Marla Adams, known for her 37-year tenure as the Abbott family’s matriarch, Dina Abbott Mergeron, on The Young and the Restless, has died. Adams was 85.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Adams passed away in Los Angeles on Thursday.
“We send our deepest sympathies to Marla Adams’ family,” The Young and the Restless X account penned on Friday. “We’re so grateful and in awe of Marla’s incredible performance as Dina Abbott Mergeron as both Marla and Dina made an unforgettable mark on Y&R.”
Marla Adams entered the world on August 28, 1938, in the scenic Ocean City, New Jersey. She earned the title of Miss Diamond Jubilee during the 75th-anniversary celebration of her hometown in 1954, a testament to her charm and grace.
Following this achievement, she graduated from Ocean City High School two years later, in 1956.
After dedicating two years to her studies at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she was cast in The Visit, under the direction of Peter Brook, immediately upon her graduation.
She first graced the big screen in the 1961 classic, Splendor in the Grass, starring alongside icons Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty.
Marla Adams Appeared in a Slew of Hallmarks of the Soap Opera World
It wasn’t until 1968 that Adams graced daytime television with her debut as Belle Clemens on CBS’ The Secret Storm. Years later, in 1982, she captivated audiences once more as Dina Abbott Mergeron on The Young and the Restless.
Marla Adams portrayed her character on Young and the Restless intermittently across nearly four decades. Following the conclusion of her three-year contract in 1985, she made several returns to Genoa City in 1991, 1996, 2008, and from 2017 to 2020.
In the latter stages, her character, who was living with Alzheimer’s disease, met her end in an episode aired in October 2020.
“Of all the characters I’ve played, from ‘The Secret Storm’ to Broadway, this has been the most astonishing, amazing part I have ever had the privilege to play,” Adams said about her character in 2020.
Meanwhile, Adams also appeared in other hallmarks of the soap opera world. The actress played Mildred Deal on General Hospital in 1963, Myrna Clegg on Capitol in 1983, Helen Mullin on Generations in 1989-90, Beth Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful in 1990-91, and Dr. Claire McIntyre on Days of Our Lives in 1999.
She is survived by her children, Gunnar and Pam; her grandchildren, Gefjon and Stone; and her great-grandson, Remi.