons from the past and present comforting Maggie.

In June 2010, Maggie takes care of an ill Alice Horton
Alice Horton
Alice Horton is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives, portrayed by Frances Reid from the show's debut on November 8, 1965 until December 26, 2007...

. Maggie finds Alice Horton passed away peacefully in her sleep and comes downstairs to deliver the sad news. Maggie grieves not only losing her mother in law, but is in shock that two people she loved very much died just a few months apart. This death positioned Maggie as the new matriarch of the show.
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