Days of our Lives Star Deidre Hall Slaps TODAY Host Craig Melvin

Days of our Lives star Deidre Hall traveled to New York City to help celebrate her 50th anniversary as Dr. Marlena Evans Black. She appeared on NBC's TODAY show, and she was interviewed by host Craig Melvin, who lived out a fantasy scene with the daytime icon!

Marlena Evans, What She's Truly Known For

During the interview, Melvin told Hall that what he's always enjoyed is her ability to slap. "You are a great slapper," said Melvin, asking the actress if she had ever calculated how many times she'd slapped someone.

Hall confessed that she couldn't begin to imagine, and then, a montage of Marlena slapping folks played. We're guessing that the TODAY show folks got a glimpse of this YouTube video that was compiled over a decade ago of Marlena slapping various characters, including Kristen (then, Eileen Davidson; now, Stacy Haiduk), John (Drake Hogestyn), Sami (Allison Sweeney), Tony (Thaao Penghlis), and Victor (John Aniston)!

That's a lot of slapping! Of course, many DAYS fans would argue that Marlena is truly known for her innate goodness, her many romances (including one with the love of her life, John Black), and the times she'd been kidnapped by the late Stefano DiMera (Joe Mascolo).

Marlena has served as a moral compass for Salem by always striving to do good, never judging her patients, and loving her family, friends, and extended family.

However, there's no denying the number of times that good-natured Marlena has been driven to literally strike back!

Hit Me, Baby, One More Time

"It would be one of the greatest professional honors of my life if you would slap me," Melvin kindly requested.

This brought to mind the time Monica Geller (Courteney Cox) asked Susan Sarandon's Cecilia Monroe (AKA Jessica Lockhart) on Friends if she'd slap her! Cecilia said that legally she couldn't, but fortunately, for Mevlin, Hall was under no such restrictions!

"I’d be privileged,” Hall responded. Then, they stood up and prepared for the slap!

"Be gentle now," Melvin quipped. Hall gave her scene partner a quick tutorial on soap-slapping. "I'm going to draw my hand back," she shared. "And I'm going to come very close to your face."

Hall advised Melvin to snap his head back. The host played his part well and put his hand by his cheek as one would do if he had truly been slapped across the face.

Hall asked Melvin if he was okay as he faked crying. "I'm sorry," the actress deadpanned. "I meant to miss."

"You're the best," Melvin stated.

Melvin brought up movie star Ryan Gosling (Project Hail Mary) and his praise of Hall from when he watched her on DAYS in the 1990s, when Marlena was possessed by the devil. Gosling is up on his DAYS lore as he knew that decades later, Marlena was possessed again by Satan!

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"I was stunned," Hall told Melvin about her response to hearing Gosling's kind words. "His work is so impeccable. He's so honest, and he's so clean. What a lovely gesture, and I'm beyond flattered."

Soap Central wishes Hall a happy 50th anniversary as Marlena on DAYS!

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