• Earl Mitchell -- an investigative reporter who is married to Lisa Mitchell.  Played by Farley Granter.  Prior to joining the show, Farley had appeared on One Life to Live.  He was born in San Jose, California and began his career in the film North Star.
• Lisa Mitchell -- The mother of attorney Tom Hughes and the owner of Mona Lisa's night-club.  She is also the co-owner of Fashions Unlimited.  Eileen Fulton -- born in Asheville, North Carolina.  She has many Broadway credits to her name, and maintains homes in Los Angeles and New York.
• Nancy Hughes - the matriarch of the Hughes Family, she is the mother of Bob Hughes.  Helen Wagner -- after graduating from high school, Helen studied at Monmouth College in Illinois.  She is married to producer Robert Willey and has been with ATWT since it premiered in 1956.
• Bob Hughes - a doctor at Oakdale Memorial Hospital and the son of Nancy Hughes.  He is married to Kim.  Don Hastings is a native of Brooklyn, NY and started in show business at age 6.  He sang on the radio program Coast to Coast on a Bus with his brother, actor Bob Hastings.
• Kim Hughes - Bob's wife and a talk-show hostess.  She is the mother of Sabrina and also Bob Hughes' child Christopher.  Kathryn Hays was born in Princeton, IL and studied at Northwestern.  She has done numeorus guest appearances on episodic TV and was in the films Counterpoint and Yuma.
• Sabrina Hughes - the long lost daughter of Bob and Kim, and the half sister of Frannie.  She is planning to marry Seth Snyder. Julianne Moore was born in Fort Bragg, NC and attended high school in Germany.  Julianne is married and in her spare time, she loves to read and travel.
• Emma Snyder - a widow with four children:  Seth, Holden, Iva, and Meg.  She was once involved with John Dixon and owns a farm. Kathleen Widdoes began her stage career in New York City after completing her education in Delaware.  She enjoys gardening and weaving and has developed an interest in skydiving.
• Seth Snyder - an aspiring writer who plans to marry Sabrina Hughes.  He was once involved with Sabrina's half-sister, Frannie.  Steve Bassett has a theatrical background, but made his daytime debut on ATWT.  He is married and the father of a young son.  His TV credits include The Fall Guy and The Twilight Zone.
• Holden Snyder -- Emma's son, who recently married Emily Stewart.  He is the business partner of Tonio Reyes and was once in love with Lily. Jon Hensley - born and raised in Doylestown, PA.  He plays the guitar as well as other instruments.
• Meg Reyes - the daugher of Emma Snyder.  She was recently married to Tonio.  Jennifer Ashe began her career shen she was six with a ballet company in Connecticut.  Before she joined the cast of ATWT, she appeared on Loving.  She was also featured in the television film, Legs.
• Tonio Reyes -- Once married to Sierra, but since their divorce, he's been married to Meg.  Tonio is also in business with Holden Snyder. Peter Boynton was born in Maine.  He enjoys tennis, snow skiing and building things   He is currently studying to get his pilots license.
• Iva Snyder - the adoptive daughter of Emma, she is the biological mother of Lily Walsh.  She was formerly involved with Craig Montgomery.  Lisa Brown is married to actor Tom Nielson and is the mother of a young son.  A native of Kansas City, MO, Lisa was once on The Guiding Light.
• Josh Snyder -- Also known as Rod Landry -- the biological father of Lily Walsh.  He is currently romancing Betsy Andropoulos.  William Fichtner -- appearing on ATWT is his first role on television.  He has many stage credits including Alone Together and Octette Bridge Club.  He loves all sports including gymnastics, ice-skating and kick boxing.
• Betsy Andropoulos - Once married to Steve, she is currently involved with Josh Snyder.  She is the sister of Emily Stewart.  Lindsay Frost was born in Los Angeles, CA.  She is a fitness nut who enjoys running, tennis, swimming and weight-lifting.
• Lily Walsh -- The adoptive daughter of Lucinda Walsh and the biological daughter of Iva and Josh.  She is once again involved with former boyfriend, Dusty Donovan. Martha Byrne was born in New Jersey and is the youngest of 4 children.  She began her acting career on Broadway in the musical Annie.  Martha enjoys science, math, and all sports.
• Lucinda Walsh Dixon -- Married to John Dixon and is a wealthy business woman.  She is the real mother of Sierra and the adoptive mother of Lily.  Elizabeth Hubbard -- after college she pursued her theatrical education at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.  She lives in New York with her teen-aged son.
• John Dixon -- The chief of staff at Oakdale Memorial Hospital and the husband of Lucinda.  He is the guardian of Dusty and the father of Margo and Andy.  Larry Bryggman was born in Concord, CA and has extensive credits in film and theater.  He enjoys all sports, especially baseball.  His hobbies are music and reading.
• Lyla Peretti -- once involved with John Dixon, but now married to Casey Peretti.  She is a nurse and a singer at a nightclub.  Anne Sward is a native of Bronxvile, NY and earned a degree in theater from Emerson College.  She is also a singer and recording artist and has taught acting.
• Casey Peretti -- married to Lyla and a doctor at Oakdale Memorial Hospital. Bill Shanks studied acting at the University of Colorado and was part of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival.  Bill is single and enjoys playing tennis, baseball and lifting weights.
• Margo Hughes -- a police officer who is pregnant with Hal Munson's baby.  She recently got back together with husband Tom Hughes.  She is Lyla's daughter. When Hillary Bailey Smith was 17, she began a career in genetic research at the New England Medical Center and also performed in regional theaters.  Hillary and her husband reside in NJ with their daughter and are soon expecting their second child.
• Tom Hughes - an attorney who is married to Margo Hughes.  He is the son of Bob Hughes and Lisa Mitchell and the father of an Amerasian daughter. Scott Holmes was born in West Grove, PA.  Music was always his first love.  He has appeared on Broadway in such plays as Grease and The Rink.  Scott is married and the couple have a young son.
• Andy Dixon -- The son of Kim Hughes and John Dixon.  He's a close friend of Paul Stenbeck.  Scott DeFreitas made his debut on the New York stage in the Public Theater.  He was featured in the television children's special, Yerk the Jerk.  Scott lives in New York City.
• Dusty Donovan -- once again involved with Lily Walsh.  His legal guardian is John Dixon. Brian Bloom made his professional acting debut in the feature film Once Upon a Time in America.  Brian lives on Long Island with his parents and two younger brothers.  He enjoys most sports and plays the guitar.
• Pamela Wagner -- the neice of John Dixon.  She was once involved with Dusty, but now she's with mystery man Beau Farrel.  Robin Morse has worked in the theater since she was seventeen.  She appeared on Broadway in the play, Brighton Beach Memoirs.  Her role on ATWT is her first on daytime.
• Emily Stewart Snyder -- Once in love with James Stenbeck, she's now married to Holden Snyder.  She is the neice of David and Ellen Stewart. Melanie Smith studied acting with the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater.  She is single and loves skiing, swimming, and poetry.
• Ellen Stewart - married to David Stewart and the aunto of Emily. Patricia Bruder is a native of Brooklyn, NY and started her career when she was nine as a singer on radio.  She is the mother of two daughters.
• Barbara Ryan -- The neice of Kim Hughes and the ex-wife of James Stenbeck.  She is the co-owner of Fashions Unlimited. Colleen Zenk began her professional career as a dancer when she was 3 years old.  In her spare time, she skis, sews and collects antiques.  She is married to actor Mark Pinter.
• Paul Stenbeck -- the troubled son of Barbara Ryan and James Stenbeck.  He's dealing with his drinking problem.  Andy Kovovit lives with his family in the New York area and was an honor student in high school.  He likes all sports, especially baseball and basketball.
• Shannon O'Hara -- a decorator and the niece of Earl Mitchell.  She is involved once again with ex-husband Duncan McKechnie.  Margaret Reed was born in Salinas, CA.  She has appeared in many musicals including My Fair Lady and Gypsy. In her spare time, she enjoys writing and gourmet cooking.
• Duncan McKechnie -- an adventurer at heart, he's involved again with ex-wife Shannon. Michael Swan likes to write and has written several short stores.  He lives in Manhattan and enjoys fine wine and working on his home computer.
• Hal Munson - a police detective who is partners with Margo Hughes.  They had a brief affair but now he's involved with Barbara Ryan.  Before he joined the cast, Benjamin Hendrickson was previously seen on the Guiding Light, Texas and Another World.  He is an avid sports fan and currently lives in NY.
• Roy Franklin -- a detective who works for the Oakdale Police Department. Count Stovall joined the cast in 1985 and previously had appeared on Broadway.  He had a recurring role on the comedy, Gimme a Break.  He is maried.
• Jesse [Jessica] Griffin - a lawyer who has been dating police detective Roy Franklin. Played by Tamara Tunie.
• Laura Simmons - a newcomer to Oakdale and is friends with Bob and Kim Hughes. Played by Carolyn Ann Clark.
• Beau Farrel - a mysterious stranger who recently arrived in Oakdale.  He sings at Mona Lisa's night club and is romantically involved with Pamela. Neil Maffin was born in Ames, IA and once played in a rock band.  He has a lot of classical theater training and spent 6 months in Japan studying Kabuki.
• Susan Stewart -- a doctor who works at Oakdale Memorial Hospital and is the mother of Emily. Played by Marie Masters.
• Lien Truong -- the illegitimate daughter of Tom Hughes, who recently arrived on his doorstep.  Played by Ming-Na Wen.

Others who had been on or would later come to ATWT but were on other shows were: 

• Susan Pratt (Charlotte Lindsey, Julia's mother) was on AMC playing Barbara Montgomery.
• James Wlcek (Link Lafferty) was Ben Shelly on Ryan's Hope.
• Justin Deas (Tom Hughes) played Keith Timmons on Santa Barbara.
• Ed Fry (Larry McDermott) was Adam Cory on AW.
• Stephen Schnetzer  was Cass Winthrop on AW.
• Mark Pinter (Brian McColl) played Dan Hollister on Loving.
• Jensen Buchanan (Vicky McKinnon) was Sarah Gordon on OLTL.
• John Loprieno (Brad Snyder) was Cord Roberts on OLTL.