In September 1977, Louise began her most recognized role was that of powerful journalism magnate Rae Woodard on "Ryan's Hope", a role she played for 6 1/2 years, and then reprised for the show's finale in 1989. Her role of Rae saw her become a very wealthy widow within only a few months (during which time she had an affair with Roger Coleridge while her much older husband Bill was fighting for his life in the hospital) to stealing Frank Ryan away from his true love, Jillian Coleridge, to having an affair with her illegitimate daughter Kimberly's ex-boyfriend, Michael Pavel, and pulling a gun on them when she found them together and claiming she killed Michael to prevent Kim from being sent to prison. When Rae's old lover, Hollis Kirkland, was introduced onto the show, she briefly became the show's leading lady during the time when the show was nicknamed "Kirkland's Hope" because of the back-burner status of the Ryans. Following the ending of this storyline, Rae began a plot against Frank Ryan with the introduction of Judith Chapman as Charlotte Greer, whose father Neil MacCurtain was out to avenge an old vendetta against Ryan matriarch Maeve. It turned out that Rae had no idea of what the MacCurtains were up to, and ended up being stabbed when trying to stop Neil from going forward with his revenge.