It’s fair to say that 2020 has been a year like no other, with the coronavirus pandemic changing life and soap production as we know it. It has also seen the soap world lose a lot of beloved stars and behind-the-scenes people who bring us our favorite shows, day in and day out.
Soap World Losses
Some were expected and some were shocking but either way, each loss to the community has been hard for everyone. As 2020 comes to a close, Soap Hub remembers the many beloved members of the soap community who passed away during the year. You can click on each person’s name to read about them.
January 28: Marj Dusay, a beloved veteran of many soaps like All My Children (Vanessa), Guiding Light (Alexandra), Days of our Lives (Vivian), Santa Barbara (Vivian), and Capitol (Myrna), passed away at the age of 83.
February 25: Lee Phillip Bell, who co-created both The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful with her late husband, William J. Bell, and is the beloved mother of Lauralee Bell (Chris, YR), BB head writer/executive producer, Bradley Bell, as well as Bell-Phillip Television Productions Inc’s president, William Bell, passed away at 91.
March 3: Roscoe Born was known for multiple roles in daytime, most notably Joe Novak on Ryan’s Hope and terrible Tom Fisher on YR. He died at the age of 69.
March 24: Melinda O. Fee was known for roles on YR (Jill Foster Abbott), DAYS (Mary Anderson), and Santa Barbara (Olivia) and passed away at the age of 77.
March 28: John Callahan played dashing heroes in daytime, especially Edmund Grey on AMC. He died at the age of 66.
April 4: Forrest Compton was beloved by soap fans mostly for his role as D.A. Mike Karr on The Edge of Night. He passed away at age 94.
May 9: Little Richard delighted the world with his singing but he also brightened up soaps every time he was on — especially when he attended the wedding of Bo and Nora on One Life to Live, as well as performed the ceremony for Gloria and Jeffrey on YR. He passed away at 87.
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May 15: Fred Willard delighted fans with his comedic timing on many shows but for soap fans, it was his role as Eric’s brother John on BB that won their hearts. The funnyman passed away at the age of 86.
August 20: Marcus Smythe, who played Donna’s brother, Peter Love, on Another World, Dane Taylor on Search for Tomorrow from 1982-83, and Guiding Light’s Gordon Middleton passed away at age 70.
August 28: Chadwick Boseman was beloved around the world for his many film roles, especially as the lead character in Black Panther, but he will always be remembered by daytime fans for creating the role of Reggie Montgomery on All My Children. He was only 42.
October 6: Ben Jorgensen was known to fans of daytime for his role as gay teen Kevin Sheffield on All My Children. He died at age 51.
November 20: Sandy Dvore created the memorable logo for YR and passed away at the age of 86.
November 18: Marguerite Ray, originated the role of Mamie Johnson on YR and passed away at the age of 89.
November 23: Abby Dalton, who was best known to TV viewers as Julia Channing Cumson on Falcon Crest, also played Lydia, Phyllis’s mom on YR. She died at the age of 88.
December 30: Dawn Wells, beloved for playing Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island and also having appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful as Alice, passed away at the age of 82.
Soap Hub sends condolences to all who loved these amazing people who were lost this past year from the soap world.
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