Ranked: Female Soap Opera Stars Of 2019

Published on November 4, 2019.

It’s been a huge year for daytime dramas, and many leading ladies have stolen the show over the past 12 months. From strong women saving the day to some manipulative ones that love to scheme to supportive friends and so much more, the land of soaps would not be the same without our favorite daytime ladies. Below is an overview of female soap stars of 2019 ranked!

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15. Camryn Grimes

Camryn and her character Mariah have both had an incredible 2019! On The Young and the Restless (Y&R), Copeland continues to make strides in her career, and is finally settled in a long-term relationship that is moving forward. While Mariah and Tessa had plenty of bumps in the road, they dealt with them head-on, and will hopefully experience some smooth sailing in 2020.

14. Emme Rylan

Is there life after Dante? Emme Rylan’s General Hospital (GH) character Lulu Spencer continues to answer that question daily, as she moves on from super couple stardom to becoming a single pringle on the soap opera. It’s not an easy thing to do, but both actress and character are proving that there is much more to Spencer than just her love story with Falconeri.

13. Sal Stowers

Lani Price has had quite the roller coaster ride on Days of Our Lives (DOOL) this year. From her unhealthy obsession with Baby David and Rafe to her realizing the Eli was the one after all to the accidental shooting of Stefan DiMera to being a pawn in Gabi’s revenge plan more recently, the past 12 months have shot Price and Stowers into the forefront of Salem storylines.

12. Sharon Case

While Sharon has been with the Y&R for decades now, she continues to be a strong part of why the soap opera keeps fans tuning in daily and weekly. Her character Sharon has been through a lot this year, and Newman remains committed to evolving and growing, diving into new relationships, which has her in storylines that keep viewers intrigued and wanting more.

11. Rebecca Herbst

Much like Case, Rebecca Herbst has a long history with GH, and she continues to play a strong role in storylines within the show. While many thought Franco and Liz would finally see their “happily ever after,” the interesting twists and turns the couple has taken in 2019 – from tying the knot, to stepson issues, and memory loss – has kept fans on the edge of their seats this year.

10. Victoria Konefal

Ever since Konefal entered the land of DOOL in 2017, the character of Ciara has evolved from an awkward teen to a bona fide leading lady. Brady continues to thrill fans with her Cin super couple romance, and Konefal herself has had a huge 2019 in the land of soaps when she was nominated (for the first time) for a Daytime Emmy in the Younger Actress category.

9. Melissa Claire Egan

Melissa made a huge, smashing (and unexpected) Y&R return that has really stirred things up in Genoa City. As one of the biggest daytime drama comebacks of the year, Chelsea has Newman brothers Nick and Adam continually vying for her attention, and fans tuning in daily to see what kind of new shenanigans Chelsea will be up to.

8. Laura Wright

Carly expecting (and having a baby) this year was something most fans didn’t see coming, and her storyline around the health issues that Baby Donna could face really touched (and connected) with some GH fans. As a staple within the land of Port Charles, Wright also celebrated a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2019. While she didn’t take the statue home this year, there’s always 2020.

7. Melissa Reeves

How does one stay so relevant after decades of being in the same role on the same soap opera? Talent, talent, talent! Days’ Jennifer Horton has always been a fan favorite, but her stock rose a few notches in 2019 when her better half returned to the land of living in Salem. Nothing but up from here, thanks to a Jack and Jennifer reunion recently, not to mention re-igniting the chemistry these two characters have always shared. While Jenn did have a trying 12 months trying to remind the love of her life of his past life, Horton’s storylines also kept fans glued to their television sets in the process.

6. Sasha Calle

Y&R fans affectionately like to refer to Kyle and Lola as “Kola” and the two are one of the biggest super couples on daytime drama today. While Sasha is fairly new to the soap opera landscape, she’s risen tremendously in popularity over the short time she’s been on the show, and has become one of the key players in Genoa City thanks to her sweet, yet tough (and sassy) character.

5. Kelly Monaco

Speaking of tough and sassy, there aren’t many females in the land of daytime drama that are as strong as GH’s Sam McCall. She took on a cult leader this year, brought him down, managed to reunite with long-lost love Jason Morgan, faced prison without batting an eyelash, all while holding down a job and being one of the best mothers on the planet. That takes skill and strength.

4. Arianne Zucker

There were some pretty big comebacks in 2019, but none quite as unexpected as DOOL’s Nicole Walker. She technically returned to the land of Salem, not once, but twice, in a huge storyline that saw Kristen DiMera parading around as her, fooling all of Salem. So, the idea of it all was a tad unbelievable, but watching Zucker on screen made it all worth it for her long-time fans. Thankfully, the real Walker ended up alive as well, as Arianne continues to evolve the Nicole character on Days.

3. Camila Banus

Gabi Hernandez has gone from an awkward teenager to a scheming young adult, teetered as a fan favorite for a little while, and dove right back into bad girl status when she vowed revenge on Chabby on Days. While all those shenanigans were interesting to watch, the highlight of Camila’s 2019 had to have been Gabi’s relationship with Stefan. The idea was for Hernandez to fool DiMera into love, but she got bitten in the end, and while they aren’t considered the “good guys” in Salem, their love storyline won them the shipping name in Stabi and the hearts of many viewers, proving that with the right chemistry, even those that aren’t the nicest can still become a super couple.

2. Maura West

Along those same lines, GH’s Ava Jerome is certainly a character many fans love to hate; however, her storyline with Ryan Chamberlain was not only one of the biggest in daytime drama this year, but also won her some sympathy from viewers. West would also snag a Daytime Emmy nomination as well, and even though she didn’t take home the statue, this year’s storyline may live in the hearts of viewers for many years to come.

1. Michelle Stafford

It was the return that no one saw coming, but that everyone was excited for in the end. While actress Gina Tognoni’s recast portrayal of the legendary Phyllis Summers on the Y&R was incredible, there’s nothing like the original, and when Michelle came back to the show in mid-2019, it felt like the old Phyllis was back, and better than ever. Old chemistry and sparks revived, Summers (Stafford) picked up exactly where she has left off; stirring the pot, looking for power opportunities, and messing with people’s minds.