Each year, the daytime world suffers the loss of several soap opera stars
whom we have known from various soap operas. This year too, we have lost some big stars.
In this video, we will be remembering all of them,
along with the beautiful career they’ve left behind for the fans to cherish.
John Reilly is a renowned soap star, who played the role of Sean Donely on General Hospital.
He was a series regular on the soap for more than a decade before he exited in 1995.
Later, in 2013, he made a brief guest appearance. Although Sean Donely on General Hospital remains
his most popular work, his first daytime role was as Dan Stewart on As the World Turns.
John passed away on January 9 this year at the age of 86.
He is survived by his wife Liz, three daughters, and two grandchildren.
Peter Mark Richman is a veteran television actor who appeared in more than 130 television shows
and about 30 films throughout his lifetime. Peter died on January 14, at the age of 93
in Woodland Hills, California. He died of natural causes.
He is survived by his wife, actress Helen Richman, and their five children. Lucas
Richman, a composer and Grammy-winning conductor, is one of Peter’s children.
Christopher Pennock was another veteran television actor, best known for his run
on Dark Shadows, in which he had played multiple roles in various timelines.
He made his daytime debut in the mid-60s on Days of Our Lives and went to appear
in various other daytime shows like The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, and Guiding Light.
Sadly, the actor passed away on February 12 at the age of 76.
Broadway World reported that he was in the hospital for several days before he passed away.
In 1963, Geoffrey Scott made his daytime debut as David McAllister on General Hospital. From there,
he went on to work on various daytime shows, including Dark Shadows, where he was also heard
as the opening voiceover. Then in the early 90s, he appeared in Guiding Light to fill in
for Jordan Clarke in the role of Billy Lewis II. Scott passed away on February 23. His wife, Cheri
Catherine, told The Hollywood Reporter that he passed away just a little after midnight, the day
after his 79th birthday in Broomfield, Colorado. He was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
Born as John Veach Rogers Jr., actor Gil Rogers is
popular among soap fans as one of the most notorious villains.
Ray Gardner on All My Children and Hawk Shayne on Guiding Light
are a few of his most popular acting gigs. Gil Rogers died on March 2 at the age of 87.
He died in his sleep at his daughter Amanda Rogers’s residence.
One Life to Live alum Jessica Walter passed away on March 24 at her residence in Manhattan. The vet
star was 80 years old at the time of her death. Jessica was actively working in the industry
until the last days of her life, contributing as one of the lead voice artists on Archer. She
voiced Malory Archer, one of the main characters. The FXX animated series’s Season 12 came to an
end on October 7 with an emotional finale, paying tribute to Jessica Walter.
Her character, Malory, has a brief appearance where she is seen swooping in to save her son
Sterling from the kidnappers. After she and her team win the mission, she disappears,
leaving behind a letter for Sterling. In the end, Malory is seen sitting beside Ron
Cadillac, the character who was voiced by her husband Ron Leibman, who passed away in 2019.
Robert Rodan is a multi-talented artist, best known for appearing in the role of monster
Adam on Dark Shadows. It was the first time Robert had played a role on any TV show. As
Adam, he appeared in just 82 episodes but the impact he made remains fresh.
Most of you may not know this but Dark Shadows is the only TV series he had ever worked in
although he had appeared in a 1969 feature called The Minx and in a
television commercial for Cheer detergent. Before joining the acting industry, he served
in the United States Army while he chose to work in the real estate sector after leaving acting.
He was also an avid sculptor, painter, swimmer, and sailor.
Rodan passed away on March 25 at his Oregan home due to heart failure.
He was 83 years old at the time of his death.
Billie Hayes was best known for playing the role of Agent Brighton O’Reilly on General Hospital.
She retired from acting in 2016. Sadly, on April 29, she passed
away of natural causes. Reportedly, she had been in declining health for the past year.
She died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles.
Robert Hogan was a beloved soap star best known for appearing on soap operas
like General Hospital and Another World. He also appeared on other soaps like Days
of Our Lives, All My Children, One Life to Live, and As the World Turns. Besides,
he has appeared in 100+ primetime series. Hogan was diagnosed with vascular
Alzheimer’s in 2013. Nevertheless, he was determined to successfully live with his illness.
A prolific actor and fighter, Hogan died on May 27 at his home on the
coast of Maine. He was 87 years old and had died from complications of pneumonia.
In the early 70s, John Gabriel appeared on two famous soaps, namely,
Love of Life and General Hospital. Then in 1975, he landed the role of Dr. Seneca
Beaulac on Ryan’s Hope, which went on to be the most famous role of his entire career.
The veteran star died on June 13 at the age of 90. He is survived by his wife Sandra “Sandy”, who is
an actress, and two children, Melissa and Andrea, who is also an actress.
Ray MacDonnell rose to prominence in the early 70s after taking on the role of Dr.
Joe Martin on All My Children, a role he remained on for 40 years.
He died on June 10, at the age of 93, from natural causes.
Stuart Damon appeared in General Hospital for 30 years in the role of Dr. Alan Quartermaine.
Once in 2010, he appeared in the role of Governor Jim Ford in Days of Our Lives as well.
The actor passed away on June 29 at the age of 84 following a struggle with kidney failure.
He had been living at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement community in Los
Angeles for the past seven years.
Philece Sampler was popular among fans for her role as Donna Love Hudson on Another
World and as Renee DuMonde on Days of Our Lives. Besides, she had an extensive career
with about 200 credits under her belt. On July 1, Sampler’s friend Peggy Webb,
a USA Today bestselling author, confirmed her death on Twitter. She was 67 years old at the
time of her death and was just 15 days shy of her 68th birthday. She had died from a heart attack.
A vet soap star who had appeared in daytime gigs like Days of Our Lives,
Port Charles, and General Hospital, passed away in a very tragic incident this year.
On July 30, he was on the set of the film Treasure Valley located near Oreana, Idaho,
when he unexpectedly passed away. As reported by his friend and fellow actor Jim Heffel,
he was sitting on a horse ready to rope a steer when the incident took place.
Jay was 60 years old at the time of his death. He
is survived by his wife Elena Bates and their three children.
Micki Grant was an iconic soap star who was renowned not just
for her acting gigs but for the record she held in the industry.
Grant played the role of Peggy Nolan in Another World, a role that was re-formed
just so that Grant would fit in. Eventually, she went on to sign a contract with the soap,
becoming the first-ever black star to hold a contract soap role.
The legend passed away on August 21 this year at the age of 92.
Soap fans will know Michael Nader for playing the role of Dimitri, the husband of Erica Kane,
on the ABC soap, All My Children. Besides, he is also renowned for appearing in the role of
Dex Dexter on Dynasty and Kevin Thompson on As the World Turns.
Nader passed away on August 23 at his home, only ten days after being diagnosed with an
untreatable form of cancer. He was 76 years old at the time of his death.
Michael Tylo was a vet soap actor who has graced the canvas of various soap operas,
including The Bold and the Beautiful, Another World, General Hospital, All My Children,
The Young and the Restless, and Guiding Lights. Among all, he was best known for his works on
the latter two soaps. He played the role of Quint Chamberlain on Guiding Light.
Meanwhile, he pulled off double duty playing twins Blade and Rick on The Young and the Restless.
He passed away on September 28 aged 72. He is survived by his wife Rachelle, and four daughters.