Sad news for fans of the iconic soap opera. Meg Bennett, actress and writer on the hit series The Young and the Restless, has died at the age of 75, her family has just announced.
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Meg Bennett was battling cancer
American actress Meg Bennett was best known for playing Julia Newman, the wife of Victor Newman (played by Eric Braeden), on the iconic and never-ending show The Young and the Restless. She played the role of Julia Newman from 1980 to 2020, a total of 40 years.
The show paid her a heartfelt tribute on social media. On their Instagram account they posted a picture of the actress with the following caption:
Y&R mourns the loss of Meg Bennett who graced Y&R with her talents both on and off screen beginning in 1980 as “Julia Newman” and then as member of the Y&R Writing Staff for many years. Our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones.
On X, Eric Braeden also took the time to write a tribute to the woman who played his first wife. He wrote:
My first “wife” Julia, played by my friend MEG BENNETT, has passed away! She succumbed to the ravages of cancer! I had not seen much of MEG in the last years, except at my 40th anniversary!
She was such a bright and gentle lady! I remember she taught me about the history of soaps and the actors in it! She was very bright and BILL BELL had her write for him! She was a pleasure to be around and have conversations with; always very informed! I remember her infectious smile and gentleness! She was a beautiful woman!
May you rest in peace, dear MEG! Yours ERIC!❤️
When Meg Bennet left the series as an actress, she joined the writing team. With her double role, Bennett still made a few appearances on The Young and the Restless up until 2020. As reported by her family, the actress 'lost her battle with cancer' on April 11, 2024. In an obituary released by the Los Angeles Times, her family wrote that 'until nearly the end she was devotedly working with children, writing, and engaging with her far-flung family and friends.'
An actress and a screenwriter
Meg Bennett first came to prominence for her two-year stint as Marty Maraschino in the Broadway musical Grease. As her family stated in their obituary, her soap career started when she joined the cast of Search for Tomorrow as Liza. In 1980, she joined the cast of The Young and the Restless where she was a part of the cast for 6 years. After that she continued to guest star until 2020 but, maybe more significantly, she started working as a screenwriter.
US Weekly reports on an interview Bennett did about this career change. In 1985, she explained:
I'd been acting on the show for almost two years when this happened, so I knew the characters,
Though the creator of The Young and the Restless is to thank for the career shift, Bennett expressed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 1985 why she enjoyed the change.
I’ll admit, acting makes me a little crazy sometimes: You wait to audition. You wait for the part,When you’re writing, you’re in control. I can initiate things on my own when I’m writing.
As a screenwriter, Bennett worked on other iconic shows such as The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital, Santa Barbara, and Sunset Beach.
In Santa Barbara, Bennett played the role of Megan Richardson. For General Hospital, for which she wrote from 1993 to 2011, she won an Emmy Award in 1995.
Meg Bennett's personal life
As revealed in the obituary, Meg Bennett was married for 19 years to screenwriter Robert Guza Jr. The two had met when they were both writing on General Hospital.
Meg Bennett is survived by her husband, his two daughters, four grandchildren and a lot of nephews and nieces.
This article has been adapted from Oh!MyMag France
Read more:
⋙ Meg Johnson: Emmerdale star leaves £375k in her will, here's who she gave it to
⋙ BBC Scotland Nick Sheridan passes away at 32: 'He will be greatly missed'
⋙ Annie Nightingale passes away at 83: Here’s what we know
Sources:
The Young and the Restless on Instagram
US Weekly: ‘Young and the Restless’ Star Meg Bennett Dead at 75 Following Cancer Battle
