Meg Bennett, who enjoyed acclaimed careers both in front of and behind the camera on iconic daytime dramas like “The Young and the Restless” and “General Hospital,” has died. According to her family, she passed away on April 11 at age 75 years old, after a battle with cancer.
A native of Pasadena, Bennett first made her mark as an actress, originating the role of Marty Maraschino in the Broadway production of Grease in 1972 before moving to television. Her big soap break came in 1975 on the CBS series Search for Tomorrow.
It was in 1980 that Meg Bennett joined the cast of The Young and the Restless as Julia Newman, wife of Eric Braeden’s Victor Newman. Her stint on the show would span decades, with Bennett last reprising the role in 2020 after the character was initially written out in the early years.
As her acting role on The Young and the Restless ended, the soap’s co-creator Bill Bell transitioned her to the writing team, allowing Bennett’s creative voice to shine. She went on to write for numerous other soaps like Santa Barbara, Generations, General Hospital, and Sunset Beach.
Meg Bennett won a Daytime Emmy for her writing on General Hospital in 1995 and earned numerous other nominations over the years. She also took home several Writers Guild Awards.
In addition to her accomplished career, Bennett’s personal life included marriage to fellow soap writer Robert Guza Jr., with whom she collaborated on many projects over nearly two decades together.