Robin Strasser
She defined daytime television villainy for decades as the deliciously scheming Dorian Lord, a character who became a cultural touchstone.
Born 1945 (age 81)·American actress·Birthday: May 7·The Silent Generation
Biography
Robin Strasser, born in 1945, carved a permanent niche in the American cultural landscape not just through longevity, but through indelible character work. A graduate of the High School of Performing Arts and Yale School of Drama, she first gained attention on the stage before finding her most famous arena: the soap opera. Joining 'One Life to Live' in 1979, she transformed Dorian Cramer Lord from a temporary role into a foundational pillar of the show. Strasser's genius was in playing Dorian's ambition, wit, and schemes with such conviction and flair that audiences loved to hate her, and then simply loved her. Her tenure spanned decades, with breaks and returns, making her synonymous with the genre's golden age. Beyond the camera, she became a vocal advocate for actors' rights and the cultural importance of daytime drama, defending the medium long after its peak influence waned.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Robin was born in 1945, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Robin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1945
#1 Movie
The Bells of St. Mary's
Best Picture
The Lost Weekend
Robin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1945Born
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1950Started school
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1958Became a teenager
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Could drive
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1963Could vote
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Turned 21
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1975Turned 30
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 40
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 50
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 60
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 70
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 80
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 81 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1982 for her role on 'One Life to Live'.
- Portrayed the iconic character Dorian Lord across five separate decades, from 1979 into the 2010s.
- Originated the role of Rachel Davis on the soap opera 'Another World' in the early 1970s.
- Served as a national vice president of the Actors' Equity Association.
- Received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 Soap Opera Digest Awards.
Did You Know?
Her middle name, 'Victory in Europe', was given because she was born on V-E Day in 1945.
She was classmates at Yale Drama School with actors like Henry Winkler and Jill Clayburgh.
She briefly left 'One Life to Live' in the 1980s to star in the primetime series 'Hothouse'.
She is an accomplished stage actress, having performed in Broadway and off-Broadway productions.
“I think Dorian is the woman a lot of women would like to be if they had the guts.”
