The Young and the Restless is in mourning following the news of the passing of longtime star, Marla Adams (Dina Mergeron) who passed away at the age of 85. Adams died on Thursday April 25th in Los Angeles.

Since her passing, several tributes and heartfelt remembrances have been shared on social media. The official Y&R Instagram expressed. “On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we send our deepest sympathies to Marla’s family after her passing. 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.”

Several of Marla’s former co-stars took to the IG post and more to share their remembrances. Adams took home a Daytime Emmy in 2021 for her performance in 2020, as Dina finally succumbs to Alzheimer’s disease in several memorable scenes.

Photo: JPI

Here’s what some of Marla’s co-stars expressed:

Eileen Davidson (Ashley): “Marla will be missed. What a great honor to work with her in the storyline where Dina had Alzheimer’s. Love you Marla ❤️❤️❤️❤️”

Melissa Ordway (Abby): “Marla will be greatly missed”

Beth Maitland (Traci): “The earth stopped turning for a moment when my Marla passed to eternity. Rest now, my Muti and soar with the angels.”

Photo: JPI

Greg Rikaart (Kevin) :“Marla was just the loveliest. Rest well. ❤️”

Bryton James (Devon): “Marla will be missed and loved forever 🧡 My deepest condolences to the family”

Jason Thompson (Billy): “❤️ Marla Adams”

Photo: JPI

Michael Damian (Danny): May god be with you aways Marla! 🙏❤️

Lauralee Bell (Christine): “So sorry to hear. Marla was such a bright light and so talented! My condolences to her family.”

Kate Linder: (Esther shared on X): My heart and love go out to the friends and family of #MarlaAdams. It has been an honor to have known and worked with her for many years! She will be sorely missed.”

Michael Fairman TV will update this post as more tributes are posted.

What do you think about the sentiments shared by Marla Adams’ co-stars as they mourn the loss of, for some, their TV mom? Let us know in the comment section below.

 

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Marla Adams, best known for portraying matriarch, Dina Abbott Mergeron on CBS’ The Young and the Restless for 37 years, died on April 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. The news came from Y&R’s Director of Media and Talent, Matt Kane.

Throughout her veteran soap opera career, Marla appeared had appeared on Secret Storm (in her other longest running soap role as Bell Clemens from 1988-1974), The Bold and the Beautiful (ex-Beth Logan), Days of our Lives (ex-Dr. Claire McIntyre), Generations (ex- Helen Mullin), General Hospital (ex-Mildred Deal) and Capitol (ex-Myrna Clegg).

However, it was her role as Y&R’s upper crust Dina, who abandoned her children and her marriage to John Abbott (the late Jerry Douglas) that was her most memorable role. Throughout the years, Dina would have several romantic reunions with John, but in 2017, the character returned to Genoa City to reunite with her estranged family. Dina was the on-screen mother to Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson), Traci Abbott (Beth Maitland) and Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman).

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As for Adams, she joined Y&R in 1982, but left the soap three years later her contract expired. She returned to Genoa City for stints in 1991, 1996 and 2008 before being asked by then Y&R head writer-producer Sally Sussman to return in 2017, which would begin the top-rated daytime drama telling the story of Alzheimer’s disease. Through Dina, the show shed light on a person going through the perils of the illness, and how the family copes and tries to come to terms with its fate.

In fact, Marla took home the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series in 2021 for her work in the storyline, She had previously been nominated in 2018.

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Speaking with Michael Fairman TV, Marla shared on her final scenes on Y&R when Dina passed away and was reunited with John Abbott, “It was heart-wrenching for me.  In the story, Dina died when she went outside and to the front door of the Abbott home.  They did not tell me before-hand, and that’s why it was so wonderful.  I hope they came in for a closeup of that because I had no makeup on, it was beautiful, and then, Dina said, “Oh, John.”  I’ve done everything from movies, to daytime, to nighttime, to Broadway, but that was the iconic moment for me, to do this gig with wonderful, wonderful actors and friends, and to do this particular storyline.

Born in Ocean City, New Jersey, on August 28, 1938, Adams’ love for the stage was ignited after winning the Miss Ocean City and Miss Cape May pageants and finishing as a runner-up in the Miss New Jersey pageant. She also fondly remembered being the Miss Diamond Jubilee Queen during the 1954 celebration of the 75th anniversary of Ocean City’s founding.  A student at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Adams appeared on Broadway in the 1958 production of The Visit at the Morosco Theatre with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne and starred as June in the 1961 feature film, Splendor in the Grass

Over the span of her decades long career, Adams starred in more than 40 productions including television’s: The Golden Girls, Hart to Hart, The Love Boat, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Harry O, Adam-12, Starsky and Hutch, Marcus Welby, M.D., Barnaby Jones, and the feature film, Beneath the Leaves.

Photo: CBS

In a statement, Y&R’s current head writer and executive producer, Josh Griffith expressed, “On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we send our deepest sympathies to Marla’s family. 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.

Marla is survived by her daughter, Pam Oates, son, Gunnar Garat, grandchildren, Gefjon and Stone, and her great-grandson, Remi.

Photo: JPI

Michael Fairman TV sends our condolences to Adam’s family, friends and co-stars. Now below, share your remembrances of Marla Adams, and watch a few of our interview with Marla from the set of Y&R during the show’s 45th anniversary celebration and on the red carpet at the Daytime Emmys below.

When the nominees were revealed for the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series for the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards, a fresh face was in the running for the first time as The Young and the Restless Allison Lanier (Summer Newman) scored her very first Emmy nod.

Lanier took over the highly-coveted role of Nick (Joshua Morrow) and Phyllis’ (Michelle Stafford) daughter from two-time Daytime Emmy-winner Hunter King, who won gold for this role in the now defunct Younger Actress in a Daytime Drama Series category.

During the Michael Fairman Channel’s 2024 Daytime Emmy Nominations Special on Friday night, April 19th, Allison was one of the nominated guests, who shared her reaction to the news that she was a first-time Emmy nominee earlier in the day.

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When speaking of how challenging it can be to be a recast on a soap, and in particular on the top-rated drama, The Young and the Restless, Lanier filled us in how she dealt with it.

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Allison related, “I’m decent at compartmentalizing, but yes, it was daunting. Being a recast is daunting. Going on a show, especially, one where we work the way that we do, that’s just daunting in and of itself. I do think that when you’re sort of having to follow in somebody’s footsteps, they’re (the audience) automatically going to compare you to somebody else. That’s daunting. But I do think that I was able to hold that was happening for me, but also I have to ignore that and I do have to make it my own thing, because we’re different people. We’re bringing different things to the character and that was really the only way forward for me.”

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When speaking of the nominees along with her in the Supporting Actress category, of course, she is close with Y&R co-stat and fellow nominees, Courtney Hope (Sally Spectra): “I’m not as familiar with everybody from the other shows quite yet, but I can’t wait to get to know them and to see what they’re putting out there and watch their episodes and their scenes. However, I am so glad that Courtney Hope is nominated in this category. Her storyline was so heartbreaking and the way that her and Mark Grossman (Adam Newman) played that, it just like shot me straight in the heart.”

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As far as what scenes were on her nominated-reel, Allison shared she first had a reel of 30-minutes in length, just to see how all the scenes played out she was considering, before whittling it down: “So, what ended up on my reel was Summer confronting Diane (Susan Walters) directly after the gala after Phyllis “died.”  It’s this kind of heartbreaking moment of anger mixed with pain and grief. I included the scene where Kyle (Michael Mealor) informed Summer that it is time for a divorce in her hotel suite. There was also one scene with Daniel (Michael Graziadei) after Summer knew Phyllis was alive, and I also had another scene with Michelle Stafford when Summer found out that her mother was alive.”

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To check out the full interview with Allison, watch the Daytime Emmy Nominations Special below featuring ten of this year’s nominees chatting live.

Now let us know, do you think Allison has made the part of Summer her own? Happy to see her nominated? Comment below.