Kathryn Hays, who played Kim Hughes on the CBS soap opera “As the World Turns,” from 1972 to 2010, died on March 25 in Fairfield, Connecticut at the age of 87, TVLine reported.
No cause of death was shared. Her reps did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a statement, actor Don Hastings, who played her character’s husband, Bob Hughes, on the long-running soap said, “Our relationship as Bob and Kim was as close as Kathryn and my relationship, except we were not married. We were more like brother and sister and we were great friends. Our biggest squabble was that she always wanted to rehearse and I wanted to take a nap. This is a huge loss to all who knew her.”
Besides her iconic role on “As the World Turns,” Hays had a memorable turn in the 1968 “Star Trek” episode “The Empath” as Gem, a mute alien who must learn to channel others’ pain to use her healing powers.
The TV veteran had roles on more than 40 series, including “Route 66,” “Bonanza” and “The Man From U.N.C.L.E,” and starred in the 1966 Western series “The Road West.” Her most recent TV appearance was in a 2007 episode of “Law & Order: SVU.”
She also appeared in Broadway productions of “Ladybug, Ladybug” and “The Irregular Verb to Love,” as well as summer stock productions of “Showboat,” “Follies,” “Dames at Sea “and “A Little Night Music.”
Her films included 1966’s “Ride Beyond Vengeance” with Chuck Connors and “Counterpoint” in 1968 opposite Charlton Heston and Maximilian Schell.
Born Kay Piper in Princeton, Illinois on July 26, 1933, she wed Sidney Steinberg in 1957, with whom she had a daughter, Sherri. She was married to actor Glenn Ford from 1966 to 1969 and Wolf Lieshke from 1984 to 1986.
Hays is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Sherri and Bob Mancusi; three grandchildren, Kate, Cameron and Garrett Wells; and her great-grandson Jack.
