Marla Adams Dina The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless fans need to keep the hankies nearby today. The Abbott family is saying farewell to Dina, who has been battling Alzheimer’s for the past few years.
An official release from CBS reads: “The Young and the Restless says thank you to Marla Adams for her long tenure on the show. She originated the role of the Abbott Family matriarch Dina Mergeron in May 1983. When first introduced, Dina returned to Genoa City to reclaim her place in the Abbott family after abandoning her ex-husband (John, Jerry Douglas) and children (Jack, then, Terry Lester; now, Peter Bergman; Ashley, Eileen Davidson; and Traci, Beth Maitland) 12 years earlier.
The release added: “Recently, Dina was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and viewers have watched as the Abbotts made peace with their past and provided their mother with love and support. Adams’ final episode on The Young and the Restless airs Friday, Oct. 16.”
Marla Adams first made the daytime scene as Belle Clemens on the CBS serial The Secret Storm. She played the part from 1968-73. The actress’s other credits include the film Splendor in the Grass, and the TV series Starsky and Hutch, Phyllis, The Love Boat, Barnaby Jones, Archie Bunker’s Place, Who’s the Boss, and Columbo.
Adams’ other soap roles include stepping in as Beth Logan on BB. The story called for Beth to confront her daughter, Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang), who had fallen in love with Beth’s true love, Eric (John McCook). Adams also temporarily played the part of Myrna Clegg on Capitol. She played Helen Mullin on the short-lived Generations. Next came the part of Claire McIntyre on Days of our Lives.
Viewers who watched The Young and the Restless classic rebroadcasts over the summer saw that Dina came back to Genoa City on occasion. She returned for Brad (Don Diamont) and Traci’s second marriage and reconnected with pal Katherine Chancellor (the late Jeanne Cooper) when she was in town. Adams brought Dina back to the canvas around 1996 in order to clear the air with her ex-husband John; she shared a tearful farewell with her son, Jack, that left him angst-ridden.
During one of Dina’s visits to Genoa City, John asked her if his former secretary Audrey North (Constance Towers) had lied to Dina that John was going to leave her for Audrey, shedding light on the Abbotts’ troubled marriage. During another visit, Dina attended the funeral of her beloved pal Katherine, not knowing it was really her doppelganger Marge, who had perished.
“Thank you for the memories,” Adams said in one promo the show released. “You will always be my family.” In another video by the show, Adams said: “Thank you for being there, for supporting the storyline, and, fans, you are the reason that [YR] is such a successful soap, all of these many years. I hope they bring [Dina] back as a ghost!” You can see the video below. The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS. Check local listings for air times.
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