Deidre Hall Slaps Craig Melvin Live on Today, Fulfilling His Dream.
In fact, Craig Melvin had one of his greatest days ever. On the June 19 airing of the morning show, former Days of Our Lives star Deidre Hall gave the Today host a slap in the face, fulfilling a lifetime fantasy.
"Of all of the storylines that you've been a part of over the years—the coma, the demonic possession—what I've always enjoyed is your ability to slap," Melvin informed Hall. "You're a great slapper."
With a grin, Hall, who has been on the soap opera for fifty years, thanked Melvin and said that she "couldn't begin to imagine" the number of slaps she has given on screen over the previous fifty years.
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Additionally, Melvin had a very particular desire for the soap opera star.
"It would be one of the greatest professional honors of my life if you would slap me," Melvin stated, and Hall eagerly replied, “I’d be privileged to slap you.”
The news especially thrilled Melvin's Today team, and the 47-year-old joked, “She’s gonna do what so many of them have wanted to do for years.”
Then, as she described to him the way they would plan the slap, he asked Hall, 78, to "be gentle now, don't hurt the money maker."
"I'm gonna draw my hand back and I'm going to come very close to your face," Hall clarified. "And when you feel that happen, you're gonna snap your head."
Then, when Melvin shook his head and feigned to cry, Hall threw her hand at him, and the two started laughing.
"You're the best," exclaimed Melvin to Hall.
Additionally, Hall has no intention of saying farewell to her Days of Our Lives character, Dr. Marlena Evans, following 50 years of slaps.
“As long as my key card opens the gate, I’m there,” she told Melvin. “It’s my family. I love that place. I couldn’t resist.”
Hall has also been appreciative of her time on the show for quite some time.
"In a world of endless auditions and occasional acceptance,” in 2023, as she celebrated her 5,000th episode, she informed media reporters, “I have been blessed with continuous work and the embrace of a deeply creative family.”
She went on to say, "For over 45 years, I have lived an actor's dream."