By Mara Levinsky

Considering the amount of talent currently residing in Oakdale – 13 of As the World Turns' actors received Emmy nominations this year – it should come as no surprise that many of the show's former stars have gone on to achieve fame in varied arenas: film, primetime, theater, even other daytime soaps. In celebration of ATWT's 45th anniversary (the show made its bow on April 2, 1956), Digest Online salutes 45 of Oakdale's most successful alums. In no particular order, they are...

1. Meg Ryan, 1982-84
Life in Oakdale: Oakdale sweetheart Betsy Stewart married Craig but later found true love with Steve Andropolous.
Life after Oakdale: One of Hollywood's biggest stars, Ryan's film credits include When Harry Met Sally…, Courage Under Fire, Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and last year's Proof of Life.

2. Scott Bryce, 1982-87; 1990-94
Life in Oakdale: Scheming Craig Montgomery faked paralysis to hold on to gal pal Betsy and had an affair with Lucinda before falling in love with her daughter, Sierra.
Life after Oakdale: Bryce spent a season on The Facts of Life and now stars as Mike McQueen on Popular.

3. James Earl Jones, 1966
Life in Oakdale: A staff physician at Oakdale Memorial, Dr. Jerry Turner performed Nancy's hysterectomy.
Life after Oakdale: Jones' extensive credits include Roots, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, and The Lion King, but he is perhaps best known as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars trilogy.

4. Marisa Tomei, 1983-85
Life in Oakdale: Homeless waif Marcy Thompson dated Kirk, then left town after meeting and marrying the man of her dreams, Lord Stewart Markam Cushing.
Life after Oakdale: Tomei starred on the sitcom A Different World before winning an Academy Award for My Cousin Vinny. She starred in last year's What Women Want and appears in the new romantic comedy Someone Like You.

5. Christian J. LeBlanc, 1983-85
Life in Oakdale: Playboy Kirk McColl courted Frannie and Marcy and learned that his real mother was Dorothy Connors, the family housekeeper.
Life after Oakdale: LeBlanc is a two-time Emmy nominee for his work as manipulative attorney Michael Baldwin on The Young & the Restless.

6. Mary McDonnell, 1980
Life in Oakdale: Barbara gave up her illegitimate son Paul to be raised by good friend Claudia Colfax, whose new husband abused the boy.
Life after Oakdale: The Oscar-nominated McDonnell has starred in such films as Matewan, Dances With Wolves, and Independence Day.

7. James Rebhorn, 1988-91
Life in Oakdale: "Upstanding" businessman Henry Lange killed himself after Caleb forced him to admit that he had molested and raped his daughter, Angel.
Life after Oakdale: Respected character actor Rebhorn has played pivotal roles in such movies as Independence Day, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and last year's smash hit Meet the Parents.

8. John Reilly, 1974-76
Life in Oakdale: Dan Stewart divorced unfaithful wife Susan and fell in love with Kim.
Life after Oakdale: Reilly was a fan favorite as General Hospital's Sean Donely and has held recurring roles on Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place.

9. James Van Der Beek, 1994
Life in Oakdale: The actor appeared briefly as Kirk Anderson's teenage son, Stephen.
Life after Oakdale: Best known as Dawson on Dawson's Creek, Van Der Beek also starred in the blockbuster Varsity Blues and has roles in such upcoming films as Texas Rangers.

10. Aida Turturro, 1998
Life in Oakdale: Fran Bailey and her husband were hired by a scheming David to ingratiate themselves with Lily and Holden.
Life after Oakdale: As Janice on The Sopranos, Turturro is a member of America's most beloved mob family.

11. Sharon Case, 1992-93
Life in Oakdale: The chemically imbalanced daughter of Ned Simon, Debbie played dirty to keep boyfriend Hutch away from Rosanna.
Life after Oakdale: Case is a Daytime Emmy winner for her work on The Young & the Restless, where she has played Sharon Newman since 1994.

12. Parker Posey, 1991-92
Life in Oakdale: After a fling with Paul, Hal's niece Tess Shelby connived unsuccessfully to win back her former beau Hutch from his new girlfriend, Rosanna.
Life after Oakdale: Indie darling Posey won acclaim for her turns in Party Girl, Waiting for Guffman, and The House of Yes; her resume now includes bigger flicks like You've Got Mail and Scream 3.

13. Judson Mills, 1991-93
Life in Oakdale: Emma's stable boy Hutch turned out to be Linc Lafferty's half-brother. He was romantically linked with Tess, Rosanna, and Debbie.
Life after Oakdale: Mills played Francis Gage on the CBS action series Walker, Texas Ranger.

14. Dana Delany, 1981
Life in Oakdale: Professor's daughter Haley Wilson fell in love with good guy Eric Hollister and left town with him after they wed.
Life after Oakdale: Delany won an Emmy as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama for her role as Lieutenant Colleen McMurphy on the acclaimed series China Beach.

15. Ming-Na, 1988-91
Life in Oakdale: Lien arrived on the doorstep of her father, Tom, who had sired her in Vietnam. She was linked romantically with Andy, Paul, and Duke before leaving town to attend law school.
Life after Oakdale: An original cast member of the hit medical drama ER, Ming-Na returned last season to the role of Dr. Deb Chen. She also starred in The Joy Luck Club and supplied the voice of the title character in Disney's Mulan.

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