Sonya Eddy, an actress beloved for her role as Epiphany Johnson in General Hospital, died Monday at the age of 55.
On Tuesday, Oscar winner Octavia Spencer announced the death of her close friend on Instagram, writing: “The world lost another creative angel. Her legions of @generalhospitalabc fans will miss her. My thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones, friends, and fans.”
A cause of death is unknown at this time.
“I am heartbroken about the loss of the incredible Sonya Eddy,” Frank Valentini, an executive producer for General Hospital, said in a statement obtained by EW. “I truly loved her not only as an actress, but as a friend. The lights in the hub of the nurses’ station will now be a little dimmer, but her spirit and light will live on in both the show and our set.”
Valentini added, “On behalf of the entire GH cast and crew, we send our deepest sympathy to her family, friends, and fans. She will be very missed.”
Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic Sonya Eddy
Eddy, a licensed vocational nurse in real life, joined General Hospital in 2006 as Epiphany Johnson, the no-nonsense head nurse who succeeded Audrey Hardy (played by Rachel Ames) at the Port Charles hospital and mother of the late Stan Johnson (Kiko Ellsworth), who met his demise after getting wrapped up with the mob. She reprised her role in the 2007 spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift, which ran for two seasons.
Apart from the long-running soap opera, Eddy starred in dozens of sitcoms and TV series, such as Married… With Children, Family Matters, Beverly Hills, 90210, Home Improvement, Gilmore Girls, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, 2 Broke Girls, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Fresh Off the Boat, PEN15, and A Black Lady Sketch Show. Her film credits include Daddy Day Care, Seven Pounds, and Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.
Representatives for Eddy didn’t immediately respond to EW’s request for comment Tuesday.
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