Stan Kirsch
General Hospital alum and Highlander star Stan Kirsch tragically died at the age of 51 on January 11, 2020. The former ABC soap opera star played the role of Carl.
Remembering Soap Opera Stars We’ve Lost in 2020 [PHOTOS]
Each year, sadly, daytime says goodbye to past and present soap opera actors who have passed on… Soaps.com takes a look back at the lives and careers of those lost in 2020, as well as those soap opera actors lost in 2019.
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Norma Michaels
Image Credit: NBC Days of our Lives alum Norma Michaels passed away at the age of 95 on January 11, 2020. The actress was best known for her role as Josephine on King of Queens.
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John Karlen
Image Credit: Lisa Rose/JPI Another World and Dark Shadows actor John Karlen passed away on January 22, 2020 due to congestive heart failure. The actor was 86 years old.
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Marsha Kramer
Image Credit: Beverly Hills Historical Videos/YouTube Days of our Lives alum Marsha Kramer passed away at 74 on January 23, 2020. The soap alum was best known for her role playing Margaret on Modern Family.
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Marj Dusay
Image Credit: John Paschal/JPI Legendary soap opera actress Marj Dusay passed away at 83 on January 28, 2020. She appeared on many soaps, including Capitol, Santa Barbara, Days of our Lives, All My Children and Guiding Light.
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Orson Bean
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI Husband of The Bold and the Beautiful’s Alley Mills (Pam Douglas), Orson Bean died in a traffic accident at age 91. The actor guest-starred on the CBS soap opera in 2016.
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Lynn Cohen
Image Credit: J. Graylock/JPI Lynn Cohen died on February 14 of unknown causes in New York. The actress, best known for her role of Magda on Sex and the City, had numerous theatre, film and television credits to her name including Days of our Lives.
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Ja’net DuBois
Image Credit: Bei/Shutterstock Best known for her role of Willona Woods on Good Times, Ja’net DuBois passed away at age 74. The actress also starred on Love of Life, making her the first African-American actress cast as a regular on a soap opera.
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Lee Phillip Bell
Image Credit: Bell Phillip TV Legendary co-creator of Bold and Beautiful and Young and the Restless Lee Phillip Bell passed away on February 25. She was 91 and the mother of William J. Bell, Jr., Lauralee Bell (Christine Williams, Young and Restless) and Bradley Bell (head writer, executive producer, Bold and Beautiful).
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James Lipton
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI Best known for his position on Inside the Actors Studio, James Lipton died on March 1. He was 93. Lipton was also a head writer and writer for numerous soap operas and appeared on Guiding Light.
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Roscoe Born
Image Credit: Brian Lowe/JPI Soap opera legend Roscoe Born passed away on March 3. The actor is known for playing a villain in various soaps including Days of our Lives, One Life to Live and Young and the Restless to name a few.
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Terrence McNally
Image Credit: Debby Wong/Shutterstock Award winning playwright and former Young and Restless actor Terrence McNally died on March 24. He played Dr. Robert Lynch on and off from 1993 to 1994.
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John Callahan
Image Credit: Paul Skipper/JPI Soap vet John Callahan passed away at 66 after suffering a massive stroke on March 27. The actor is known for his roles on All My Children, Days of our Lives, General Hospital and Santa Barbara.
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David Schramm
Image Credit: YouTube Another World alum David Schramm’s death was announced in March. The actor played Herb Harris on the soap opera and was best known for playing Roy Biggins on Wings.
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Forrest Compton
Image Credit: CBS Edge of Night actor Forrest Compton died on April 4, 2020. He also appeared in numerous soap operas including All My Children, As the World Turns and One Life to Live.
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Danny Goldman
Image Credit: ABC General Hospital alum, Smurfs and Young Frankenstein actor Danny Goldman passed away at 80 on April 12, 2020. Daytime fans may remember him for playing Clarence Darrow in 1991.
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Brian Dennehy
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Everett/Collection Veteran actor Brian Dennehy died on April 15, 2020 of natural causes. He appeared in numerous films and in the primetime soap operas Dallas, Dynasty and Knots Landing.
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Shirley Knight
Image Credit: Featureflash/Photo Agency/Shutterstock Veteran actress Shirley Knight passed away on April 22, 2020 of natural causes. She appeared in daytime on One Life to Live as Claire in 1986 and held numerous primetime and film roles.
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Little Richard
Image Credit: Aaron Montgomery/JPI Legendary signer Little Richard died on May 9, 2020. He made guest appearances on One Life to Live as well as Young and the Restless.
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Geno Silva
Image Credit: NBC Days of our Lives alum Geno Silva died on May 9, 2020. He played the role of Domingo Salazar in 1991.
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Fred Willard
Image Credit: Nick Sined/JPI Actor Fred Willard passed away at age 86 on May 15, 2020. He was known to daytime fans for playing John Forrester, brother to Eric, on Bold & Beautiful.
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Mary Pat Gleason
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI Guiding Light alum and Emmy Award winning actress Mary Pat Gleason died on June 2, 2020. The prolific film and television actress passed away from cancer.
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Linda Cristal
Image Credit: YouTube General Hospital alum Linda Cristal died on June 27, 2020. The actress played a mob boss’ mistress named Dimitri in 1988.
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Maximilian B. Bryer
Image Credit: CBS Soap opera director Maximilian B. Bryer passed away on June 16, 2020. He worked on both As the World Turns and The Edge of Night.
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Kelly Preston
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI Actress Kelly Preston died at 57 after privately battling breast cancer. The actress who starred in the movies Twins and Jerry Maguire had an early role in the CBS soap opera Capitol.
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Phyllis Somerville
Image Credit: John P Iblis/JPI Phyllis Somerville died on July 16. The recognizable actress appeared in many television series including As the World Turns, Loving, and more. Somerville was 76.
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John Saxon
Image Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI John Saxon passed away on July 25, 2020. The veteran actor starred in the primetime soap Dynasty as well as the film Nightmare on Elm Street.
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Regis Philbin
Image Credit: Argo Images Regis Philbin passed away on July 24, 2020. The TV legend once appeared on All My Children, One Life to Live and Ryan’s Hope.
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Chadwick Boseman
Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett-Collection All My Children alum Chadwick Boseman passed away at 43 on August 28, 2020. He played Reggie on the ABC soap opera and T’Challa on Black Panther.
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Kevin Dobson
Image Credit: JPI Days of our Lives alum Kevin Dobson passed away at 77 on September 6, 2020. He is best known for playing Mack MacKenzie on Knots Landing.
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Ben Jorgensen
Image Credit: YouTube All My Children actor Ben Jorgensen passed away at 51 years old. He played Kevin Sheffield from 1995 to 1998.
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Marguerite Ray
Image Credit: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett of the Collection The Young and the Restless’ original Mamie Johnson, Marguerite Ray died on November 18, 2020. She was 89 years old.
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Dawn Wells
Image Credit: Sean Smith/JPI The actress best known for playing Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island, Dawn Wells, passed away at the age of 82 on Thursday, December 30, 2020. She also turned up on daytime in the guest role of Alice on CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful in February 2016 as a friend of the Forrester family.
