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Aw, No: General Hospital Just Began the Heartbreaking Process of Dealing With Sonya Eddy’s Passing On Screen
Wednesday, March 29th, 2023
We knew that this day was coming. But that doesn’t make its arrival any easier.
After General Hospital scene stealer Sonya Eddy passed away on December 19, 2022, at just 55 years old, it was only a matter of time before ABC’s resurgent soap had to address Epiphany’s absence. Now we know what befell of the character, a fan favorite since her debut in 2006.
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In the March 28 episode, Elizabeth placed a phone call to her fellow nurse. But instead of Epiphany, a state trooper answered… and explained that he had bad news. In a special airing Wednesday, March 29, General Hospital will pay tribute to both Epiphany and her portrayer at a memorial service attended by the actress’ real-life friend, Community vet Yvette Nicole Brown.
Epiphany’s presence will still be felt at the Nurses Ball.
Credit: Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images
The timing of the inevitable reveal that Port Charles had lost Epiphany was deliberate, executive producer Frank Valentini tells Soap Opera Digest. “We wanted it to come before the Nurses Ball so that you can experience all the sadness and the grief, and then we can move on to celebrating the ball…
“I don’t want to ruin too much of the surprise,” he adds, “but Epiphany is a very pivotal person in the Nurses Ball as well, so it’s almost like it’s Part 2” of the tribute.
Read what Eddy’s friends and castmates have to say about her in the below photo gallery.
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Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
1/20
<p>“Sonya was a versatile, hardworking and extremely talented actor. At one point, I counted her recurring on four different TV shows at the same time. Funny, down-to-earth and always up for anything — this clip from our 2016 lip-sync battle perfectly captures that. It’s been an honor, Sonya.” (<a href="https://twitter.com/parryshen/status/1605284540460978176" target="_blank">Watch the clip here.</a>)</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
2/20
<p>“So saddened to hear we lost Sonya last night. She was everything an actor should be and everything a human can aspire to be,” tweeted the actor, who once played her love interest on the show. “So kind, impeccably funny, crazy thoughtful and just the sweetest. I’m so grateful we were friends. Rest in power.”</p>
Image: ABC
3/20
<p>“I always loved when Sonya looked at me like this,” the Emmy winner said, referring to the photo he shared via Twitter. (<a href="https://twitter.com/MauriceBenard/status/1605338805233364992" target="_blank">See it here.</a>) “We had a very sweet connection, and she always made me laugh.”</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
4/20
<p>“Sonya… that look,” the Emmy winner said, remarking on the photo in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CmZyHpNu0Yj/" target="_blank">her Instagram post</a>. “You are the ultimate truth detector. Your warmth, my god your laugh, your hugs… you will be greatly missed. I love you so much. Rest in peace.”</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
5/20
<p>“There were so many reasons to love you, Sonya. Your laugh was infectious, your sense of humor, on point. Your professionalism, even while in physical pain, was amazing to me. Your humility and gratitude is something that I will never forget. But mostly I love you because you were my friend. I’m still in shock but grateful I got to see you the other day. I know that you’ve missed your dad, so I like to think that you and he are catching up. Love you, ma.”</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
6/20
<p>“God bless you, Sonya, in heaven. You are loved by so many. You were always an inspiration. So talented and so very special. I will miss your beautiful shining presence.”</p>
Image: ABC
7/20
<p>“I feel so much shock and sadness. I would seek Sonya out for hugs because she gave the best ones. And I would tell her that every single time I was lucky enough to get one from her. I was thinking last night that I never saw her in anything but a happy mood. She spread joy at all times. I will miss her.”</p>
Image: Hallmark Channel
8/20
<p>“Crushed to learn of the passing of Sonya Eddy. She was one of the good ones. We got along instantly and easily, and she always had a smile and a joke and a hug. I have missed her since we all scattered to the winds… and I will miss her more now. Rest now, love.”</p>
Image: Bjoern Kommerell
9/20
<p>“Ya know, along the way, in this business you meet some good people, but every now and then, you meet some <em>great</em> people,” the Emmy winner <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CmZ33uGykxL/" target="_blank">Instagrammed</a>. “That was Sonya. A gorgeous, full-of-life woman. What a loss for us. Rest in power, beauty.”</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
10/20
<p>“I am beyond shocked and saddened at the loss of a wonderfully talented… actress and friend, Sonya Eddy. Condolences to all who know and love [her]. May she rest in peace.”</p>
Image: Patrick McMullan/Getty Images
11/20
<p>“I just cannot let myself believe that this beautiful, incredible, hilarious, super-talented amazing soul is no longer with us,” tweeted the actor, a veteran of <em>Felicity</em>, <em>Alias</em> and <em>Heroes</em>. “I’m so lucky I got to work with her. I was hoping it was just the beginning.”</p>
Image: ABC
12/20
<p>“Sonya… This is a sad day for us at <em>General Hospital</em>. Wishing you godspeed. You brought love and laughter to everything you did… Keep singing. Rest in peace.”</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
13/20
<p>“I am heartbroken about the loss of the incredible Sonya Eddy. I truly loved her, not only as an actress but as a friend. The lights in the hub of the nurse’s station will now be a little dimmer, but her spirit and light will live on in both the show and our set. On behalf of the entire <em>General Hospital</em> cast and crew, we send our deepest sympathy to her family, friends and fans. She will be very missed.”</p>
Image: ChrisD/JPI
14/20
<p>“RIP, Sonya, you will be so missed. What a sense of humor she had. So sad. <em>General Hospital</em> will never be the same.”</p>
Image: ABC
15/20
<p>“At a loss for words. Devastated. Sonya is one of the greatest. We worked together for a long time,” Instagrammed the Emmy winner, now Harris on <em>Days of Our Lives</em>, with a smile, “and we had so much fun. I cherished our on-screen relationship but our off-screen relationship much more. Kindred spirits. There was not a time we did not laugh. Sonya always made me laugh, and she would never let me pass without a big hug. Sonya — I hate using ‘was’ — is an incredible light. She touched so many with her talent and just who she is. She will be missed. Prayers and love to her family.”</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
16/20
<p>“My heart is heavy with this loss. Sending light to all who loved Sonya and everyone she touched.”</p>
Image: ABC screenshot
17/20
<p>“I’m so shocked to hear about Sonya Eddy passing! She was such a bright light in my time on <em>General Hospital</em>, and my heart is with her family and loved ones. I’ll miss laughing with you on set, Sonya.”</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
18/20
<p>Eddy was “honestly such a lovely lovely woman,” tweeted the former Port Charles resident. “Kindhearted. Passionate. Loved [the show]. Very, very sad to hear this horrible, horrible news. Very shocking. Every so often, something reminds us just how fast and precious life is. RIP, Sonya. You’ll be missed terribly.”</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
19/20
<p>“… I want express my shock and sadness for the unexpected loss, last night, of my co-worker, friend and simply beautiful soul, Sonya Eddy. [She] was truly beloved [at the show]. Her presence on set would instantly calm and at the same time light up the place. Sonya was solid. Not a false note in her warm groundedness. A hug from Sonya was a spiritual experience. Her hugs were motherly, sisterly and full of her heart, which was huge. Sonya was compassionate, generous and wickedly wry. She got it. She got me. Sonya was a fellow lib and a seeker of justice for others. But she did it quietly and with dignity, while egging me on from the sidelines. ‘Go get ’em, Nance,’ she’d say. Sonya used her time on earth to love and be loved. She was just plain lovely. I can only assume that she was lifted up last night as she lifted up others, and that there were welcome arms around her to take her on to her new journey. Rest in love and power, Ebony — personal joke between us; she’ll get it,” the Emmy winner concluded with a laugh. “You were seen, appreciated and loved.”</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
20/20
