Louise Sorel

Louise Jacqueline Sorel ( Cohen; born August 6, 1940) is an American actress. She played Vivian Alamain in the American soap opera Days of Our Lives from 1992–2000, 2009–2011, 2017–2018, 2020, 2023 and 2025–present. She has also played Augusta Lockridge on Santa Barbara from 1984–1991 and Emily Tanner on Beacon Hill since 2014.

Early life Sorel was born Louise Jacqueline Cohen in Los Angeles, California on August 6, 1940. Her parents were Albert J. Cohen, a film producer, and Jeanne ( Sorel), a concert pianist. Sorel is Jewish.

Sorel received theatrical training at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York. She briefly attended the Institut Français, where she studied French. She began performing on stage when she was 15 years old. and Man and Boy. She appeared in stage productions of The Lion in Winter and The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window.

Sorel's first film role was a cameo appearance in the 1957 film Eighteen and Anxious. Plaza Suite (1971), an episode of Night Gallery titled "Pickman's Model" (1971), B.S. I Love You (1971), Every Little Crook and Nanny (1972), The Return of Charlie Chan (1973), Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), Mazes and Monsters (1982), Where the Boys Are '84 (1984), and Crimes of Passion (1984), among others. Sorel has made guest appearances on more than 50 prime-time programs and TV movies, including Star Trek (as "Rayna", in the episode "Requiem for Methuselah", which aired in 1969). She also portrayed Terry Waverly, the sister-in-law of Dr. Richard Kimble, in an episode of The Fugitive in 1965. From left: Arthur Hill, Michael Witney, Sharon Gless, John Davidson and Sorel on ABC's Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (1972)She made other guest appearances on such programs as Bonanza (as Marie in the episode "The Strange One", 1965), Daniel Boone, The Virginian, Night Gallery, Route 66, The Big Valley, The Fugitive, Search (as Magda Reiner, in "Live Men Tell Tales"), Vega$, Hart to Hart, Medical Center, Charlie's Angels, The Incredible Hulk, Hawaii Five-O, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, Knots Landing, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, among others. She had a principal role on The Don Rickles Show.

Sorel played fan-favorite character Augusta Lockridge on the NBC daytime drama series Santa Barbara from July 1984 to August 1986, then from November 1988 to May 1989, returning the following October. She remained until October 1991.

In 2000, shortly after her dismissal from Days of Our Lives, Sorel briefly joined the cast of the Port Charles as fashion maven "Donatella Stewart" (a play on the names Donatella Versace and Martha Stewart). The role lasted for a month. In 2001, she had a brief role on another ABC soap opera, All My Children, as Judge Kay Campobello, who blackmailed Adam Chandler into sleeping with her. She made a brief appearance on Passions as cannery worker Dort in 2004. In December 2009, she was invited to reprise her villainous role on Days of Our Lives.

In June 2011, Sorel was let go from Days of Our Lives along with many other actors to make room for the return of super couple John and Marlena and several other characters. In 2014, Sorel played Emily Tanner in the soap opera web series Beacon Hill.

On December 29, 2017, Sorel returned to Days of Our Lives as Vivian. However, she was briefly replaced by Robin Strasser. On December 30, 2019, it was announced that Sorel would once again return to the role in 2020.

In 2023 Sorel returned to her role as Vivian Alamain in Days of Our Lives, and again in 2025.

Partial filmography 2014, 2020: Beacon Hill – Emily Tanner 1992–2000, 2009–11, 2017–18, 2020, 2023-present: Days of Our Lives – Vivian Alamain 2004: Passions – Dort 1998: Sabrina the Teenage Witch – Mrs Saberhagen 1996: Law & Order – "Causa Mortis" as Marcy Fletcher Wrightman 1984–1991: Santa Barbara – Augusta Lockridge 1986–87: One Life to Live – Judith Sanders 1984: Matt Houston – "Eyewitness" as Barbara Daniels 1983: Diff'rent Strokes – Robin Saunders 1982: Mazes and Monsters – Julia 1982: Airplane II: The Sequel – Nurse 1982: Hart to Hart – "Blue and Broken Harted" season 3 episode 16 – Pat Yankee 1982: Knots Landing – Bess Riker 1982: Trapper John, M.D. – Marty Katz 1982: Magnum, P.I. – Eleanor Greeley 1979: The Incredible Hulk – Doctor Renee Dubois, S3E10 1977: Kojak – Janice Maclay 1974: Kojak – Vicky Brewer 1973: Circle of Fear – Nisa King 1973: The President's Plane Is Missing – Joanna Spencer 1973: Hawaii Five-O - Diane Foxton 1972: The Don Rickles Show – Barbara Robinson 1972: Banacek – Alicia Danato 1971: B.S. I Love You – Ruth 1971: Night Gallery – Mavis Goldsmith 1969: Star Trek: The Original Series – "Requiem for Methuselah" as Rayna 1968: Mannix – "Delayed Action" as Danielle Michaels / Merry Higgins 1967: The Rat Patrol – "The Fatal Reunion Raid" as Gabrielle 1967: The Flying Nun - S1E4 – "A Bell for San Tanco" as Binkie 1965: Bonanza – Marie 1965: The Virginian – "The Dream Of Stavros Karas" - Eleni Niarcos 1965: The Fugitive – "The Survivors" as Terry Waverly

1963: The Defenders – "Conspiracy of Silence" as Margie Spencer

Awards Year Award Category Work Result 1986 3rd Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Comic Relief Role on a Daytime Serial Santa Barbara 1986 3rd Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role on a Daytime Serial Santa Barbara 1993 9th Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Villain/Villainess Days of Our Lives 1994 10th Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Villain/Villainess Days of our Lives 1995 11th Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Female Scene Stealer Days of our Lives 1996 12th Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role Days of our Lives 1997 13th Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Female Showstopper Days of our Lives 1999 15th Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Female Scene Stealer Days of our Lives