Louise Shaffer, a veteran soap star who appeared in numerous shows like Search for Tomorrow, Hidden Faces, and Where the Heart Is, recently described what she called a “curse” associated with her Emmy Award in a Substack post. She detailed a series of incidents that followed her win and explained how the trophy was damaged multiple times over the years.
Louise Shaffer recalls getting fired right after her Emmy win
Louise Shaffer, who also authors books, wrote a lengthy Substack post about what she described as the “curse” of her Emmy Award, outlining several incidents that followed the win. Before receiving the award, Shaffer had been nominated twice.
She explained that at the time, the Daytime Emmys were not broadcast on television. She added that there was significantly less attention surrounding the ceremony. Shaffer did not expect to win and mentioned that she had stained her dress during makeup preparations. However, she won that year for her portrayal of Rae Woodard on Ryan’s Hope.
Shaffer described the moment in her post. “So that was the year I won. I stood in front of an audience of my peers, clutching my Emmy to my stained, slightly frayed mini-dress and, while I don’t remember doing it, I’m told I leaned into the mic and asked the room, ‘Are you guys sure you want to do this?’” She continued, “It wasn’t my finest moment. And if you were so inclined, you might say that on that evening, there were signs.”
She further wrote that events in the following year did not improve. “The year 1983 didn’t improve as it progressed. Before my Emmy came back from the engraver – in those days they took them away from us after the photo ops and sent them overseas somewhere to put our names on them – I was fired,” she revealed. “I was devastated. And I was blindsided. That was the Emmy’s fault. When ninety-seven percent of your union is unemployed at any time, you are always waiting to lose your job, no matter how secure it seems. But, having won an Emmy, I relaxed. I let myself believe I was safe. After I was dumped, I didn’t want to look at that damn trophy.”
Shaffer also described later incidents involving the trophy. She wrote that her agent kept the award, saying it would be returned when she stopped being a “drama queen.” She added that the trophy was later damaged in an accident. In the years that followed, Shaffer had the award replaced twice, but similar incidents occurred with each version. She also mentioned several other unusual experiences involving the trophy.
“Emmy the Third now lives far back in the darkest part of my deepest closet. I just think it’s better for everyone that way,” she concluded her note.
