Actress Joan Benedict has died at the age of 96.
The family of the General Hospital alum confirmed to multiple outlets that Benedict died on June 24 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from stroke complications. She is survived by her daughter, Claudia, and granddaughters Hanna and Ashely.
“She lived a long life. RIP,” one fan wrote in reaction to the news via X on Tuesday, July 9. Another fan wrote, “Beautiful career! Our Prayers are with Joan Benedict’s family & friends!”
Benedict shared her daughter with her first husband, John Myhers, whom she wed in 1962. Following his death at age 70 in 1992, she married Rod Steiger in 2000. The pair were married for two years before Steiger died at age 77 in 2002. She later began a relationship with Jeremy Slate, who died at age 80 in 2006.
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“Both of my husbands, and my lifetime partner Jeremy, were wonderful men who respected me as an actress,” Benedict shared in a September 2016 interview with Women Fitness. “They all died from different forms of cancer, so my memories are sometimes bittersweet, but with no regrets.”
As an actress, Benedict got her start on the series Candid Camera and The Steve Allen Show. She went on to appear on a number of notable TV shows, including The Incredible Hulk, Fantasy Island and Days of Our Lives. Benedict was also known for her recurring role as Edith Fairchild on General Hospital, per Deadline.
Some of her most recent projects included a 2009 episode of the show Dollhouse, the 2013 film Dead Border and the 2017 movie Opus of an Angel.
Benedict’s death comes shortly after news broke of her fellow General Hospital star Doug Sheehan’s death. A Wyoming funeral home recently confirmed via its website that Sheehan, who notably portrayed Joe Kelly on the long-running soap, died in his home at age 75 on June 29. His wife, Cate Abert, was with him at the time of his passing. A cause of death was not revealed.
“Very sad news. Loved him as Joe,” a fan wrote via X on Monday, July 8. “Ben & Val had some sweet moments but I was always wanting Gary & Val. We are losing too many beloved soap vets.”
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Earlier this year, General Hospital lost another member of its show family with the death of Johnny Wactor. The actor, who portrayed Brando Corbin, was shot and killed by men allegedly attempting to steal his car’s catalytic converter in Los Angeles on May 26. He was 37.
The ABC series paid tribute to the late star after the show’s June 11 episode, including a title card that read, “In Loving Memory Of Johnny Wactor.”
