Wow, this is an impressive achievement, any way you slice it. Helen Wagner has played the same character on the same show for a half century!

Wagner has played the character of Nancy Hughes on As The World Turns since this show's debut on April 2, 1956. She is now 87 years old. Just think of all the TV shows where an actor might play the role for a year or three or five or ten. Take that, David Caruso!

Wagner uttered the very first line in As The World Turns: "Good morning, dear. What would you like for breakfast?" (His answer: "Your head on a plate, you selfish bitch!" I'm kidding, I'm kidding.) She is also the actress in that famous ATWT scene that was interrupted by Walter Cronkite breaking in to the soap and telling the world that JFK had been shot (they did the show live back then).

Congrats, Helen.