Bridget Dobson

Daytime lost a true great in January of 2024 when the co-creator of Santa Barbara passed away

at age 85. The trailblazing Emmy winner also served as headwriter of Guiding Light, As the

World Turns and General Hospital, the soap created by her parents, Frank and Doris Hursley.

Bill Hayes

Legendary Days of Our Lives vet Bill Hayes passed away on January 12, 2024 at the age of 98. Married to his co-star Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie) for nearly 50 years, he will always be remembered for playing one of Salem’s longest-running characters, Doug Williams. Read the tributes as daytime remembers the beloved actor.

Alec Musser

On January 12, the I Wanna Be a Soap Star winner who played Dixie Cooney’s half brother Del Henry on All My Children from 2005-07 died by suicide at age 50. “I loved this guy. Cannot believe he is gone,” Instagrammed Adam Sandler, who cast the hunk in his 2010 movie Grown Ups. “Such a wonderful, funny, good man.”

Photo : ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection

David Gail

On January 21, the sad news went out that the alum of General Hospital spinoff Port Charles — he replaced Michael Dietz as Joe Scanlon — had passed away at just 58 years old. The actor had also starred on the primetime soap Savannah and played out a memorable arc on the

In late January, One Life to Live leading lady Erika Slezak’s website broke the news that the Emmy winner and husband Michael Davies’ beloved daughter had suddenly passed away at age 42. Fans of the soap will recognize Amanda from her 2003 stint as a teenage Viki in flashbacks.

Don Murray

An original cast member of Knots Landing, Murray played Abby’s brother and Karen’s ill-fated first husband, Sid Fairgate. The Oscar-nominated actor, who boasted a mile-long list of film credits, died on February 2 at age 94.

Photo : ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment/Getty Images, Fred Lee Content/Getty Images; Mark Sagliocco/Getty ImagesGetty Images

Malachy McCourt

Veteran actor Malachy McCourt passed away on March 11, 2024, at the age of 92. Though he had numerous credits throughout his career, he will always be remembered by daytime fans as beloved bartender Kevin McGuinness on Ryan’s Hope, as well as Father Clarence on All My Children. He also turned up on One Life to Live as Mr. Kenneally and played a landlord on Guiding Light, a priest on Another World and Big Begelowe on Search for Tomorrow.

Robyn Bernard

In March, we learned that the General Hospital alumna who’d played Bobbie’s stepdaughter Terry (via first husband D.L.) in the 1980s had passed away at age 64 on March 12, 2024. Bernard, whose sister Crystal was a regular on Wings, also appeared on The Facts of Life and Simon & Simon.

Beth Peters

Beth Peters, who played Agnes Whitaker on General Hospital, passed away at the age of 92 on March 14, 2024. For those who don’t recall, Agnes lived on a farm in Beechers Corners, where Luke and Laura took refuge while on the run in 1980.

Ron Harper

March 21 took from us Ron Harper, who was best known for Land of the Lost and Planet of the Apes. But the actor, 91 years old when he passed, also had a long and storied career in daytime, appearing on Where the Heart Is, Love of Life, Capitol and Generations (with, as you can see

Jennifer Leak

After suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy for seven years, the soap-hopper — who made her biggest impact as Young & Restless hooker-turned-nun Gwen Sherman in the 1970s — died on March 18 at age 76.

Barbara Rush

Barbara Rush passed away on Sunday, March 31, 2024, at the age of 97. The actress, who had numerous credits on her resume, may be remembered by soap fans for her roles as Marsha Russell on Peyton Place and Nola Orsini on All My Children.

Meg Bennett

An Emmy winner known for her work as a writer on General Hospital, Bennett passed away on April 11, 2024. She also starred on Young & Restless in the early 1980s as Victor Newman’s first wife, Julia. Over the years, she also appeared on Search for Tomorrow and Santa Barbara and, in the late 1990s, was co-headwriter of Aaron Spelling’s Sunset Beach.

Spencer Milligan

Spencer Milligan passed away on April 18, 2024, at 86. Though he’s best known for playing Rick Marshall on Land of the Lost, the actor appeared as Ray Gibbons on General Hospital in 1987. Read one actor’s touching tribute to his onscreen dad.

Marla Adams

The veteran actress, who had played the Abbott family’s gadabout matriarch Dina on and off for nearly 40 years on The Young and the Restless, died at age 85 on April 25. The Emmy winner is also fondly remembered for her work as Eric’s first love Beth on The Bold and the Beautiful.

Lynn Loring

In May 2024, The Hollywood Reporter learned that Lynn Loring passed away on December 23, 2023, at the age of 80. Though the actress will be remembered by daytime fans for playing Patti on Search for Tomorrow, she appeared in numerous primetime hits such as Fair Exchange, Gunsmoke, Bonanza and The F.B.I.

Dabney Coleman

The veteran actor, who passed away on May 16 at age 92, will probably always be best-known as the boss from hell in 9 to 5. But in the early 1970s, the rising star passed through daytime, recurring as Dr. Tracy Graham on Bright Promise (opposite Susan Brown, who’d later play Gail

Johnny Wactor

On May 26, TMZ broke the horrifying news that the General Hospital alum, who played Brando Corbin from 2020-22, was shot and killed during an alleged robbery. He was 37 years old.

Elizabeth MacRae

Elizabeth MacRae passed away in her hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina on May 27, 2024 at 88. The actress will always be remembered by her daytime fans for having roles on such soaps as General Hospital as Meg Bentley, Another World as Gertrude Beaudine, Days of Our Lives as Phyllis Anderson, Guiding Light as Agatha Dobson and Search for Tomorrow as Jozie.

Janis Paige

Janis Paige passed away on June 2, 2024 at the age of 101. The beloved actress will be remembered for her many, many roles, but in daytime she was known for playing Minx Lockridge on Santa Barbara in the early 1990s. Prior to that, she played Iona Huntington on General Hospital, as well as Laureen Clegg on Capital, and starred as Jan in the 1950s sitcom It’s Always

Alan Scarfe

Colon cancer claimed the life of the veteran actor on April 28, 2024. Scarfe, who died at age 77, is best remembered by daytime fans as One Life to Live con artist Leo Cromwell, who back in 1988 sought not only to find a way into the mythical city of Eterna but also to convince Viki that his daughter was her long-lost child

Bill Cobbs

Bill Cobbs, known for his many, many works, over 195 credits, passed away on June 25, 2024 at 90. Daytime fans may remember him for playing Boyd Bloom on The Bay, as well as Marvin Mays on One Life to Live.

Renauld White

Model and actor Renauld White passed away at 80 on June 26, 2024. He was the second Black model to grace the cover of GQ and briefly appeared as William Reynolds on Guiding Light in the late 80s/early 90s.

Martin Mull

The beloved veteran actor is included on this heartbreaking list for his roles on Norman Lear’s soap spoof Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and its 1970s spinoffs. But Mull, who died at age 80 on June 27, 2024, will always be most fondly remembered by some of us for his performance as Col. Mustard in the classic 1985 movie adaptation of the board game Clue. He was always one of those “whodunit” best.s

Joseph Hardy

The daytime mainstay, who died June 6 at age 95, was the executive producer of Love Is a Many Splendored Thing from from 1967-73, Loving in 1988 and General Hospital from 1989-91. But he’s probably most vividly remembered for his polarizing stint at the helm of Ryan’s Hope in the mid-’80s.

Doug Sheehan

Doug Sheehan passed away at 75 on June 29, 2024. The actor will be remembered by longtime General Hospital fans for playing Joe Kelly, who shared the screen with the late Jacklyn Zeman’s Bobbie Spencer. He also appeared in one episode of Passions as Davis and played Ben Gibson on Knots Landing as well as Brian Harper on Day by Day and in later years, played Mel Horowitz on Clueless the series.

Joan Benedict

The Candid Camera scene stealer, who recurred on Days of Our Lives and General Hospital, succumbed to complications from a stroke at age 96 on June 24. She was the widow of actor Rod Steiger.

Richard Simmons

The legendary fitness guru, who’d worked General Hospital into a sweat off and on from 1979-2013, passed away of natural causes on July 13, 2024. He was 76 years old.

Shannen Doherty

The OG Beverly Hills, 90210 star’s long battle with breast cancer ended on July 13, 2024, when she passed away at age 53. Shannen Doherty reprised her role as Brenda Walsh in the 2019 reboot of the popular teen drama and appeared in numerous made-for-television movies and the 1980s series Our House, as well as Little House on the Prairie and of course as Prue Halliwell on the hit show Charmed.

James B. Sikking

July 13 claimed the life of the Hill Street Blues and Doogie Howser, M.D., actor who appeared on General Hospital in the mid-1970s as Jim Hobart, a doctor who loved two things: alcohol and Audrey Hardy. Though not necessarily in that order.

John Aprea

The veteran actor was 83 when he died on August 5, 2024. Though his credits include everything from Full House to The Godfather, Part II, daytime fans will always have a special place in their hearts for him, owing to his 1989-92 stint as Lucas Castigliano on Another World. Years after his popular pairing with Linda Dano as Felicia Gallant, he was brought back to the soap in the new role of Alexander Nikos.

Peter Marshall

Peter Marshall, best known as host for The Hollywood Squares, passed away on August 15, 2024, as a result of kidney failure. Daytime fans may recall when he appeared in a guest role on The Bold and the Beautiful in 1997.

Phil Donahue

American media icon Phil Donahue passed away on August 18, 2024 at 88 due to an undisclosed illness. Though he will always be remembered as “the king of daytime talk,” the host of The Phil Donahue Show, he also appeared as a TV host on The Bold and the Beautiful in 1991.

John Amos

Hollywood icon John Amos passed away on August 21, 2024, at 84. With over 115 credits, he was known for many roles, including Coming to America, Good Times, Roots, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The West Wing to name a small few. Daytime fans may recall when the actor appeared on One Life to Live in 1986 as Bill Moore.

Ron Hale

Daytime vet Ron Hale passed away on August 27, 2024, The actor had roles on Search for Tomorrow and Love Is a Many Splendored Thing but will always be remembered for playing Dr. Roger Coleridge on Ryan’s Hope, as well as Sonny’s Father Mike Corbin on General

James Earl Jones

When the EGOT winner died at age 93 on September 9, his list of credits was almost inconceivably vast, spanning Broadway (Fences), the big screen (Star Wars) and the small (Roots: The Next Generation). He even passed through daytime as a recast Dr. Jim Frazier on Guiding Light in 1966 and another M.D., Jerry Turner, on As the World Turns that same year.

Dame Maggie Smith

When the two-time Oscar winner died on September 27 at age 89, she was widely regarded as one of the greats. And although her list of memorable performances spans stage and screen, our favorite of her roles can’t help but be sharp-witted Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, on Downtess Abbey.

Drake HogestynBeloved Days of Our Lives vet Drake Hogestyn passed away on September 28, 2024, after “putting up an unbelievable fight” against pancreatic cancer. He was one day away from his 71st birthday. The fan fave will always be remembered for playing Salem’s John Black and one half of the supercouple “Jarlena.”

Photo : Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images

Nicholas Pryor

General Hospital and Port Charles castmate Jon Lindstrom announced the passing on October 7 of the veteran actor, who played Kevin’s dad Victor on both shows in the late 1990s (and into the early 2000s). “Nick may be best known for his role as the father of Tom Cruise in Risky Business or as the same to Robert Downey Jr. in Less Than Zero… But to me, he was my friend. One of the best I’ve ever had. He was a mentor, a sounding board, a trusted confidant and even a father figure.”

Tony Todd

The death of the veteran actor, who to horror fans will always be Candyman, was announced in mid-November. Young & Restless viewers will remember the charismatic star from his brief stint as Leslie’s father Gus. Todd died at age 69 after a long illness.

Mark Withers

The veteran actor, who played Steven Carrington’s first boyfriend Ted Dinard on Dynasty, died on November 22 of pancreatic cancer. In addition to his groundbreaking Dynasty role, he was a private eye on Dallas, passed through daytime’s Days of Our Lives and Santa Barbara and guest-starred on just about every series under the sun.

Helen Gallagher

Ryan’s Bar had to be serving free drinks to all those in mourning on November 24, when the three-time Emmy winner who played Ryan’s Hope matriarch Maeve for the soap’s entire run died at age 98. (Read our tribute.)

Wayne Northrop

The beloved daytime vet, best known for his portrayal of the first Roman Brady on Days of Our Lives, died on November 27 at the age of 77. Northrop’s wife of 43 years Lynn Herring (Lucy, General Hospital) said in a statement that “Wayne was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s six years ago. He took his last breath in the arms of his family.” In addition to the OG Roman, Northrop played randy chauffeur Michael Culhane on Dynasty, Rex Stanton on Port Charles and Alex North on Days of Our Lives.

Thom Christopher

On December 5, the Daytime Emmy winner who’d played both mobster Carlo Hesser and his “nice” twin brother Mortimer Bern on One Life to Live died at age 84. His other soap credits include Loving and Guiding Light.

Jill Jacobson

Jill Jacobson passed away on December 8, 2024, at 70. The actress, best known for roles on Star Trek and Falcon Crest, appeared in five episodes of Days of Our Lives as Nurse Nancy in 1995.

Michael Cole

Michael Cole passed away at 84 on December 10, 2024. Though he was best known for playing Pete Cochran on The Mod Squad, daytime fans may remember him for appearing on General Hospital as Harlan Barrett for numerous episodes in the early 1990s.

Diane Delano

Diane Delano appeared on dozens of primetime hit series, including Northern Exposure and Desperate Housewives, but daytime fans will remember her stints on Days of Our Lives as Helga Van Beno in 2008/09 and Olga in the 1990s. More recently, Delano appeared on General Hospital as Margarethe. The accomplished actress passed away on December 13.