'Young And The Restless' And 'Days Of Our Lives' Star Marla Adams Dead At 85
"The Young and The Restless" star Marla Adams has died. She was 85.
The long-running CBS soap opera's director of media and talent Matt Kane announced Friday the sad news that Adams passed away in Los Angeles the day prior, according to TMZ.
The cause of death was not disclosed.
"The Young and the Restless" executive producer and head writer Josh Griffith released a statement mourning the loss of Adams and paying tribute to her performance as Dina Abbott Mergeron on the daytime soap.
Read also: Soap Opera Icon Dies: 'Young And The Restless' Star Meg Bennett Dead Following Cancer Battle
"On behalf of the entire company of 'The Young and the Restless,' we send our deepest sympathies to Marla's family," Griffith said in the statement obtained by Today. "We're so grateful and in awe of Marla's incredible performance as Dina Mergeron as both Marla and Dina made an unforgettable mark on 'Y&R.'"
Adams played Dina for nearly 40 years on "The Young and the Restless," in which she first appeared in 1983.
The role earned her a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2021.
She was also nominated in the same category at the 2018 Daytime Emmy Awards but lost to her co-star, Camryn Grimes.
Adams filmed more than 230 episodes for the show between 1983 and 2020.
The actress made her final appearance as the Abbott family matriarch in an October 2020 episode of the series.
The Ocean City, New Jersey, native began her acting career on Broadway before entering the TV and film world.
Adams starred alongside Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty in the 1961 film, "Splendor in the Grass."
Through the years, the soap opera icon also appeared in "The Golden Girls," "Walker, Texas Ranger," "The Secret Storm," "Days of Our Lives," "The Bold and the Beautiful" and "Baywatch," among other on-screen projects.
Adams is survived by her daughter Pam Oates, son Gunnar Garat, grandchildren Gefjon and Stone, and her great-grandson Remi.
Adams' passing comes just days after the death of another "The Young and the Restless" star, Meg Bennett.
Her family announced last week that Bennett died on April 11 after a battle with cancer. She was 75.
"Until nearly the end, she was devotedly working with children, writing, and engaging with her far-flung family and friends," read an obituary published in the Los Angeles Times.
In a statement obtained by USA Today, "The Young and the Restless" also sent their condolences to Bennett's family and praised her "kindness and passion for the daytime drama genre."
Bennett played Victor Newman's first wife, Julia Newman, on "The Young and the Restless" between 1980 and 2002.
She also served as a writer on "General Hospital." "The Bold and the Beautiful," "Sunset Beach" and "Generations."
