The biggest celebrities are usually those who appear in Hollywood movies or on prime time TV, but the stars of long-running daytime soap operas can foster especially close connections with their fans, who tune in day after day and follow a character’s development for years.
Some popular film actors, such as Julianne Moore, Demi Moore and Meg Ryan, got their start on soap operas.
When these actors die, their absence leaves a void for their most loyal viewers, who wonder whether they will be replaced on their show and speculate what will happen to the characters they had long portrayed.
This happened in September when Drake Hogestyn, who played John Black on “Days of Our Lives,” died at age 70. He had appeared in more than 4,200 episodes for over 38 years.
And the death on Friday of Wayne Northrop, who played Roman Brady and Dr. Alex North on “Days of Our Lives” in more than 1,000 episodes from 1981 to 2006, has left longtime fans recalling his work on the show.
Here are the stories of six other long-running daytime actors and actresses who have died in the past few years.
We are having trouble retrieving the article content.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.jp winner