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Doug Sheehan, Star of General Hospital and Knots Landing, Dead at 75
Monday, July 8th, 2024
Fans of both daytime and primetime soaps suffered a blow this week as news spread that Doug Sheehan, best known for his stints on General Hospital and Knots Landing, passed away. While a cause of death was not released, a notice from the Kane Funeral home shared that the 75-year-old died with his wife by his side on June 29th.
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While the handsome actor appeared on shows as diverse as Diagnosis Murder and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, it was his role as good-guy Joe Kelly on General Hospital which first brought him to the attention of many fans. Introduced in 1979, Joe was immediately caught up in a love triangle with roguish Jeff Webber and virginal Anne Logan. He’d later become involved with Bobbie Spencer. Fittingly, Joe was the stepson of Rose Kelly, the original owner of Kelly’s Diner, which would eventually come to be named Bobbie’s after her passing.
As for Joe, he left Port Charles upon receiving a job offer.
Less than a year after leaving General Hospital, Sheehan landed the role of reporter Ben Gibson on Knots Landing. Ben would soon be paired with lead heroine Valene Ewing, becoming the only man who ever stood a fighting chance of making her forget longtime love Gary Ewing. But in 1986, Ben went on assignment in South America and was later reported to be missing, believed dead.
Sheehan continued to act reguarly up until 2003, with his last known part being an appearance on the Jenny Garth-led sitcom What I Like About You. Soon after, he opted to leave the business, eventually settling in Big Horn, Wyoming, where he reportedly took to writing plays and running a theater company.
As we mourn Sheehan’s passing, join us in taking a moment to reflect on some of the other talented daytimers we’ve lost so far in 2024.
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Image: NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection (3), New World Pictures/Courtesy of the Everett Collection (2)
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<p>Daytime lost a true great in January of 2024 when the co-creator of <em>Santa Barbara</em> <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/713465/santa-barbara-creator-bridget-dobson-dead/" target="_blank">passed away at age 85</a>. The trailblazing Emmy winner also served as headwriter of <em>Guiding Light</em>, <em>As the World Turns</em> and <em>General Hospital</em>, the soap created by her parents, Frank and Doris Hursley.</p>
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<p>Legendary <em>Days of Our Lives</em> vet Bill Hayes <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/714349/bill-hayes-doug-williams-died-dead/" target="_blank">passed away on January 12, 2024</a> at the age of 98. Married to his co-star Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie) for nearly 50 years, he will always be remembered for playing one of Salem’s longest-running characters, Doug Williams. Read the tributes as <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/gallery/bill-hayes-dead-remembered-days-of-our-lives-doug/" target="_blank">daytime remembers the beloved actor</a>. </p>
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3/30
<p>On January 12, the <em>I Wanna Be a Soap Star</em> winner who played Dixie Cooney’s half brother Del Henry on <em>All My Children</em> from 2005-07 <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/714406/soap-star-dead-alec-musser-all-my-children/" target="_blank">died by suicide at age 50</a>. “I loved this guy. Cannot believe he is gone,” Instagrammed Adam Sandler, who cast the hunk in his 2010 movie <em>Grown Ups</em>. “Such a wonderful, funny, good man.”</p>
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4/30
<p>On January 21, the sad news went out that the alum of <em>General Hospital</em> spinoff <em>Port Charles</em> — he replaced Michael Dietz as Joe Scanlon — had passed away at just 58 years old. The actor had also starred on the primetime soap <em>Savannah</em> and played out a memorable arc on the original <em>Beverly Hills, 90210.</em></p>
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<p>In late January, <em>One Life to Live</em> leading lady Erika Slezak’s website broke the news that the Emmy winner and husband Michael Davies’ beloved daughter had suddenly passed away at age 42. Fans of the soap will recognize Amanda from her 2003 stint as a teenage Viki in flashbacks.</p>
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6/30
<p>An original cast member of <em>Knots Landing</em>, Murray played Abby’s brother and Karen’s ill-fated first husband, Sid Fairgate. The Oscar-nominated actor, who boasted a mile-long list of film credits, died on February 2 at age 94.</p>
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7/30
<p>Veteran actor Malachy McCourt passed away on March 11, 2024, at the age of 92. Though he had numerous credits throughout his career, he will always be remembered by daytime fans as beloved bartender Kevin McGuinness on <em>Ryan’s Hope</em>, as well as Father Clarence on <em>All My Children</em>. He also turned up on <em>One Life to Live</em> as Mr. Kenneally and played a landlord on <em>Guiding Light</em>, a priest on <em>Another World</em> and Big Begelowe on <em>Search for Tomorrow</em>. </p>
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8/30
<p>In March, we learned that the <em>General Hospital</em> alumna who’d played Bobbie’s stepdaughter Terry (via first husband D.L.) in the 1980s had passed away at age 64 on March 12, 2024. Bernard, whose sister Crystal was a regular on <em>Wings</em>, also appeared on <em>The Facts of Life</em> and <em>Simon & Simon.</em></p>
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<p>Beth Peters, who played Agnes Whitaker on <em>General Hospital</em>, passed away at the age of 92 on March 14, 2024. For those who don’t recall, Agnes lived on a farm in Beechers Corners, where Luke and Laura took refuge while on the run in 1980.</p>
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10/30
<p>March 21 took from us Ron Harper, who was best known for <em>Land of the Lost</em> and <em>Planet of the Apes</em>. But the actor, 91 years old when he passed, also had a long and storied career in daytime, appearing on <em>Where the Heart Is</em>, <em>Love of Life</em>, <em>Capitol</em> and <em>Generations</em> (with, as you can see, Joan Pringle and Dorothy Lyman).</p>
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11/30
<p>After suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy for seven years, the soap-hopper — who made her biggest impact as <em>Young & Restless</em> hooker-turned-nun Gwen Sherman in the 1970s — died on March 18 at age 76.</p>
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<p>Barbara Rush passed away on Sunday, March 31, 2024, at the age of 97. The actress, who had numerous credits on her resume, may be remembered by soap fans for her roles as Marsha Russell on <em>Peyton Place</em> and Nola Orsini on <em>All My Children</em>.</p>
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13/30
<p>An Emmy winner known for her work as a writer on <em>General Hospital</em>, Bennett passed away on April 11, 2024. She also starred on <em>Young & Restless</em> in the early 1980s as Victor Newman’s first wife, Julia. Over the years, she also appeared on <em>Search for Tomorrow</em> and <em>Santa Barbara</em> and, in the late 1990s, was co-headwriter of Aaron Spelling’s <em>Sunset Beach.</em></p>
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14/30
<p>Spencer Milligan passed away on April 18, 2024, at 86. Though he’s best known for playing Rick Marshall on <em>Land of the Lost</em>, the actor appeared as Ray Gibbons on <em>General Hospital</em> in 1987. Read <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/735804/spencer-milligan-dead-tribute-died/" target="_blank">one actor’s touching tribute</a> to his onscreen dad. </p>
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<p>The veteran actress, who had played the Abbott family’s gadabout matriarch Dina on and off for nearly 40 years on <em>The Young and the Restless</em>, died at age 85 on April 25. The Emmy winner is also fondly remembered for her work as Eric’s first love Beth on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful.</em></p>
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<p>In May 2024, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lynn-loring-dead-search-for-tomorrow-tv-executive-1235864577/" target="_blank">The Hollywood Reporter</a> learned that Lynn Loring passed away on December 23, 2023, at the age of 80. Though the actress will be remembered by daytime fans for playing Patti on <em>Search for Tomorrow</em>, she appeared in numerous primetime hits such as <em>Fair Exchange, Gunsmoke, Bonanza</em> and <em>The F.B.I.</em></p>
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<p>The veteran actor, who passed away on May 16 at age 92, will probably always be best-known as the boss from hell in <em>9 to 5</em>. But in the early 1970s, the rising star passed through daytime, recurring as Dr. Tracy Graham on <em>Bright Promise</em> (opposite Susan Brown, who’d later play Gail on <em>General Hospital</em>).</p>
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<p>On May 26, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/05/26/general-hospital-actor-johnny-wactor-dead-shot-killed-robbery-attempt-car-catalytic-converter/" target="_blank">TMZ</a> broke the horrifying news that the <em>General Hospital</em> alum, who played Brando Corbin from 2020-22, was shot and killed during an alleged robbery. He was 37 years old.</p>
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<p>Elizabeth MacRae passed away in her hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina on May 27, 2024 at 88. The actress will always be remembered by her daytime fans for having roles on such soaps as <em>General Hospital</em> as Meg Bentley, <em>Another World</em> as Gertrude Beaudine, <em>Days of Our Lives</em> as Phyllis Anderson, <em>Guiding Light</em> as Agatha Dobson and <em>Search for Tomorrow</em> as Jozie. </p>
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<p>Janis Paige passed away on June 2, 2024 at the age of 101. The beloved actress will be remembered for her many, many roles, but in daytime she was known for playing Minx Lockridge on <em>Santa Barbara</em> in the early 1990s. Prior to that, she played Iona Huntington on <em>General Hospital</em>, as well as Laureen Clegg on <em>Capital</em>, and starred as Jan in the 1950s sitcom <em>It’s Always Jan</em>.</p>
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<p>Colon cancer claimed the life of the veteran actor on April 28, 2024. Scarfe, who died at age 77, is best remembered by daytime fans as <em>One Life to Live</em> con artist Leo Cromwell, who back in 1988 sought not only to find a way into the mythical city of Eterna but also to convince Viki that his daughter was her long-lost child.</p>
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<p>Bill Cobbs, known for his many, many works, over 195 credits, passed away on June 25, 2024 at 90. Daytime fans may remember him for playing Boyd Bloom on <em>The Bay</em>, as well as Marvin Mays on <em>One Life to Live</em>.</p>
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<p>Model and actor Renauld White passed away at 80 on June 26, 2024. He was the second Black model to grace the cover of <em>GQ</em> and briefly appeared as William Reynolds on <em>Guiding Light</em> in the late 80s/early 90s.</p>
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<p>The beloved veteran actor is included on this heartbreaking list for his roles on Norman Lear’s soap spoof <em>Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman</em> and its 1970s spinoffs. But Mull, who died at age 80 on June 27, 2024, will always be most fondly remembered by some of us for his performance as Col. Mustard in the classic 1985 movie adaptation of the board game <em>Clue</em>. He was always one of those “whodunit” best.</p>
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<p>The daytime mainstay, who died June 6 at age 95, was the executive producer of <em>Love Is a Many Splendored Thing</em> from from 1967-73, <em>Loving</em> in 1988 and <em>General Hospital</em> from 1989-91. But he’s probably most vividly remembered for his polarizing stint at the helm of <em>Ryan’s Hope</em> in the mid-’80s.</p>
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<p>Doug Sheehan <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/737352/general-hospital-knots-landing-star-doug-sheehan-dead/" target="_blank">passed away at 75</a> on June 29, 2024. The actor will be remembered by longtime <em>General Hospital</em> fans for playing Joe Kelly, who shared the screen with the late Jacklyn Zeman’s Bobbie Spencer. He also appeared in one episode of <em>Passions</em> as Davis and played Ben Gibson on <em>Knots Landing</em> as well as Brian Harper on <em>Day by Day</em> and in later years, played Mel Horowitz on <em>Clueless</em> the series.</p>
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<p>The <em>Candid Camera</em> scene stealer, who recurred on <em>Days of Our Lives</em> and <em>General Hospital</em>, succumbed to complications from a stroke at age 96 on June 24. She was the widow of actor Rod Steiger.</p>
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<p>The legendary fitness guru, who’d worked <em>General Hospital</em> into a sweat off and on from 1979-2013, passed away of natural causes on July 13, 2024. He was 76 years old.</p>
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<p>The OG <em>Beverly Hills, 90210</em> star’s long battle with breast cancer ended on July 13, 2024, when she <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/737958/shannen-doherty-dead-how-did-beverly-hills-90210-star-die/" target="_blank">passed away at age 53</a>. Shannen Doherty reprised her role as Brenda Walsh in the 2019 reboot of the popular teen drama and appeared in numerous made-for-television movies and the 1980s series <em>Our House</em>, as well as <em>Little House on the Prairie</em> and of course as Prue Halliwell on the hit show <em>Charmed</em>.</p>
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