General Soap Operas

In Memoriam: Remembering Those Who Left Soap World in 2016

Published by
Diane Brounstein

The year 2016 might be known as the year legends died, and soap legends were no exception.

Soap Hub covered many of these deaths over the last year, and here is a comprehensive list of those who passed away, along with their soap opera credits.

Anthony Addabbo
On The Bold and the Beautiful, Addabbo played Rush/Jonny from 1997-1998. He also played Jason on Generations, briefly replaced Michael Nader as Dimitri on All My Children, and portrayed Jim Lemay on Guiding Light. He was 56.

Humbert Allen Astredo
Astredo was on Dark Shadows (Nicholas Blair, Evan Hanley and Charles Dawson), Another World (Joe Bruno), The Edge of Night (Mayor Finley), One Life to Live (Bruno Weston), Love of Life (Dr. Applegate), Loving (James Preston), Guiding Light, Somerset, and Texas. He was 86.

Patricia Barry
Barry played Addie Horton Williams on Days of our Lives; Peg English on All My Children; Miss Sally on Guiding Light, and Isabelle Alden on Loving. She was 93.

Peter Brown
Brown played Dr. Greg Peters on Days of our Lives, Charles Sanders III on One Life to Live, a doctor on Generations, Robert Laurence on The Young and the Restless, and Blake Hayes in The Bold and the Beautiful. He was 80.

Toni Bull Bua
Bull was beloved as Tess Krakauer Prentiss Randolph Love of Life. She also played Denny on Somerset. She was 69.

Gloria DeHaven
DeHaven played Bess Shelby on Ryan’s Hope, Emma Mallory on All My Children and Sara Fuller on As the World Turns. She was 91.


Joan D’Incecco
ABC casting great Joan D’Incecco was known for having discovered Susan Lucci (ex-Erica, All My Children) and Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley, AMC). She was 89.

James Douglas
Douglas played Grant Colman on As the World Turns, Dr. James Polk in One Life to Live, Desmond Aldrich on The Edge of Night, Philip Manning in The Doctors, and Elliott Carrington on Another World. He was 86.

Zsa Zsa Gabor
Gabor did a turn on As the World Turns as Lydia Marlowe. She was 99.

Robert Horton
Horton portrayed Whit McColl on As the World Turns. He was 91.

Ken Howard
Howard portrayed George Summers on The Young and the Restless and was once married to Louise Sorel (ex-Vivian, DAYS; ex-Augusta, Santa Barbara; ex-Judith, OLTL). He was 71.

Barry Jenner
Jenner played Matt MacKenzie on Days of Our Lives. He got his start on Another World as Evan Webster and later was the third Tony Cooper on Somerset. He was 75.


Claire Labine
Labine was the heart and soul (and co-creator) of Ryan’s Hope. She also wrote for Love of Life, Guiding Light, One Life to Live, and General Hospital. She was 82.

Julius La Rosa
In 1980, La Rosa played Renaldo on Another World, and was nominated for a Outstanding Supporting Actor that year as well. Warren Burton won for his role on All My Children.

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Larkin Malloy
Malloy was the quintessential soap opera leading man. On Edge of Night, he portrayed dashing and wealthy Sky Whitney (and Jefferson Brown). He continued to play well-to-do characters, being cast as Kyle Sampson on Guiding Light and later Travis Montgomery on All My Children. He was 62.

Joseph Mascolo on Days of our Lives

Joseph Mascolo
The iconic star of Days of Our Lives brought Stefano back from the dead too many times to count – but it wasn’t his only soap role. He played Massimo Marone on The Bold and the Beautiful – Ridge’s biological father. He also had roles on General Hospital (Domino), Santa Barbara (Carlos), and a small role on The Doctors as a cop. He was 87.


Jean McBride
McBride played Meg Dale on Love of Life. She was 90.

Frankie Michaels
Michaels appeared on As the World Turns as a young Tom “Tommy” Hughes. He was 60.

Michael Minor
Minor played Lennie Small on The Edge of Night, Norman Garrison in As the World Turns, Brandon Kingsley on All My Children, and Dr. Royal Dunning in Another World. He was 75.

Meg Mundy
This daytime veteran appeared on numerous soaps over the span of her long career. She was on The Doctors (Mona Aldrich), played Isabelle in the pilot for Loving, Guiding Light (Julia Stoddard), and her last soap role was as Eugenia on All My Children. In 1982, she was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress Daytime Emmy for her role on The Doctors. She was 101.

Agnes Nixon
Nixon was the last of the legendary soap head writer/creators that we had. She studied under Irna Philips, writing for her on Another World, Guiding Light, and As the World Turns. She also wrote for Search for Tomorrow, created by Roy Winsor. She went on to create One Life to Live and All My Children. She won several Emmys for writing and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy in 2010. She was 93.

James Noble
Noble, mostly known for his role as the governor on primetime’s Benson, played Grayling Dennis on The Brighter Day, Vic Price in The Edge of Night, Don Hughes in As the World Turns, Dr. Bill Winters on The Doctors, Dr. Morris on One Life to Live, and as Reverend Harris on Another World. He was 94.

William Schallert
Schallert portrayed Nancy Lee Grahn’s (ex-Julia; now Alexis, GH) father, Roger Wainwright, on Santa Barbara. He was 93.

Robert E. Short
Short was an instrumental figure with Procter & Gamble, who oversaw shows like Guiding Light, The Edge of Night, Texas, Somerset, Another World, As the World Turns, and Search for Tomorrow.

Barbara Tarbuck
Tarbuck was on General Hospital (Lady Jane Jacks) and Santa Barbara (Sister Allegra. She was 74.


Alan Thicke
Thicke portrayed talk show host Rich Ginger on The Bold and the Beautiful. He was 69.

Robert Vaughn
Vaugh was on As the World Turns (Rick Hamlin) and One Life to Live (Bishop Corrington. He was 83.

James Westmoreland
Westmoreland appeared on General Hospital (Teddy Holmes), and The Young and the Restless (Decker). He was 80.

Dick Latessa
Latessa played Noel Douglas on The Edge of Night and Neil Hayes on One Life to Live. He was 87.

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Published by
Diane Brounstein
Tags: Agnes Nixon JOE MASCOLO Larkin Malloy

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