Remembering the Soap Stars We Lost This Year

On Jan. 3, soap creator Bridget Dobson passed away at the age of 85. Working alongside husband Jerome Dobson, she began writing scripts for GH and in the mid-‘70s the team worked as headwriters for Guiding Light and As The World Turns. But Dobson is best remembered for co-creating the iconic NBC sudser Santa Barbara in 1984.

Veteran soap star Bill Hayes, who played Doug Williams on DAYS for over five decades, passed on Jan. 12 at the age of 98. A talented actor and singer, After joining the cast of DAYS in 1970, Hayes met and fell in love with his beloved wife, Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie), and they were married in 1974. He received Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Lead Actor in 1975 and 1976, and in 2018 was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Daytime Emmy Award alongside his wife.

Fitness model and actor Alec Musser died on Jan.12 at the age of 50. As the winning contestant of the second season of SOAPnet’s competitive reality series I Wanna Be a Soap Star, Musser was awarded a 13-week contract on All My Children. He took over the role of Dixie’s brother, Del Henry, in 2025, and remained with the soap until 2007. He then went on to appear in television shows like Desperate Housewives and movies like Grown Ups.

On Jan. 16, David Gail passed at the age of 50. Daytime soap fans remember the actor for taking over the role of Joe Scanlon on GH spinoff Port Charles from 1999-2000. Fans also know him from his numerous primetime roles, including Brenda’s fiancee Stuart Carson on Beverly Hills 90210, starring as Eddie Bartlett on Robin’s Hoods, and as Dean Collins in Savannah.

Veteran actor Malachy McCourt left us on March 11 at the age of 92. During his lengthy career in show business, he worked on numerous soaps, playing bartender Kevin McGuinness on Ryan’s Hope and Big Bigelowe on Search For Tomorrow. He also made appearances on Another World, Guiding Light, and One Life To Live, but is probably best known to ABC Daytime fans for his annual holiday visits to All My Children as Father Clarence.

Robyn Bernard, who played Terry Brock on GH from 1984-90, died at the age of 64 on March 12. The actress also appeared on television series like Simon & Simon and The Facts Of Life as well as films like Diva and Betty Blue.

On March 21, Ron Harper passed away at the age of 91. While best known for starring as Alan Virdon in the Planet of the Apes primetime series and playing Uncle Jack in the kids’ classic Land of the Lost, Harper’s career spanned stage and screen, including soaps. He made his daytime debut as Steve Prescott in Where The Heart Is, then played Dr. Andrew Marriott on Love Of Life, Taylor Halloway on Another World, Charles Hartmann on Loving, Baxter McCandless on Capitol, and Peter Whitmore on Generations.

Jennifer Leak died on March 18 at the age of 76 after battling a rare neurological disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, for seven years. The actress got her big break playing Lucille Ball’s daughter in the 1968 film Yours, Mine, and Ours and appeared in primetime series like Hawaii Five-O, McMillan & Wife, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She first appeared in daytime playing Elaine Bancroft in NBC’s Bright Promise, then Gwen Sherman on Y&R. She also had roles on Ryan’s Hope, Another World, GL, OLTL, and Loving.

Barbara Rush — the aunt of GH star Carolyn Hennesy (Diane) — passed on March 31 at the age of 97. The veteran actress’ career included theater, film, and television, plus two soaps. In the late ‘60s, she played Marsha Russell on Peyton Place, and in 1992, played Nola Orsini on All My Children.

Cancer took Meg Bennett from us on April 11 at the age of 75. Following a run on Search for Tomorrow as Liza Walton, the actress went on to play Julia Newman on Y&R. She then transitioned into writing, penning scripts for Y&R before going on to work for B&B, GH, Santa Barbara, and Sunset Beach. During her career, she received five Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Writing, taking home the trophy with the GH team in 1995.

Marla Adams passed away at the age of 85 on April 25. After playing Belle Clemens on The Secret Storm from 1968-74, the actress took over the role of Myrna Clegg on Capitol. Then, in 1982, she joined the cast of Y&R as the estranged Abbott matriarch Dina Abbott. Following her exit in 1986, she returned for additional appearances in 1991, 1996, and 2008. Returning full-time in 2017, Adams earned a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress for the powerful Alzheimers storyline. During her career, Adams has also appeared on Generations, B&B, and Days Of Our Lives.

The daytime community was stunned when GH alum Johnny Wactor was shot and killed during an attempted robbery on May 25. He was only 37 years old. Wactor became an instant fan favorite when he joined the cast of GH as Brando Corbin in 2020 and they were sad when the character was killed off the soap in 2022.

Janis Paige was 101 when she passed away at her home in Los Angeles on June 2. The veteran actress’ career started back in the ‘40s with small roles in films before hitting it big on Broadway in the ‘50s starring in The Pajama Game. Her extensive resume also includes some soaps, playing Laureen Clegg on Capitol in 1987, then Iona Huntington on GH in 1989 before taking over the role of Minx Lockridge from Dame Judith Anderson on Santa Barbara in 1990.

Actor Alan Scarfe died on April 28 at the age of 77. In addition to appearing in films like Lethal Weapon 3 and television shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek Voyager, he played con man Leo Cromwell on OLTL back in 1988 as part of the infamous Eterna storyline.

On June 26, trailblazing male model Renauld White passed away at the age of 80 while in hospice care. While a successful model for designers like Halston, Bill Blass, and Calvin Klein, White was also an actor who enjoyed the recurring role of William Reynolds on Guiding Light in 1985.

Doug Sheehan passed peacefully at his home in Wyoming the morning of June 29 at the age of 75. The actor got his big break playing Joe Kelly on GH from 1979-82, earning a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Supporting Actor in 1982. He then went on to find success in primetime, starring as Ben Gibson on Knots Landing, Brian Harper on the sitcom Day By Day, playing Cher’s father, Mel Horowitz in the TV adaptation of Clueless, and Sabrina’s dad, Edward Spellman, on Sabrina the Teenaged Witch.

Stage director and soap producer Joseph Hardy died on June 6 at the age of 95. After directing the original Off-Broadway production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, he won a Tony Award for Best Director for Child’s Play in 1969. He directed television movies like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Great Expectations, and also served as executive producer of daytime soap Love Is a Many Splendored Thing from 1967-73. He was named executive producer of Ryan’s Hope in 1984 to try and save the struggling soap, then went on to helm Loving in 1986 and from 1989-91, was the EP of GH.

James B Sikking — best known for playing Lt Howard Hunter on Hill Street Blues and Doogie’s father, Dr. David Howser, on Doogie Howser, MD — passed away on July 13 at the age of 90. GH fans will remember him from his 1973-76 run as Dr. James “Jim” Hobart, the alcoholic surgeon who had a failed marriage to Audrey March.