As the World Turns - MESSAGE BOARDS

Here's a list of characters who were part of the original cast of As the World Turns, when it debuted on April 2, 1956:

Chris Hughes
Nancy Hughes
Donald Hughes
Penny Hughes
Bob Hughes
Grandpa Hughes
Edith Hughes
Judge Lowell
Jim Lowell
Claire Lowell
Ellen Lowell

Can anyone tell me how many characters from ATWT's very first year are still on the show today?

Wow they were all Lowells and Hughes

Well, do you mean the characters or the actors that play them? I am pretty new to the show relatively speaking.

Bob Hughes is still a character on the show but he is not the original actor. But Don Hastings has played Bob since 1960

Nancy Hughes seems to be the only original character still played by the original actor Helen Wagner. But she did have a replacement actor temporarily in the 80's

From what I remember, the Lowell family consisted of Judge Lowell, who was a good friend of Chris and Nancy Hughes, his daughter Claire and her daughter Ellen. Judge Lowell and Claire died many years ago. In the 60's, it was discovered that David Stewart and his late wife had adopted Ellen's illegitimate son Dan. Eventually Ellen and David were married and Dan accepted Ellen as his mother. So, the Lowell family evolved into the Stewart's.

Ellen and Penny are still shown occasionally (holidays etc) and I think Don was on a couple years ago also. It's been the same Aunt Penny since I've watched (mid-60s) but no big storylines anymore.