However the actress most recognized for the role is Ellen Dolan, who played the character from December 18, 1989 until 2010, with a break from January 1993 to June 1994.

For her work on the show, Dolan won Soap Opera Digest's Outstanding Supporting Actress award in 1993, and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy the same year.

The character of Margo had been with the soap since 1980 and was played by several actresses: Originating the role in 1980, The Edge of Night's Colin stayed for two years (eventually marrying her on-screen love interest Justin Deas).

"[3] In 1989, after six years with the show, Bailey Smith quit the role, admitting she was burned out after her time on As the World Turns.

Doug’s feeling was, “Go take a break and come back.” I said, “I’d loved to do that, I just need a break.”[3] Ellen Dolan was offered the role of Margo Montgomery Hughes in 1989 by then head-writer Douglas Marland.

District Attorney Tom Hughes's questioning of Lyla brought out the truth: John Dixon was Margo's real father.

While John was supposedly recuperating but faking his blindness, he was dismayed to find out that Margo was carrying on an affair with James.

Tom and Margo were horrified to learn that Mr. Big was hiding in the back, and before he jumped, he told them the tank was almost empty since he had siphoned off the gas of his plane.

This silent man, whose name was Bruno (who had killed Connie Wilson back in September 1981), ushered them to the table, and to their horror, Mr. Big joined them.

In the "room of love," (from March 17–19, 1982) Margo stepped on a painted heart and was shot by an arrow (with only a minor injury to her arm.

Striker wanted her dismissed, but Margo caught him in the locker room with a shapely blond officer.

In an isolated room away from the nightclub, Mr. Big told Margo that if she didn't tell him where the hatband was, he would release the cougar.

After Mr. Big had killed Jacques, he had kidnapped Bilan, from a convent near Nice, France, and spirited her to his ranch in the east African island nation of Zanzibar.

Mr. Big was shocked to learn that Bilan knew the secrets to the fortune that he felt Jacques had kept for himself and quickly booked an airline flight to Zanzibar.

She recovered rather quickly, but was astounded to learn that Tom had defended the woman who had supposedly killed her father John, Dee Stewart.

At the same time, Margo's stepfather, Casey Peretti, was terminally ill and made her promise to unplug the machines that he was hooked up to.

After spending a few months in Washington DC, Margo started getting homesick and returned to Oakdale to be with Tom and the boys.

Unable to deal with the fact that Emily was now a permanent part of their lives, Margo served Tom with separation papers.

When Margo found Alec in Tom's hospital room after he was attacked, she immediately knew that she made a mistake and was determined to send him to jail.

Aside from scorn from other officers for "stealing" Hal's job, she had to agonize over her actions after arresting her brother for the boathouse explosion, which nearly killed Barbara.

In 2004, the Hughes marriage would reach another crisis with the arrival of former football star and new sports anchor for WOAK, Doc Reese.

Soon Margo's self-control started to crumble, especially after she found herself caught in a smoldering kiss with Doc in the club's sauna.

Found out, Margo told Tom about the smoldering kisses she and Doc shared but insisted that nothing sexual occurred.

Because of his history, Margo was wary when Casey grew closer to young Maddie Coleman who ultimately became a good influence on him.

Though Tom warned her to give Casey some time to adjust, Margo immediately began peppering him with questions about his future.

Suspecting that Gray was bad news, Alison took her suspicions to Casey and the two found out something startling—Gray's real name was Gerald Nevins.

Later, during the week of her twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, Margo got a shock when she returned home unexpectedly to find Emily in a state of undress with Casey.

When it became clear that Casey would pick Emily over his family, Tom convinced a begrudging Margo that they had to accept the relationship or they risked losing their son.

Thanks to testimony from Maddie, stating that her having buried him alive may have led to his violent behavior, and a plea of leniency from Tom, the case against Adam was dismissed.

On the personal front, things were finally looking bright for Casey when he announced that he was enrolling in law school and he was engaged to Alison Stewart.